The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-04-09
THE CONRlED CONCERT
BY Squire Coop.

BY Squire Coop.
The tabernacle concert by the Metro
politan Opera company on Tuesday
evening was an affair in which the
conductor became the star and his
orchestra-though largely only an ac-
compartment to siugers-were cocoon
querors OF first place. Mr.. Vigna.
though perhaps a little ostenta tious. is
undeniably a marvellous conductor We
have never seen a better in Salt Lake
City.
Conductors who have all the feeling
of the music. Intoxicating them to the
very ends of their hair are prone TO
superiority and eXaggeration. but Ny.
\iSna has the rare aplomb that vouch-
safes to his interpretations Perfection
OF detail-almOst scholastic in its ac-
curacy, abundance OF warmth and pas
sion. and u fine sense OF artistic proper
tons.
The orchestra, with Mt Frankie at
It's head. was a revelation as an accom-
panying body. A regrettable feature of
the concert was that this fine band was
not down on the programme for some
thing better than the part allotted to
It
The overture III Barbiere di Sivie-
Ia was rendered perfectly. but the
mSonOrOuS quality Of the music made
its rendition in the big tabernacle some
what disa ppointing. The spinning
song from Mendelssohns Songs
without words" was rather more Of a
curiosity than II creation. This famous
piano piece does not improve in being
orchestrated
After Mr.. Vigna's extraordinary con-
quoting high prominence must be
awarded TO Nahan FrankO's rendition
of Saint-Saens' lie Deluge." Here we
had a piece of music. the classic and
dlgnitled character of which Is not ex-
celled in the literature of the art Nj.
FrankO'S tone was noble to a degree
and his Interpretation so elevated that
the audience Was overwhelmed bV- the
quiet power Of his art. Saiut-Saens.
Nahan Frankie and a Salt Lake audi
ence were not far apart in the one eIor-
louS moment of the concert. a positive
proof that we are attuned correctly
even should the music go so far as
the erotic.
Miss Belle Alien charmed with her
rendition of Medals aria from II Pag-
Haccl but the music in the orchestral
score was no less responsible for the
pleasure. LeoncavaHo has not done
anything better. nor need he. Miss Al
ten has voice Of crystalline purity and
her singing is full TO the brim with in
telngence and temperament
Nine. De Macchi in the Ave Maria
by GOunOd, assisted by the harp. the
tune TO bear the blame for the worst
massacre of that piece of music We
nave ever attended; in the aria Bel
Ragglo. her brilliant and powerful
voice was displayed 10 an almost alarm
ing degree Nine. De Macchi can sing
that IS certain, she has some qualities
mat border on the phenomenal, albeit
her art is fresher than her vocal or
gan.
Miss Jacob supplanted Miss Homer
as the contraltO in the rehearsal Of the
Stabat Mater, and whatever may be
the glory Of Nine. Homer. regretfuIIy to
US as yet unknown, the piece did not
suffer by the employment OF Miss Jac-
obi, who sang the cavatina, Fac Ut
Portem. in heavenly style.
Madame NOrdica, radiant as a queen
ana humble as peasant woman. sat
before the audience during the entire
length Of the sta bat Mater The re-
spect with which this great artist re-
CARDS her audience and the sincere in
terest she manifests in the part PLAYED
by the orchestra and the other singers
lInpresses one almost as much as her
glorious singing and her heavenly
beauty
Madame Nordica is probably Salt
Lakes faVOrite prima donna She has
inspired and electrified W. as has no
other artist who has appeared at the
tabernacle Her voice. as smooth as
a IRE that burns into the very soul
has remained TesOunding in our ears
when all others have been forgotten
At this concert Madam NOrdica's part
on the programme was responsible for
some little falling off in the apprecia-
ton OF the audience taken with the evil
uent TACT that she was not at her very
best. The audience was disappointed
IN not having the privilege or hearing
Madam NOTdica I'm a solo. Yet il is
perhaps well that it did not She
seemed 10 labor greatly V~1Jn sler tone
productions and the high notes of the
lnflammatus" concerned her not d lit
tie Nevertheless, her noble rendition
of this music called forth tumuTt OF
applause and she was obliged to re-
spOnd with an encore.
Mr.. Journet's fine voice ana fine art
and fine presence. all. completely salts
ned and delighted. He is the possessor
or magnificent vocal equipment We
nope to hear him again and again.
With MI. DIPPED something was very
wrong. fact he admitted Freely MIN
self and could not understand unless
as sometimes happens, the altitude af-
fecteG him
The chorus and orchestra unuer Mr.
\lgna s maSterful control did many
splendid things with the "Stabat Ma
ter music Mr.. Vigna gave us il
Illustrations of choral phraSinc- eX011iS-
lite IN the extreme
The tabernacle choir opened the con-
cert with the Easter chorus from Cav
alleria RuSticana Mr. Stephens Der-
forms wonders with so large a BODY of
amateurs Let us not forget our own
nor miScOnCeiVe the ability ft-.rutred tn
place on an artistic scale the singing
OF master works by an unpaid and an
1nsufttciently encOura ged choral body.
SQUIRE COOP.