The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-01
YESTERDAY AT THE OPERA.
MnE. AL.HA WEBSTER-POWELL
SINGS "GILDA."

New and Astonishing Substitute for Nine.
Nelba In Verdi's "RlEoletto"--let
CarusO Makes Love TO Hcr-Mozart's
lie NoZze III Figaro" We'll Given.
There were doings indeed at the Metro
poitan Opera House yesterday. Nine.
Melha had faded away into the pine woods
Of New Jersey. carrying with her bronchial
affection Of the sinoerest sort. Even the
woes Of Giidd could not furnish her with
sufficient recuperadye power to enable
her to appear at the matinee. Neverthe-
less, Verdi 3 -Mgoetto," that cheerful. but
not inebriadng version OF Hugo's lie
Roi s Amuse, had TO be given somehow.
Mr.. ConHed pndes himself on his glorious
record. Never yet has he sent an un-
happy public home with it's money returned
because the advertised opera could not be
given.
Nine. Sembrich had to sing Susanna in
the evening, so she could not be called
upon TO take Nine. Melba's place in the
afternoon OF course, most Of the opera
school stood ready and more than willing
TO sing Gildd but there we're dangers in
this. There was still one hope left. the
young American prima donna soprano
sfogato, Alma Webster-Powell the lady
with the pccolo register She il was who
in the chill November Of 1908 wrestled at
Carnegie Hall with the music Of one Pirani.
catch as catch can, and achieved the honor
Of drawn bout. Pirani has since sue
cumbed from the effects OF the struggle.
but Nine Alma Webster-Powell lived to
SING another day.
Despite the records OF that awful night
Mr.. Conried, truly charitable man, eager
to give young ambition a chance to soar
among the high notes, engaged her as a
regular member Of this seasons company
She sang at one Sunday night Since that
time she has been held in reserve TO keep
Smbrich and other such people from be-
coming unmana geable. Yesterday was
her chance and the way in which she sprang
into the imminent deadly breach will long
be cherished in the memories Of those who
do not think opera all skittles and small
beer
This was truly ambitious GiHd. She
could not be confined by the limits of her
Iapa's little back yard, but three several
times walked through the brick fence and
poured out her woes in the open street in
the signt OF all men. The rest Of her action
consisted OF continuous waving of futile
hands which somehow reminded one OF
MaeterlinCk's Les Ayeugles' and a peram-
bulating hop which recalled the elder Soth-
ern IN DundredTV
AS for ner singing let it be recorded
that she az least showed less fear Of the
pitch than she did when she sang at Carnegie
Hall. In her duet with Mr. Caruso in the
second act she actually shook hands with
il. But that voice. as Pauline remarks
when she heais Claude speak.
Where in the world Is there its fellow
IN gaseous thinness in pallid hfeleesness3
surely Shakespeare never heard Alma
Webster-Powel, or he would not have
pictured old men alone az piping and whist
ling in their childish treble. But enough
such a feeble, saddening amateurish Giiid
has never before been seea on the Metr o.
politan stage. Even Mr.. Conried, W no
is so good 10 the young singer can har dly
have charity sufficient to cover again the
multitude Of this ones sins.
Mr. Caruso, who was doing the best he
could 70 make believe that be was harboring
passion for this CLASSY voice, at any rate
sang his second act duet with 1t like gen
tlenan. He tempered mis- wind unto the
shorn tone, but revenged himself at the
end by taking a high d fiat. What pity
that the boys behind the rail did not know
that he had gone the high & one better!
How they would have shouted their honor
able bravn Mr., Glraldoni was the same
melancholy and laborious jester as before
II was not an afternoon OF delirious JOY.
The old man in the first act cursed not only
Ri0oleito but the whole performance.
In the evening Mozart's lovely comic
opera lie Nozze iii Figaro was sung with
a good cast. including Nine Sembrich as
Susanna. Nine. Eames az the Countess.
Mr.. Scott as AlmGpiud and Mr. Blass as
Figaro. In every way the performance was
better than the former one even Mr.. Blass
showing marked improvement. but, OF
course, the honors went 10 Mines. Sembrch
and Eames. who won general blessings for
their beautiful singing. Nine. Eames was
so annoyed by noises behind the scenes in
her air Dove Souo' that she stopped sing
ing and Kissed for silence.
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