The San Francisco call., 1904-11-21
Sig. Russo joys
in Part OF
EdgdPdO.
Does
Good Work as
Lucia.


Pacific avenue and everything between
met at the Tivoli' yesterday afternoon
shouting mad bravas or splitting suede
after its different fashions over the one
grand opera Of the year. Opera hun
CRY? You would say so. A day over
a week d go it was whispered that the
Tivoli would give Lucia" yesterday.
Seats went on sale on Monday. On
Wednesday there were no more TO be
had, and yesterday afternoon the hope
full were offering enough to keep d
small family on for a week for the
privilege of a chair planted anywhere.
BY the grace Of Mr.. Leahy some of
them got it, but scores went opera
hungry down Eddy street yesterday.
There Is talk of repeating the opera.
Certainly it would be the part of wis
dom II any doubt were possible as
10 the place grand opera holds in the
affections of San Francisco, yesterday
must settle it. 1t was not the cast.
though Nine. Francisco was an attrac-
ton Of curiosity. Neither was il the
opera in observation-disclosures" in a sea-
son draws only largely. 1t was
grand opera, the kind of music, choral,
orchestral, solo, that appeals most
vitally and generally here as a form
of entertainment.
u
sight to see, one huge smile from the
orchestra TO the last row of the gal
lery. Its joy in the occasion was all
but pathetic Every little tft-bit Of the
opera, the seXtet, the harp solo, the
mad section" was jealously encored,
rolled under the tongue, to prolong the
delight as far as possible. Each artist
was salvoed into a condition Of al
most hysteric enthusiasm, and all
did better than their best-Signor
Borghese excepted. Of the chorus this
is particularly true, the feminine end
Of it being splendidly voiced and excel
lently sure of itself, singing as If ii
could eat every note of the score.
Napoleoni's six feet led the male chorus
as usual, and simply wallowed in the
pleasure of ii.
AS a whole, considering the circum-
stances Of production, the performance
was remarkably smooth, only for Bor-
ghese, the Henry Ashton of the cast,
the prompter might have taken a day
off. Signor BOrghese. however. kept
him pretty busy. But all the rest
knew their parts How little Russo
joyed in his, and-but the ladies first
"the" lady first. l am glad to have
heard Nine. Francisco in opera. I'm
sorry I did not hear her first in opera
Still, that was not my fault. If sing
ers so obviously fitted only for the
stage viii take to the concert platform
they must take the consequences.
In opera, veritably, Nine. Francisco
Is almost incredibly better. TwOuld
seem there were almost more in this
than meets the ear. Just why the sing
er should yesterday keep most sensi-
lively on pitch, phrase fittingly, some
times beautifully, use color in free and
full fashion. and vocalize clearly, on
the whole after her distinctly unsatis-
flying performance at her first concert,
rather perplexes. Nervousness one is
used TO noting more in the sustained
note than in scales and friIls- Pitch,
too. is commonly affected in such cases.
But Torture, pitch, color, everything
was affected in Nine. Francisca's con-
cert appearance. One wonders if 1t
were a matter Of study, if the singer
were not in good practice. Then one
wonders again if IT were simply the re-
straint of the concert platform.
In face of her yesterdays Lucia,
thoroughly dramatic. it would not be
difficult 10 accept the latter explana-
ton. Dramatically Nine. Francisca's
is one Of the best Lucias we have had.
Her performance was, If anything, too
strenuous, perhaps a negligible fault
in the circumstances. Quite interesting
are two or three Of her bits of 'busi-
ness" as where after her wedding
scene she tears the veil from her hair,
and again where she crowns herself
with roses-a la Ophella-in the mad
scene All through Nine. Francisco
showed herself an earnest and accom-
plished actress. The voice 1 found
anew delightful so pure, even, fresh
and full, so large and sweet to the up
permost notes, so round to the lowest
One desired greatly the last clearness
of articulation it lacks, the final grace
Of phrase. distinction. character. but
given these and Nine. Francisco would
belize not be singing in dollar opera.
She was lavishily and deservedly ap-
plauded.
Russo / have yet to hear in finer
trim than he was yesterday as Edgar
do. His voice was fresh as in the old
lombard days. His singing also con-
spicuousIy free from the exaggerations
that have not seldom marred It, There
was not an inch~tQo much of his top
notes, and his meZZO voice work was
beautiful as ever and not overdone.
The whole effect was particularly hap
py in the fortunate blend of the Russo
and Francisco voices, some of the en-
semble work being entirely delightful.
Borghese brought his smooth and vi
brant blrytone into useful service. but
one felt his memory insecure through
out Wanrell made a remarkably good
Raymond and a new and thinnish ten
or. Zarala. a soulful Sir Arthur Buck
law The production-oh, well, who
minds having the Gypsy Baron" hall
for the Ashton reception room. or hav-
ing the LammerTnoor skies punctured
with the illuminations Of the Paris ex-
position-see THE Messenger Boy"i
Not l. Final credit goes to NJ. Jacques
Conn for the skillful stage mana cement
and Mr.. Steindorff had every reason to
beam over his baton at the augmented
orchestra.
Two extra performances of the opera
have been arranged for next Friday
evening and the Saturday matinee
It is recommended to those that see
The Runaways" at the California this
week not to prelude il with Lucia" as
I did. The runaways are sad when
they sing. particularly the female end,
and with the Tivoli's spilling Kate Con-
dons and Dora de Fillippes into musical
comedy one has dropped into pesky
habit of expecting the same But for
get all that and remember Arthur Dunn.
Buying Mr.. Dunn you would ask for
small 3's-he just escapes midgetry.
But there is nothing miniature about
the Dunn huuOr He Is a flIII- -hIoodad