The San Francisco call., 1905-04-14
SGmbriCh Is Brilliant
In the Role Of
ROSdlinde.
BurgStdller VIII Sing
Part Of WdlthGr as
Farewell.
BYBLANCHE PAR7ZNG7OM


"Parsifal' in the morning and after
noon, Die Fledermaus" in the evening!
Yesterdays bill at the Grand Opera
house suggests a kings Jester behind
II. Die Fleder1naus" was the sensa-
ton, IN direct succession to "Parsifal'
Of the year before, OF the Metropolitan
opera season OF this year. II was q
poignantly piquant sensation last even
Ing.
Herr Conried has shown himself q
variously astute impresario during his
short reign. In his first year he cap
tured the roo's egg Of opera to hang
about the neck Of his season, then next
took the absurdly delightful step into
Strauss comic opera for a piece de re-
Eistance. The one thing was az sue
cessful as the other. One understood
why last night. Doubtless a peculiar
pungency was lent to the fun by its be-
ing Sembrich = SembrichI = capering
across the stage as Rosalinde: the
Klingsor Of the afternoon, Goritz, as
Frank, as ticklesomely and rapturous-
ly drunk as Jimmie" Powers China
man; and Dippel, the erstwhile Sieg-
fried. playing the gay deceiver In the
mornings trews. But for all that the
fun stands on its own feet. The opera
zlingly comic all ithe way through 1t
came with something of the charm Of
the discovery Of lost art
They don't write comic operas Like
die Fledermaus' these days For one
reason the Conrieds of the day are not
willing to spill Sembrichs upon them.
And II takes a Sembrich to sing q
Rosalinde- 1t takes, too. Bella Alien
to sing the Adele. Little FRITZ Scheff.
Vr7n rrhn h.rf hox arrf fc
adventure into Conried's head. has had
to bark back to Won Suppe, to
"Fatinitza" and "Boccaccio." From all
accounts Schumann-Heink, later re-
cruit TO the high art Of comic opera,
needs an older and better medium.
Herr Conried. with triumphant inspi-
ration, puts Sembrich into the riotous
gayety Of Die Fledermaus.'
Little kinks OF laughter catch one
all over in recalling last nights
show" FTanko found himself for one
thing, and waltzed in ardent and
Strauss-like fashion through the opera
There was not a girl under seventy
present who would not have taken Mr.
Franko's hand to the tune of the blue
Danube" Shades of ''Parsifal." how
funny it was, The orchestra. fresh
from a flve-hour Wagnerian seance.
played as though II hadn't seen a desk
before that day. But Franko was the
particular wonder OF it all. To Strauss.
Mrs. Franko who nodded through
"Cavalleria' last Saturday afternoon
and set the rest of US nodding, tossed
his long locks in a fervor of enthusi-
asm.
Sembrich as the coQuettish Rosalinde
showed a wit and sparkle incompara-
bic. Great delight it was to hear the
spoken German as the singer speaks II,
as Dippel, Goritz, Alten and the rest
speak it. a lesson to actors in enuncia-
ton. But Sembrich might never have
heard of a Lucia
She tucked up her sleeves to the fun
as IL grand opera were not. She
frolicked with the best of them, win
ming an immortal laugh. The stage
has, indeed. lost an admirable come
dienne in Sembrich, with delicate and
delicious farcical sense, and chic with
out end Her aria, Songs of the home
land" brought an imperious recall.
though the singer was not in so good
form as on Monday night. But she
gave the 'Voce di Primavera" in re-
sponse, and was again heartily
thanked.
Miss Bella Alten made a fortunate
debut as Adele. Like the rest Miss
AIten gave the happy impression of
thoroughly enjoying herself. Very
we'll, indeed the lady sings. Her voice
is clear. bright, flexible, somewhat cold,
but most useful in the saucy music as
signed 20 Adele. Miss Alten was fire.
quentIy recalled.
To say that she acted the part of the
masquerading lady's maid as well as
she sang 1T is high praise. Another de-
but was that OF Miss Marion Weed,
who sang the part of Prince Orlowsly
Miss Weed has an effective voice and
filed in he. role amply-both ways.
The quartet OF men again was hilari-
ously funny. Dippel as Gabriel Won
Eisenstein showed himself an admira-
bic light comedian. flexible. witty and
spirited in high degree He sang. too.
most usefully. One wonders, too, how
Mr.. Goritz can ever again face King
sor, With that quite shamelessly comi-
cal Frank in between. And what a
voice.
Tomorrow II will be heard in the
part of Beckmesser I'm Die Meister-
singer" and one can safely prophesy
a stunning performance Mr.. Goritz
waltZing With the lady's maid, Mr.
Goritz planting a Kundry kiss upon
her cheek. Mr.. Goritz morning after
arrival home. and Mr.. Goritz SOLDERING
performances there, is comedy that
must be seen to be believed
Ar Greder as the Bat fell Just as
happily into the pitch of things Mr.
ReiSs was an admirable imitation of
Teddy Webb as Alfred. and as laugh
able. Frosch. the jailer-the part that
Mr.. Conried himself takes when he
hasn't anything else TO do-was capt.
tally enacted by Mr. Bayer, and Mr..
Muehlmann as Blind must not be for
gotten.
The audience laughed until # cried
and laughed again, and went away
warm with gratitude for an immortal
memory
Tonight Is the "Cavalleria" and the
Caruso "Pagliacci." Tomorrow there
Is die Meistersinger." with Burg
staller. the best Wagnerian tenor the
world now affords, as Walther And
tomorrow evening. the farewell
night. will be repeated the brilliant
performanee OF La Gioconda"