The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-31
PATTI SINGS
LAST FAREWELL
THRONG GREETS HER AT INTER-
NATIONAL AUDITORIUM.
There Is Little Doubt That This Tour
Is in Truth Her FareWcll-Her
Bearing Has Improved, but Her
Voice Shows the Effects of Time.

Bearing Has Improved, but Her
Voice Shows the Effects of Time.
t'ES war elnmal."
The sad commentary Of the Berlin
critics upon the final appearance Of
the great Alboni in Germany comes
involuntarily to the mind as one sits
and listens to the one woman IN all
the world, the announcement Of whose
appearance alone sufficed to fill the
vast International Auditorium with an
audience that numbered more than
six thousand people. Every seat in
the auditorium and 800 chairs placed
on the platform were all filled with
an eager expectant throng of people.
The audience was in a most gra-
cious mood, ready and expectant of
being pleased, and in this it was not
disappointed. Patti appeared at the
recognizable rppatnlsd y' by those na who remem.
bered the slight, girlish figure of the
great singer. She had grown more
matronly, and withal had added in
dignity what she had lost in the
spright1iness and coquetry of former
years. She was the same gracious.
smiling woman, but the kisses tossed
from smiling lips, and the little CO.
quettish rushes on and off the stage
were missing. It was a change for
the better. .#
AS the great Patti, however, began
to sing, there recurred the mournful
thought, "Es war einmal." There was
an entire absence Of the delicious.
liquid upper register Of former days
There was none Of the flOrid singing
| the delicious bel canto, which used to
| enthrall her listeners quite as much as
the delicious quality Of her tone. The
| ravages of time were only too aP-
parent. The soprano had become a
contralto in range.
The simple Mozart aria, ."Voi che
sapete,"'. was sung with feeling, and
| the audience only too readily voiced
! the insistent encore. Then came the
magical moment of the evening, the
singing of the old, familiar songs
robin Adair" came first. If any one
else had sung it, bare perfunctory
round Of applause would have fol
lowed Since Patti sang it, handker.
chiefs and hats waved in the air anc
she was recalled. This time it was
! that apology of song, The Last
Farewell a suitable companion fol
'-Silver Threads Among the Cold an6
others of it's ilk 1t was sung muck
better. Indeed, PATHS voice improved
with each number as it became
warmed to it's work. Doubtless the
Last Farewell was intended to be
sentimental, and many of the audi
ence accepted it in that spirit, bu
there were many satirical listener:
who saw only the irony in it all.
The second part Of the program
gave Nine. Patti the Jewel Song,
from Faust which for the first time
in the evening brought to the singer
- ~
was again the Patti of former years
altho the number Was atroc1ousl,
transposed in key to accommodate tn,
i singer This was followed by tn
familiar Home, Sweet Home" ant
many an eye was dimmed as the div;
sang it. She did not sing again. On!
her. 1t is her splendid enunciation
which enables everybody to hear ever,
word.
The present company, is the bes
that Patti has ever been surrounded
with in concert Mr.. Virgo, the tenor
was i'll and could not appear, bu
Claude A. Cunningham proved a mos
acceptable and capable singer. H
. has a barytone of wide range and fin
) taste and is very effective. His voic
: was so thoroly we'll placed that h
could be heard everywhere with ease
and he was recalled thrice after eacl
number, giving one encore.
) Miss Rosa Zamels, the violinist
played with fire and spirit, and wit
good technique. For a player but 1
years old, her work was remarkable
Her bowling was forceful and yet deli
cate and the quality of her tone salts
, flying. Miss Vera Margolies, the plan
ist, proved to be more of player tina
an artist. Her playing of the Lisz
Z "Rhapsodie Hongroise, No. 12." was
to use a, double entendre, we'll exc
5 cuted, and the Chopin "Nocturne,
l which was played as an encore, sh
7 quite failed to interpret SATISFACTORY!
e The "Rigolette" number, later in tn
: evening, was played much better an
! was given charming reading.
: Anton Hegner, the 'cellist, proved t
! be disappointing. His numbers wer
! well played, his technique being quit
acceptable, but his playing lacke
that authority and incisiveness t
! make it thoroly good, and the ton
: he drew from his instrument was quit
insufficient to fill the house. The tw
trios played by Miss Zamels, Mis-
Margolies and Mr.. Hegner, one at tn
, commencement of the program an
one at the close, were greatly marret
, the one by late comers, and the othe
: by early goers.
! The illness Of Mr.. Virgo disarrange
the program somewhat. and man
> people. thinking the concert close
with the last Patti number, prepare
. to leave. Those who remained ea
!. pressed strong disapproval Of thos
: who left by some vigorous kissing
: and comparative order was restore
! for the closing number. Mr.. Sapit
i as acconpanist, was irnpeccable.
i Howard Boardman.
s