The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-04-28
DAVID BISPHAM RECITAL.
LARGE AUDIENCE IN WO0LsEY HALL DESPITE BAD WEATHER.

asticalIy Received = David Stanley
 Smiths Composition Among Them
 Mr.. Bispham Entertained at Gradu-
 ates' Club.
 The weather, which was certainly bad enough for almost anything, frightened many people away last night from Woolsey hall where David Bispham gave his song recital. But those who did come into the pelting rain-and there were thousand or more of them seemed glad they were there. New Haven audiences are not generally noted for enthusiasm, but this one last night was really enthusiastic It stay ed until the end of the long programme of twenty songs, applauded them all 1 heartily. demanded encores and called for one more song at the end, and got 1 it-''Danny Deever' the song MT. Bispham has made known on two con- { tinents.
 The programme last night was de- i light through it's entire length from the florid Handelian air to the tripping measures of Brahms Lady Moon.' l MT. Elephants programme was a de- ! light through it's entire length, and be- fore he had done with it he had estaD- lished himself more firmly than ever in the hearts of the people. It would be | hard to choose any one song from the programme and say 1t excelled its neighbor. They all had their peculiar beauty and occupied a part of the we'll balanced whole. In the larger works "Alberich's Curse" from Wagner S opera of "Das Rheingold," was, per- haps, the most effective. He made 1t a curse in reality whose fierceness and intensity were startling The Parsifal aria, "Amfortas' Lament" was less dramatic, but in its own way stirring. MT. Bispham made these two arias much more interesting to his audience by telling, in few words, the position they occupied in the dramas from which they were taken and giving a hint or two as to their meaning. This l was also done in the case of the Pro- logue from Pagliacci which, MT. Bispham said, was written for the great baritone Maurel after the opera had been presented several times. This Prologue, by the way, was one of the best things on the whole programme
 Among the lyric numbers which went particularly we'll were the beautiful old Italian air "Caro Mic Ben," arranged by Papini, and the contrasting Schubert songs tHaidenroslein" and Dem 1 Unendlichen."
 The wonderful songs of Wolf and Strauss were new to New Haven and were much enjoyed.
 The American group of songs at the end of the programme was revelation to many who did not know what Amer ican writers were doing. Among these none was more effective than David Stanley Smiths song "The Rising ot the Storm,'' a realistic picture of the play of the elements and an excellent , song, well constructed, as well. One got glimpse of Treasure Island wher MT. Bispham sang Gilbert's setting oi Robert Louis Stevenson's pirates song Fifteen men on a dead mans chest yo, ho, ho, and bottle of rum.' Anc then, after an exquisite lyric of Max Bendix, "Auf Wiedersehn,' (the word. by LowelD' and Lady Moon,'' came | tudI WHICH uldlly were lileTe tO near
 even if after a wait of two hours
 Those who have not heard Bisphan sing the world-renowned Danny Deever" have not heard the song as i
 should be- He makes of it real liv
 ing thing, and you get an idea of wha
 made the rear rank breathe so hard
 and the front rank "shiver and fal
 down."
 Bispham is a great artist, maste of his resources, which are many; scholar and gentleman. Such pro gramme sung in such a way cannot fai
 to have a wide influence in the uplift
 ing of the taste of the city in song mu
 sic.
 The enjoyment of the evening wa added to by the excellent accompani ments of Harold o. Smith, who was a the piano.
 After the performance Mir. Bisphan
 and MT. Smith were entertained at tn : Graduates club by Professor Parker. r Il f 70. . f.t ls sa-. D -.l q. l s 4s