The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1903-09-29
TVOL| SHOUTS
FOR GREGORETTI
"The Barber of Seville"
Is Excellently Per-
formed.
Florence Roberts Is Warmly
Received at Alcazar
in "Zaza.

Thera r~aIIv are a few people left In San
Francisco who have not yet heard THE
Barber OF Seville" 1 know for two OF
them sat next me last night at the I1voh-
Whether the performance-aH but Drill
liant, or this part of the audience were
the more amusing, 1t were nara 10 say
Nv neighbors had brought along their
grand opera manners and a large inno-
cence of the libretto. They were or tnosS
apparently who regard opera-solng as
more or less pleasing duty, and were
cheerfully prepared to go through with II
to the heroine's last dying screech-1or
who ever heard Of grand opera where she
doesn't?
The first shock came with Gregoretti's
Largo al Factotum," after its bewilder-
ingly lively prelude. 1t was sung with
surging fun that carried the house to It's
feet and found my neighbors wiping the
tears from their astonished eyes Inc
BARRIERS merry plotting and Almavivas
delicious sentimentalizing plunged them
still further in, and by Don Basilio's La
Calumnia''-with Cortesi as DR.. Bartolo
listening with inspired stupidity-they
gave up the attempt to be proper ana
howled gladly with the rest of US.
l think 1t was the liveliest performance
of 1.-The Barber that 1 have heard
don't except even that hilarious produc-
ton when CoIlamarini spOrted the black
beard and shovel hat Of Don Basilio. we
have never had such Figaro as Greg
oretti to begin with. He is incOmparably
more humorous than Campanari in the
part, is even bigger, and more finely
voiced, and with as fluent and easy vocal
ism. As comedy we have had nothing
better, nor as singing. The sputtering
syllables OF the Largo came out as
clearly a string of pearls, every word
cut as clean as a die. So throughout, and
Gregoretti was in the best Of his magnih-
cent voice last night. In looks he might
have been cut from a Goya tapestry. and
his facial play, with it's mischief, slyness,
good nature, the whole technique of the
busy-body, was humor incarnate. One
need not be told that Figaro is the barry
tones favorite part. for he sings and
plays it that way.
Tromben's Rosina added much to the
comedy Of the opera. She has store of
unsupported vivacity and a piquant CO.
quetry that makes the part on this side
well a level with the Figaro. VOcally,
she Is uneven. She has a pretty voice,
an unusually fine staccatO, sometimes
soloratura passages Of much beauty, but
one is never wholly comfortable about
her. In the music lesson scene Miss
Tromben's interpolated songs were; una
Lezione di Gorgeggio.' by Guagui Ben
venuti, and 'Variazione," by Di Prock.
The orchestra fell down" on the count
and Miss Tromben added to the fun by
trailing a chair very vigorously across the
stage to signify her displeasure. She was
generously applauded
Tedeschi was the Almaviva, and his
somewhat girlish voice and appearance
gave the part a peculiarly hu-
morous accent. The little tenor
sang very well last night, and
the vivacity before noted in his work
came in most usefully to the acting of the
role That very useful person, COrtesi,
was the DR.. BartOlo. and brought in
telligence to his work that surprised those
not familiar with his career here. Cortesi
is very sure of his parts, always there.
always interested, always sufficient, and
his DR.. Bartolo ranks easily in its genre
with Gregore tits Figaro, so far as acting
is concerned. Travaglini's smooth, fine
bass is heard TO excellent advantage in
the Don Basilio role, and Miss Nettie
Deglow is pleasing as Berta. Particu-
larly good is the concerted work, and
those DESTROYS of an evenings excellent
entertainment cannot do better than hear
the Tivoh people In this royal old comedy.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.