The Washington times., 1904-02-02
VERDrS "OTHELLO'
VERY WELL SUNG
Savage Grand Opera Com
pany Well Received.
AUDIENCE WAS BRILLIANT
Columbia Crowded With Persons of
Fashion and Other Lovers
of Music.

fine performance of Nerdis opera.
"Othello.' at the Columbia Theater last
night. began The only season Of grand
opera which the capital Of the United
States is 70 know this year. The man
ager TO whom even this meager allow
ance is due is Henry NJ Savage. His
company. as II presented itself In
"Otheilo. is entirely worthy of that
gentle mans wide fame as a business
man OF exceptional enterprise. and
dramatic producer Of extraordinary ar
tistic sentiment. 1t is clear. then. that
the Inaugural! OF this engagement is an
event OF more than passing moment to
regular patrons of the theater. and last
nights performance both TO perform
ers and auditors. entirely merited the
distinction thus put upon il.
In the parCuet Of the theater was as
sembled one OF the most brilliant and
at the same time one of the most curl
ousiy composed audiences of the sea-
son. The wife of the President. am
bassador from another country. and
great number OF other fashiOnables were
noted by everyone. Near these persons
sat an equal number whose faces were
strange 10 the thcater, and whose pres
enee bespoke an interest in the opera
only for its music. Elsewhere I'm the
building in their accustomed places.
ter 1t ought TO signify to the pro-
nounced merit OF the production that all
three classes OF auditors felt the spell
Of the opera and apDleuded the prin-
cipal numDers with might ana main.
A Transitional" Composition.
.'OtheIo'' IS fairly representative. so
TO speak. Of the transitional" Verdi
His life is story of constant rising to
better things He began as a poor
lyricist. became a composer of admir-
able lyrics perceived the high purpose
behind the opera OF the German com
posers, underwent a transition Of faith
from the Italian creed to the confession
OF Beethoven and Wagner, and then
bravely set about using the talents de-
veloped in the course of long life TO
an entirely new result "Othello" re-
fleets both the composers strong rove
for the hard and stilted forms OF his
native opera and his first understand
ing OF the power behind the music
drama Of Wagner II is. accordingly.
an attempted fusion OF the two, and. at
less capable hands lacking the charac-
ter of either. would lose the beauty and
art value Of both.
But Verdi. when 'Othello" was first dis
closed TO his critics-it-was given ITS
original performance in 1Ss7-was prov
music This work moreover revealed
a striking power Of orchestration The
result was therefore. not failure 10
catch the spirit of both schools Of opera.
but an attempt for the most part sue
cessful to merge what were TO him the
more agreeable elements Of bOth-prs-
cisely the aim Of the virtuoso Pad
erewsh when he composed his opera
The requirements of "Othello." then
are those OF ''Tanuhauser" heaped OF
those OF The Magic Flute" There
must be voices capable OF singing tn
duets triOs. quartets. and airs Of old
Italian opera. and able, we'll TO sins
with genuine dramatic force. This tasi
Mr. Savage and his conductor Mr.
Emanuel have assigned Joseph She.
han as the OtheHo Gertrude Rennysor
as the Desdemona, Winfred Gon as tn
IagO. Mr. Fulton the Cassie. ar
Miss Newman the wife of Iago.
was not the least delight OF the per
Torrance To nOte that every one of theE,
priEcipals-and indeed all the Lesser
singers-was abundantly equal to his
task. 1t viii be a long long time be
fore any ether company Of such eve
strength VIII essay grand opera IN
W1shir.-tOn.
Nj. Sheehsn's G-eat Success.
Mr. Sheehan was easily foremost Hi.
Othello was one OF the furies-a crea
ture so fired by passionate love.
torn by suspicion. and so Infatuated b,
a wild luss for revenge that the happ.
ness Of peace and the dignity OF repost
We're b3th impossible TO Inn. The create
number OF tie composite selection
include OthelO. and Mr. Sheehar
sang taem better than he has ever sun.
In Was1iugtor before His development
has besa' tru-y remarks Die.
Mss Eennyson proved TO be a So
prano Of .nueh personal charm. rather
disresafded ia the contemplation OF Il
r-arkcd strens Ia and sweetness. Nh. Coz
made deep ana favorable impression
singing wish iiae regard for the texd,
disclosing baritone voice Of greal
range, aed acting with poise which Is
mos, unusual Ia opera OF any sort The
secondary roles, the chorus and the IN
dards
1E1se columns have already given due
emphasis 10 the fact thar MIR. Savage
company sings 70 an English-speaklnG
AUDITORY "a ihe English language
Whoever doubted the wisdom OF that
proceeding must have been cOnVerte ed
by this performance Of ''Othello" Every
Where were spt ctatOrs apparently losl
70 al thought VI the music in their
Absorption In the story although, oil
course. hah their interest IN the story
had been buih up by the music. IL was
clear the audience waited TREMENDOUSLY
on the development Of a great drama
and not on succession OF concert -
lecticns. How much would have been
lost had the tongue used been Italian
or French, must appear to ever one
who uses his brain and ever looks about
him on an audience like this.
A Pleasing Prospect
Enough has been said TO bespeak the
interest Of all who love music and wish
well for our stage. IL is better now. when
"Othello" has been sung, to direct our
sight forward 10 Bizet's brilliant nusl-
cal painting. Carmen" which Is the
bill for tonight. and the Thursday matt
nee: to Wagner's great work, ''Lohen-
grin - 70 Verdi's worn but marvelously
popular III TrOvatore, which is an
nounced for Thursday evening; TO Puc-
cinis powerful drama, "rOsca." set fOl
Friday evening and TO The Bohemian
Girl" which Offers for Saturday night a
froth NJ baliades TO end the feast II IS
on me whole fine program. and
eauged By last nights production OF
"Othello." il f. sure To be acceptably exc
cuted. To communicated the Capt
tai OF the United States-which has no
other. taste OF grand opera these are eK
tremely gratifying circumstances.
A. d. A.