The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-03-17
OPENING OF THE
GRAND OPERA SEASON
The Castle Square Company Peases Everyone With Fine
Of Verbs III Trovatore.'

| Hall century has passed away since
| Giuseppe Verdi set all Italy aflarne with
the wonderful melodies Of I'll rrovatore. :"
1t Is but three years since the master him
self passed away and in the long and busy
period OF MS life that followed his arst
great success he produced many operas.
Most OF them are more musicianly and
some OF Them like Aida" won him great
/ er fame among the cassicists but none
ever stirred the popular heart SO pro-
/ ioundly or made an impression so endur-
Ing as III Trovatore." The sonlbre tale
OF medieval Spain, luridly lighted by the
pyres to which cruelty and superstition set
the torch on every hand, is immoftalized
by Verdts musical setting But it was for
the Italian people, who are like children
IN their emotions, that Verdi was writing
mot for the musical world. And so the
| melodies of this work We're written with
| the greatest simplicity and directness. Full
OF elemental passion, rich in dramatic
fervor. they went straight to the Italian
heart and their appeal to other hearts in
other lands has never failed. On such an
enduring foundation rests the immortality
OF this musical story Of the troubadour.,
It was with a thoroughly fine production
/ of the Verdi masterpiece that the Castle
Square Opera company opened it's four
! weeks season in the twin cities at the
Metropolitan last night. AS an introduce
ton to the classic and time tried repertory
arranged for this engagement a happier
selection could scarcely have been made,
for it gave a taste of the company's quail
ity In familiar and favorite opera The
striking feature eff the performance was
the fact that no pains had been spared to
give it. unity and Conference. III Trova
| tore has alas, too often, suffered pro-
|duction at the hands Of those who gave
no attention to its dramatic quality and
who sang it as merely succession OF
solos, duets trios and choruses with in
cidental scenic and costume accessories.
The action In grand opera, constantly in
| tcrrlpted as 1t is by the music, Is slow
enough at best and the tendency is for
the singers to forget that they are also
actors. This same tendency extends to
those charged with the responsibility for
the production and so grand opera often
| spells WEAKNESS for all save those whom
l music entirely satisfies But the Castle
Square idea Of doing all things well
whether minor details or great essen
tails, results in fine. evenly balanced
production in which the dramatic side is
built up to symmetry with the musical
side. - e.. -. -: -.
| Perhaps the most important feature con-
tributory to this result is the singing OF
the score in English. It is probable that
no one in the audience had ever before
heard I'll TroVa tore" In English and while
the story is, of course, familiar, it was an
added and unusual pleasure to be able tc
follow the actual words as they fell from
the lips of the singers. 1t must be said
however, that indistinct articulation was
a fault SO general among those OF the
cast that this advantage was greatly min
imized Mr.. Sheehan, the tenor, was an
exception, and almost every word he ut
tered was distinct and intelligible; but
his colleagues have much to learn in &C
quiring that Indispensable essential of
perfect singng-good enunciation. ~
The abandonment Of the stellar. system
another Castle Square idea-has re.
suited in the casting of the opera. on. ar
SO we'll balanced sIand the singers so vel
matched that the t true Hah1es Were never
lost sight Off, . y,t2 :'-..% -
Miss Norwood was the .Leonora, and her
voice showed great resonance and a fine
quality, especially in the upper register
Her precision of attack was notably good
Her highest notes were faulty made. and
her lower ones lacked strength. but she
made a most pleasing impression both
vocally and dramatically. She IS not. how.
ever, a. colora tura singer, and her voice
is not flexible enough to do justice to the
more forid passages: in the score One
imagines. that Wagnerian roles would be
better adapted to her. a s.-= II. =.
Mr.. Sheehan, the Manrico, really car
ried off the honors4 Of the evening, his
fine, robust tenor. his graceful carriage
and his fire in action fairly carrying the
| audience off it's feet. The Irresistible
'Miserere,' with it's sublimely, tragic feel
ing, has seldom been more effectively sung
than by Mr.. Sheehan and Miss Norwood
x,hiIo in ri hiS fender duet with
: Azucena, and in the final prison scene, hi
won golden opinions.
Miss Marion WE'LL: the Azucena, wor
more than a success of esteem In her ole
home. for she fairly amazed and delighted
, her friends by the breadth and power
. and richness of her cOntralto. Its range
seemed marvellous and it's quality almos
as good in the upper register as in the
; lower For her success in Interpreting
, the character of the vengeful old gypsy
those who knew her aptitude for acting
were better prepared. With her youth
her voice, her beauty-though that was
not in evidence last highland her tenn
permanent 50 we'll adapted to the interpre
) tation of the passionate roles that usual!
fall to contraltos. it does not seem ex.
travagant to predict a brilliant career To-
Miss well. '@
Mr. Golf completed the quartet Of prin
cipals with fine barytone which wa:
heard to the best advantage in the i'm
mortal Tempest of the Heart" In spit
{ Of slight vibrato, his singing provet
} musical and effective and his acting &C
ceptably spirited. Mr.. Boyle, the Fer
rando, exhibited bass voice of good quail
: ity- in the opening scene, which is abou
} his only opportunity. Mr.. Fulton had tn
small part Of Ruiz, but his sweet teno
voice was heard once or twice in effectiv
contrast with the robust one of Mr.~Shee
han. Miss Ramey as Inez completed tn
7 cast most acceptably. .sa.g... s.-.-.. ,s, 49,
:. The chorus is not overburdened: witt
work in III Trovatore," but made TIL
:. most Of it's great opportunity In the anvi
chorus Of the second act. 1t is full voice,
and we'll trained and its music is good t
hear. The augmented orchestra under tn
Y baton of Mr.. Emanuel rendered effectiy
service. The scenic and. lighting effect
were everything that could be desired and
as already pointed out, the production
moved off with spirit and precision.
w. B. Chamberlain.
=" A WARM WELCOME
Representative Audlence Inspires til
$ Company to Its Best Efforts.
| srT,,.~ 4, ~