New-York tribune., 1905-11-10
MICS ALICE NIELSEN IN OPERA.

- +;r,e mast disposition has been evident
among the lovers of old-time coiili0 o.O' -,
.rd French-opera buffa and opera conllue -'o s
for nroper housing of the amiabe old FORM oi
.or+atrroant and a belief that were 1t to return
,ronerr1 housed and otherwise in really artls'l1
esrb it would find many devotees among u
lovers of music who, with all their deVotioh' Ai
not consumed with the desire 10 teeo always ~
tragic things either of the ponderous GerIhdli Ni
or the modern ltanah. WHICH lii'Nsii
vet hot T. tn mouth"
An experiment made at the Casino yesterday a.
ternoon gave these well meaning ana wen uese
persons something to think about Donlzetus I'm
Pssouale" had been awakened from long slunlper
hv Nine Sembrich at the Metropolitan opera 1o0
"a tie old witcheries had made themselves Iei''
but the cavernous spaces of the Metropolltah nlu
swallowed UP much of the charm lnheIeiio " -.
edv and music Naturally music lovers were me-
ested in an enterprise which proiniSeu p
fornlance in a house which conror1'eu al ~
sions and proportions to the Work
But five minutes of the performance sefNeo -
demonstrate that a proper tneatre oiiI: W -
the need of a proper performance MI ~
Russell an English manager had conceived tii0
idea of a revival of the old opera amid appi opil
o,,,,d;,es hut IT is to be feared less for the
sake of a rejuvenation in the sense longed ior pS
the deasts than for the exploitation VI -"''
Alice Nielsen Miss Nelson five years ago was
Broadway operetta favorite. In some Oh Eic.oi
Herbert's operas she had challenged the attentioh
and interest of the judicous by exhibiting a voice
Of fine natural quality and more than usual SKIP
in its 49,.
Especially was this true in The Singing GlIl-
There was a romantic element in the play which
invited celebration in romantic song ana MI her
bert fitted her out with a piece OF music Whlch
enlisted the best that was in her Whatever inc
ordinary patrons of Broadway operetta ma! ~ hH'o
thought of It. ii soon evident tnat the suns
had stimulated the talented young woman's aInO-
ton She went to London in April. 1901. and ap-
neared then in Victor Herbert's THE Fortune
Teller" Mr. Russell heard her, and ADVISED her
to abandon operetta lor opera She TOOK his ad-
vice studied with him in Italy returned to London
a wear later and sang at one OF MT Henry
voods orchestral concerts at Queens Hall
She then effected her operatic entrance IN
f,ounod's Faust in Italy worked out brief ap-
nrenticeship in the usual manner. and IN the sum-
,oer of 1904 became a member OF the Covent Garden
o,,,ar, singing in Don Giovanni and LIE Nozzi
di Figaro Mr.. Russell organized the san CARO-
Grand Opera Company, and with II she sang MINI
70 Sfgnor Caruso's Rodolfo in Puccinis 'BoheIne'
and 10 Judge by the newspapers. made an eX-
tremely favorable impression. Now she is back III
her native land. and yesterday she gave her ad-
mirers taste of her quality in the higher form OF
entertainment. Don Pasquale' calls for only a
small eompany-a prn1a buffa, tenor. barytone ana
a buffo. Mr. Russell provided these-probaoiy from
the provincial towns of Italy.
Their names do not signify. for they invited gen
eral condemnation rather than special mention but
for the sake of the record they here set forth
They were AlfTedo ftoSi ''"H IoSQ"oie'' A'"iF'
Fratod (Dr Malatesta). Francesca Pratt tErnesto)
and Sig. Articcl (the notary. The stage settings
were OF the slipshod character which were 10 have
been expected and so the orchestra. under the
direction OF Jose den Berg. erstwhile ooost
In the Metropolitan Opera orchestra
So far as all these people were concerned the
result of bringing Donizet5is sparkling little Work
into intimate relations with the audience was sadly
disIusionizing. How pitifully comical all the OLD
operatic marfonettes became AT once,
The interest in her career which Mss Nielsen
had left behind her and curiosity to note the re
suits OF her European training made it possible 10
listen to her with patience Still. IL did not
take long to see III her conception Of comedy
acting developed in Broadway farce comported
with the character of Norma as 1t stands
in the opera and lives in the memories
of those who have seen and neard Patti Di Murska,
Gerster and Sembrich IN the part
The vocal art such artists must not De brohght
into comparison with her singing but something