The San Francisco call., 1905-01-25
FAUST DRAWS
VAST AUDIENCE
AT THE TIVOLI

There were probably thousand more
people than seats at the Tivoli last
night for Faust" and three hundred
or so of them elected to stand. on their
own feet or their neighbor's feet The
rest went down Eddy street wondering
why the architects hadn't made the
Tivoli bigger while they were about it.
They missed a rather curious
Faust" OF one thing alone in grand
opera one may of course be certain
that every performance of 1t will be
different. With the same cast. same
conductor, conditions apparently ex-
actly similar, the same opera will
count up something singularly different.
l venture a prophecy that Saturdays $
Faust" will show many variations
from last nights. Some are to be
hoped for; others would be deeply
to be deplored. Almost all of Signor
Bazelli's Faust, for example. except a
couple of falsetto notes in the "Salve
DinOra,' would suffer from change.
Again. take the Soldiers Chorus and
/ don't remember more wooden rem
dering.
That was the curious part of 1t. The
big things of the opera, mostly, went
indifferently. The unfeatured passages
were frequently quite remarkable in
their beauty.
The Jewel Song" with Tetrazzini's
jeweled voice behind it, went without a
glitter-which brings one to Marguer-
ite and TetrazZini. 1t is no derogation
of the TivoTi diva to say that the part
is out Of her scope. 1t is out of Sem
brich's. Yet, it is the last thing one
would have expected.
Here, in a performance that those
who best knew her work declared was
ironOSSihIa IN hp1. MaIha and
acted wonderful Marguerite. The lit
tie TetrazZini in everything before has
acted all round Melba. Also she has
had the honor to be compared with her
as singer. So ran the promise. But
it was not until the fourth act that
the singer got her usual acting grip
on the situation. Then came little
scene that thrilled with it's portraiture
of despair. The singing, too. / have
heard singers with one-half of the
voice and not a touch of the quality
rake in laurels in the Jewel Song"
Last night there was hardly even an
attempt at an encore. Neither was the
King of Thule" anything but a sketch
of that charming ballad. Yet, in some
of the smaller love scene passages Te
trazzini was exquisiteness itself. AS
whole. however, it is apparent that the
role is not hers.
Bazelli again developed most pleas
antly. His voice did not stretch to the
full need of the role and he has many
faults of method, but he has such a
pleasing quality of voice, such taste,
tenderness and sympathy, and withal
such genuine lyrical sense. that these
carry him very far, and Signor Bazelli
makes a charming lover. In the garden
scene his love-making was managed
with delicacy and fervor that l re-
member combined in no Faust of my
acquaintance since Michelena's.
&ignor Rossi. in a remarkably hand
some orange and black satanic con-
fcction.s was the Mephisto. Quite in
line with the rest of the performance
his Calf of Gold" failed of much of it's
effect. Yet Signor Rossi is a singer of
parts, though in him there is neither a
De ResZke nor Plancon, nor anything
even approaching our old Dado. His
voice has neither the mass, brilliance
nor flexibility necessary for the role.
yet he contributed Importantly to the
general effect. His devil, from the act
ing side, is a rather benevolent old
person, who, however, at Valentines s
sword cross, shows a highly effective
picture of fear.
Bettini, the Bauermeister of the COM
pany, was again most .serviceable as
Martha. With the aforementioned
singers she did excellent work in the
garden quartet. Miss Eugene Barker
was fairly effective as Siebel. Signor
Romboli. always earnest and sincere,
was rather out of his depth as Valen-
tine, but did his best Signor Rom
bolts tremolo was in uncomfortable
evidence last night. One wishes he
wouldn't.
And now, honor to Signor Polacco
ard the orchestra, that did the best
work of the evening.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.