The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-07
At St. Paul Iheaters

II Is QitHettIl TO dFOiQ SupefldtIVeS IN
speaking of Nine. Johanna Gadskis
singing either on the .eperatie stage or
on the. concert stage. A young and,
vigorous and comely woman, endowed
by nature with q superb vocal organ,
the prima denna adds to her other
manifold attractions a personality so
winsome that even the ultra critical
must find it irresistible.
She opened last evening at the Peo-
pies church the Y. M. c. A. concert
course and most successful opening
it proved. The singer was in the mood
to give her best and the audience that
greeted her was a very smart and rep
resentative one, and large one, too.
There were some vacant seats, but not
many, in the auditorium.
No singer, in making UP his or her
programme in these latter days, fails
to give promise to the Lied. 1t was to
be expected that this delightful form
Of art should occupy an important
place on Nine. Gadskis programme.
Two delicious songs of Franz, 'Lieb-
chen ist da7 and Aus meinen grossen
schmerzen;" and Brahms great song,
Meme viebe ist grun," sung as only
German artist can sing them, stirred
that part of the audience that was not
busy seating itself and arranging its
wraps during the first part of the pro-
gramme. For, of course, there were
many late arrivals, and, of course, it is
impossible to expect a singer to be-.
come thoroughly en- rapport with her
audience when many in that audience
are trying to get the hat pins out of
their hats. Sehubert's 'Erlkenig" was
also included in this first group of
songs. This, one of the most dramatic
songs ever written, was Splendidly
sung by the soprano. The desperate
fear of the father, the growing terror
of the child, the suggestion of uncan
niness which is bFeathed in the COM
position were interpreted in manner
that indicated as fine perception of
dramatic proportions as of vocal eff
fects.
1t is not possible to speak of Nine.
Gadskis singing and then dismiss her
accompanist, H. Selmar MeyrowitZ,
with a few words after one has con-
cluded with the diva. To many this
mans accompanying must have been
revelation last night. He established a
marvellous sympathy between the voice
and the instrument, sympathy the
more remarkable because the piano it
self was not all that could be desired.
The Saint-Saens aria, MY Heart at
Thy Sweet Voice. the first vocal num-
Der on the second part of the pro-
gramme, was faultlessly sung, and
the playing of the difficult accompani<
ment was part of the success of the
number After the French aria came
more German songs, sVerborgenheit,"
by Hugo Wolf, and two kinderlieder,
by Taubert, and Strauss great song,
"Caeile.''
But included with these was an Eng
lish song, Remembrance" from the
new Shakespeare cycle, which has
been written by Mrs. Grace Wassall,
of Chicago. Every solo to this cycle is
a musical setting to one of Shakes
peare's sonnets, and the concerted
numbers to verses from his various
plays. The fragment sung by Nine.
Gadski was an exquisite bit of melody,
fresh and fragrant and Infinitely ap-
pealing. 1t was sung in English, of
course, and the singers ennunciation
was most commendable.
The third part of the programme
was entirely Wagnerian. Herr Mey-
rowitz played the prelude to "Tris-
tan and Isolde" and then the
soprano sang the "Truame," which
Wagner himself considered one Of
his masterpieces; and the shimmering,
fairy-like "Schlummerlied," which re-
xealed, assnothing else did, the singers
exquisite pianissimo.
The programme concluded with
AS she began the aria, Mime. Gadskf
seemed to become some inches taller.
But 1t was the noble sentiment of the
song, it's tremendous dignity and the
art with which it was sung that con-
.veyed the impression Of Increased
stature. The soprano repeated many
of her songs and sang some not on the
programme. She was very gracious
about responding to eneores and they
4T,a
Tannlauser aria, the audience re-
niafned in their seats and made no
move to leave the church until Gadsh
came back and sang once more.
Besides the prelude already referred
to Herr MeyrowitZ played Wotan's
Farewell" and the "tFIre Music" He
is fine solo pianist as well as a great
accompanist.
Itisnt often that a simple little maid
in blue pinafore and a sunbonnet,
singing a banjo serenade can call out
six encores. From the time Eva Tan
quay appears on the Metropolitan stage
in her first scene, with her unique gest-
ures and repertoire of Sambo-girl steps
to the last curtain fall she is a decided
hit. Miss Tanguay wears her short,
snug costumes and Partisan hats, full
of toss and curves, with the delightful
sang froid with which she does every
thing Every bit of her is unique
her entrances, exits, gestures, move
ments; one could easily call her per-
petual motion-and a very fetching
motion it is. A matinee today at 80
and amperfornlance tonight will close
Miss ~Tanguay's engagement at the
Metropolitan,
Tomorrow night at the Metropolitan
opera house, theatre -goers will have an
opportunity to witness the much talked
of revival of "The Two Orphans" The
St Paul engagement is limited to three
nights and Saturday matinee. The YER
sion of the play to be presented is the
original one made for A. M. Palmer
thirty years ago. 1t is considered the
best melodrafna constructed in the past
generation. Everything that should be
in a drama seems to be in ''The Two
Orphans" innocence; virtue, adventue,
villainy, peril, greed, lust and hypoc-
risy In the revival one Of the greatest
casts that has ever been gathered to-
gether for any one production has been
secured.
James O'NeiH, who has been asso-
ciated with Monte Cristo" for so many
years that he has almost lost his
identity in the role, plays the Chevalier
a character which he played with strik-
ing success before his Monte Cristo"s
was ever heard of. J. E. Dodson, one
of the best character actors the country
has ever known, will appear as the
crippled Pierre, a character in which
he viii be seen at his best. Louis
James, the Jacques Frochard of the
cast Is an old fayOrite. He has been