The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-03-28
Music and Drama

The first presentation of W. gneriau
opera in salt Lake was given at the salt
Lake theatre last evening before u ire
mendOus audience, testing the capacity
of the house To say that the presenta-
ton was entirely satisfactory would be
IneXact, because some of the elements or
perfect success were unattdindDle under
the conditions: but the affair was 50
much beyond anything ever attempted
here before in music drama that il de-
served more than the cautiously given
To be-in with the limitations: The
house was never intended for grand opera
Listening TO the orchestra of thirty-fiVe
pieces at such short range as was in
evitable during the more strenuous pas
Sages, one felt as though one had been
hitched to the large end of a megaphone.
with the orchestra Immediately in front
of ii. This and the very obvious fact that
the stage was far too small for proper
arrangement OF the company ana It's
scenic effects. impaired the completeness
of an ensemble that had great POSSIBLE
Barring these insurmountable difficult
ties the production could not well have
been more excellent short OF such an or
ganization as embraces none but stars
of International fame.
William Wegener as Lohengrin has the
physical presence with the dramatic in
telligence for most satisfactory rendl-
ton of the role: and in the emotional
dramatic ohases OF the character his
voice was equal to the most eXacting de-
mands of the score In the tenderer
passages, as. for instance. L. the love
scene after the wedding. there seemed an
indefinable lack of finish and smOothness,
which may have been due TO the trying
change from lower attitudes or 10 the
not unusual TOughnesS which follows
lOng-cOntinued travel. As a whole Mr..
Wegener'S rendition Of his role was SUI
perb.
Miss Rennysons Elsa was sweet. un-
affected by self-cOnsciOusness, somewhat
lacking in the fire of passion and the
dignity of the ideal which the composer
had in mind; yet her tone is so flute-hke
in its purity, her personal presence Is so
charming and sympathetic that it seems
hypercritical TO FAY much stress on the
otherwise satisfactory Interpretation she
gave the part Her prayer IN the trst
act, the balcony scene with OTtTud. the
dramatic rencOntre with Ortrud and
Telramund before the wedding. and the
trying scene in which she asks Lohengrin
the forbidden question which is TO sep
arate them-aH these We're given with
exquisite feeling and with an approach
TO dramatic power which won most cor
dial approval
The Ortrud of Rita Newman was. in a
measure, the best role of the evening
With UnIovely character to present.
/ the singer put so much of force into the
role, her acting as well as her singing
were SO cOnsDicuOusly able as to make
hers the most finished production in the
whole cast In at least one scene she won
I the most spontaneous applause given any
| of the performers Mr. Benefits King
! Henry and Mr. Goff's TeIramund both
/ developed splendid voices, both cult
! waited, under perfect control and amply
adequate to their roles. The chOruses
were good, though not extraordinary, and
| tho stage setting a disa appointment.
An orchestra consisting of thirty-fiVe
] pieces. ten of which were from the The
dtre organization, did most excellent
| work If it had not been Handicapped by
! the SmallneSS of the auditorium its re-
| mdrkabe tone force. the deliCaCN of its
! phrasing, the unexpected smOothnesS with
which il was held together, even in the
most difficult passages. would have won
immediate and Unstinted praise As it
was, the company and the audience have
reason for cOngratulatiOn that the com
blnatlon OF players unfamiliar to each
OLhef was 50 successfully welded into
complete and harmonious organization.
The stress which has been laid upon
the fact that the librettO was in English
seems to have been unnecessary. Oc-
caSfOnally one could recognize word or
two Of the book but the chorus and solo
lists might just well have used Ger
man. or, for that matter. Chinese, for all
the difference the words made. Those
who bought no book of the opera price
> cents, and were not already familiar
with the theme of ''LOhengrin." had to
depend upon their ability to follow the
motive through the action. or else they
LETT the house none the wiser to the
Altogether. the first production of Wag-
ner in salt Lake was q success; not an
unqualified triumph. but a distinct gain
TO the music impulse of the community
! and a great pleasure to those who love
/ the music for itself regardless of its
accessories.
In spite of a strong counter attraction
Harry Corson Clarke opened his fifth
anu last week at the Grand last night
TO good business The offering was Mr.
Foster of Chicago an exceptionally
clever comedy in three acts In the part
of John Philip MacreadX FOstor. an ac-
tor of the old school. Mr. Clarke had
abundant opportunities for funmaking.
and he never missed one Of them. He
kept the audience. amused and enter
tanned from the first curtain 70 the last
The clever comedian has done many good
things since he opened his engag cement
at the Grand. but those who have seen
him In all of his parts will agree that
he has done nothing better than Mr..
Foster of Chicago" The other members
of the company We're well cast last night.
Mr. Foster of Chicago viii be the bill
for the balance of the week.
Today Mr.. Clarke gives "A special matt
nee. with the residents of Salt Lake city
who are 20 years Of age and over. the
widows who are more than 90 and the
orphan children. his guests. The front
seats have been reserved fer the aged
and those whose hearing is iufirm. All
others, however. will be vel taken care
Of The Utah Light & Railway company
viii carry the ola people wearing badges
to Indicate their age TO and from the