The San Francisco call., 1905-04-13
Opera Produced as
Never Before In
This City.
"eDance of Hours
Great Scenic
Feature.
By BLANCHE PHRIZNGTOM

They did II big what last Saturday
afternoon they did In little with the
ooe-act ~TPagliacci" with La Gio-
eo2oa" last night at the Grand Opera
house Modestly the management has
hi1ted AZ a sensation IN productions
szflh the Ponchieln opera The pre-
oicucn was ghtteringly fulfilled last
night IN facI, for the first time the
opera has been really heard here Like
some beautiful women La Gioconda"
demands lavish adornment, demands
The 1eWeled setting, demands the ut
most splenGor of surroundings Then,
Soe, Tor its proper performance it de-
manos a cast that only a Maecenas
among managers VIII afford These il
had last evening in the superlative, and
-1r- POnchieli's opera in consequence
glitters up INTO one of the gems Of the
season
One had felt the opera before almost
q Les HugUenots" in its ponderous
and turgid splendor without, too, some
OF that operas most melOdiOus raiSonS
c'etres- Under the mettlesome baton
Of Nigna and with the dramatic verve
and vocal glory brought TO il by every
member Of The cast, the opera devel-
opec plct seeabI without a telescope;
and vivid dramatic and musical
movement that swung through tri-
L
settings were admirably illuminative.
Venice, the courtyard of the Doge's
palace, pictured il the first act, with
lis splendidly gaTbed people set one
handsomely and at once il key with the
period The scenic illusion OF the sec
Ond act could not be bettered.
II had, with its misted moonlit sea,
sIVered gondola floating by. the for
est Of lazy, hazy ships and a dim
shrine with its little, fickering lamp,
much OF the vague, clinging charm
evoked by De MaupaSsanL's Moon
light Nor could one ask a richer pic
ture than that of the final tableau of
the third act, BadOero's Marble Bells"
the mobiles in slashed velvets and silks
Eayly crowding the foreground and in
The background the sheeted figure Of
Laura, watched over by the pale tail
IaperS No care, nor expense, no ar
Lstry that could be gathered into the
service has been spared all the way
through And still to speak of the as
sisuant detail, the ballets are the best.
not excepting even those OF ''Tann-
hauser," that have been brought here
IA Scala might do more. but moi
more exquisitely, with the Dance of
the Hours than the Metropolitan
Company did last night. The dance"
itself we know TO its last tinkie But
with the IlUminative sym bolisn fur
thing- SIX maldens, rosy with the
dawn. first appear, bearing the flow
ers Of the morning Then comes an
other six golden in the full flush of
noon and overshadowing the pearly
daughters Of the dawn After these
OF course comes the twilight six, in
cool grays and purples, lulling the day
10 sleep Six more shrOuded in the
starred blue Of the night come then
The night conQuers. Dawn, noon and
evening sink under its shadows one by
one But dawn lifts again and day and
night evening and noon, melt together
IN swirl Of lovely color and form. A
charming bit Of symbolism beautifully
carried out. There Is another ballet
OF pantalon. columbine and harlequin,
that but for the later one Of the
Hours would be prominent in ones
memory.
The cast-only Caruso and Nordica.
Scott and Homer. and a few others al
most such. Perhaps it was Nordica's
night last night, and one grieves to
learn her last Of nights here only Sat
Urday evening for AL time. The man
agement announces that on Saturday
night We shall hear the last Of this
famous American singer. If this be
acfually 50, il viii be the first case
within ones acquainaance. Of a singer
retiring at the very aDex of her powers
N|-a~ --f-N y FlE--1AA AtidA Slt-f Dt lIt
c2se just once. for the sake of a single
radiant memory. Yet, tooth and nail.
one fights against the possibility But
II 50 il be. With her Gioconds Of last
night in evidence. Nordica will retire
IN the full blaze Of her glory. One
wished for more roles in italian opera
like that Of La Gioconda last night, in
order TO give chance to hear Nordica in
then
To the role she brings all the intense
dramatic fiber Of her Brunnhilde. with
q Elasticity, a lightless Of handling OF
which with Nordica one rarely receives
token. The delicacy Of the vocal treat
ment IN her little scene with Laura.
where she brings the sleeping potion.
as well as the suppieness Of the acting,