The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1905-10-28
A FINE PERFORMANCE
vsrdTs 0TsTa, "Alda," MagnIntsnuII Re:-
deTsd by The Savage Company.

A Messenger .............. Mr.. Alfred Best
A Priestess ..,... Miss Millicent Brennan
Conductor-Mr. Emanuel.
-
At the Providence Opera House last
evening Henry W. savage's English
Grand Opera company produced Aida
by Giuseppe Verdi. the second production
OF the opera series.
The quarette Of operate works that the
company is producing here is calculated
20 display amply the strength Of the or
ganizstion hat Mr.. Savage has brought
together. "T~annhagser," "Lohengrln. "
Gounod's Faust" and Aida a quartet
OF greater contrasts could hardly be SEE
lected from all the vast material avail
able.
1t may be said that for unaffected de-
light, the sheer pleasure OF music asso-
ciated with stirring drama. the audience
that saw and heard last evenings produc-
tion will have had rather an advantage
over all other audiences during the brief
season.
Music is a matter OF taste and 20 is
drama. All the lover OF either asks is
10 be served with hat he goes 10 get and
not 10 fretted about some other kind
OF thing that In his particular case doesn't
appeal 10 him so strongly. Neither Is the
applause OF an audience necessarily a cue
to the delight that the audience is secur-
ing from the stage. A psalm service may
be as thoroughly pleasurable as a rag
time band concert fsut, even II you are
so constituted as 10 enjoy both with equal
zest. you would hardly be expected 10
Indicate your delight I'm quite the same
way. The difference lies not only In the
point OF new but I'm the situa-
ton. "~Tannhauser' OF Thursday even
ing was listened 70 i3y a house that may
have been raptured Into unexpressed de-
light. Aida" was received with an EN-
tbusiasm that was contrastingly express
i've. Probably the same person enjoying
both productions enjoyed them both
equally. That depends upon who was the
person. To the onlooker, there was never
any question but that Aida was a vast
and strenuous delight.
Aida" rouses your enthusiasm and
make you want TO get on your feet and
shout. The only persons, OF the stage,
who were privileged TO get on their feet.
were the gentlemen and ladies of the
music lovers row standing back OF the
parquet fence and the conductor OF the
orchestra. Mr.. N. II. Emanuel. The for
mer couldn't sit down because there were
no seats and Il appeared that Conductor
manuel couldn't either-his interest and
enthusiasm fairly carried him away and,
like "A commanding officer in a grand bit
OF lighting. he just had to climb out OF
the saddle and get into the thick OF It.
The production went" with "A correspond
ing dash and vim.
Gorgeous In musical color, rich and me-
even to the plainest recitative, its
chorals rolling up with the substantial
splendor OF m oratorio. Aida" Is a
stunning piece OF music. Its story is
highly melodramatic-and Its construc-
ton spectacular. 1t is a constant broad
side of things 10 stir the blood by way
OF the eye as well as by way OF the
ear. II is opulent beyond measure.
As produced by the Savage organiza-
ton II probably represented as fine and
straight a rendering or the work as ever
has been done outside the mammoth
houses dedicated exclusively to the grand
possible displays OF grand opera. In
scene and costuming the stage was a
ravishment TO the eye. The
chorus organization performed its i'm
mensely important part with a iawless
swing, strength and harmony. The or
played as though IL just loved 10
let itself loose. Heart and soul were In
the ensemble as well az fine technical
skill. musical quality and superb drilling
principals proved to be artists cut
to the pattern. Miss Newman and Nine.
Serena. az the daughter Of the Egyptian
king and the Ethiopian bond maiden, re-
spectively. singing their parts gloriously
acting them will extraordinary deft-
ness and sympathy, brought also to the
chars cters they represented finely con-
t~rasting physical semblance-the one OF
regal appearance, the other daintily mod
eled az would become the picture OF the
more gentle slave. Mr.. Sheehan was a
ma gnihcent Rhadames. vocally. drsmati-
,ally and physically. And the other prin
,ipals performed their important share I'm
scene with equal distinction and sat
TO the audience, II was a
splendidly stirring production OF this
splendidly stirring WORK.
The season closes this evening with
This afternoons production is
'Lohengrin."