The San Francisco call., 1905-02-02
BITS OF PARIS
LIFE ARE SHOWN
IN "LA BOHEME"

II we are accustomed to one opinion
more than another concerning San
Francisco it is that the town is like
Paris. Every one that strolls in here
plays Columbus to the discovery. Per-
haps it is because we resemble
Parisians that we are so perennially
fond of La Boheme.'' A poor audience
with the opera for bill 1 do not remem-
ber since the historic first production.
Nor was the record broken last night,
when "Boheme'' was sung at the Tivoli
for the first time this season to a great
and noisy crowd.
Truly-taking the first, third and
fourth acts-"La Boheme" is not unlike
a bit of lower Montgomery street done
to music. 1 have seen Schaunard there
in his scarlet tie; Marcel pluckily
starving over the masterpiece that was
to make him famous, and a Colline.
coatless. Rudolfo waits at the restau-
rant, however, and perhaps generally
Montgomery street staryes less pa
tiently than the Paris Latin quarter.
1t takes to other trades-as keeping
chickens, as one Marcel / know Is do
ing at the moment. But Montgomery
street you will always find at La Bo-
heme."A The rest of us go partly be-
cause we know and love Montgomery
street, and again we'll know and love
the eloquent musical setting Puccini
has put to 1t. One never wearies of the
opera. 1t is only good or less good as it
is given.
One has heard better productions. or
productions In better shape than last
nights. 1t was rarely good in spots
and good average, but there were
ragged places not a few and the
prompter was requisitioned oftener
than need be. Some one, by the way,
has put down the soft pedal on
the prompter and I know of at least
one grateful observer. How the opera
will go on Saturday and Sunday nights
may be foreseen from the finale of the
third act that was repeated. 1t was
hardly the same thing on it's repetition.
There was the difference between
dress rehearsal and a public perform
ance. This, likely, had to do a good
deal with Dora de Philippe, who made
her debut as Musetta last evening.
This sprightly little regular of the
Tivoli forces proved anew her useful
ness last night. She was called upon at
quite short notice to take the part and
fits excellently into it. But Miss de
Philippe was evidently voice-tired and
not a little nervous. She showed.
however, what she is going to do with
the part in the aforementioned repeti-
ton, in which she exhibited all her
usual snap and vim. The house simply
howled for it. Polacco came and bowed
between Musetta and Mimi, but they
would not stop. At last the conductor
! had to come out again and repeat the
| scene.
Mimi? Mimi, of course. One is
| not forgetting. Berlindi was the Mimi,
and a touchingly sincere figure as the
| little grisette. She contrived most
prettily to suggest the gentle vanities
of Mimi, the kindness of the little
creature. One missed Agostini some
what for the Rudolfo. but you will
fnd Bazelli quite charming. Mon
! tanari one did not miss. Berlindi's 8
! Mimi is in exactly the same lovable
key, though a portrait much finer in
| its detail, and though more heavily
and brilliantly voiced, Berlindi re-
| minds here, too. One gets, indeed.
what one would prefer to forget,
much of the Montanari vibrato. Mr..
! Polacco was little unkind to her on
| occasion in hurrying a phrase here
| and there, by the way.
Bazelli distinctly pleases as Rudolfo.
His vocal quality is truly pleasing.
and though one doesn't worship the
high c, Bazelli encompased a beauty
last night-just as pure tone as his
| falsetto in the Salve Dimora was fall
| setto.
1t Is an unavoidable pity tnat the
Bazelli and Berlindi voices are not a
good blend, their scenes were so charm
/ ingly sympathetic otherwise. One
would prefer, by the way, in both the
first and third acts at the close. a
much softer cadence as the lovers
leave.
Signor Cirotto, who has done little
! this season, furnished good Coltine,
repeating the farewell to the Coat"
song to ones pleasure. Romboli add
| ed capital Marcel to his honorable
record, and Signor Mugnoz was eff
cient as Schaunard. Cervi did the
! double roles of the landlord and AL
| cindoro usefully. The chorus was eff
4 fective beyond custom, a charming
/ children's song was most happily used
| from among the usually cuts in the
tavern scene, and Polacco was in ex-
cellent form. La Traviata" tonight.
BLANCHE PARTINGTON.
There is apparently an unusual
amount of interest in the coming ap-
pearances here of Melba and her COM
pany at the Alhambra Theater next
Tuesday night. February Z. and the