The San Francisco call., 1906-11-27
BRILLIANT OPENING.
Of GRAND OPERA
Miss Geraldine Farrar, an
American Girl, Scores a
Big Triumph as Juliette
NEW SINGERS HEARD

NEW YORK. Nov. 26.-With Gou-
mods Romeo and Juliette" as the pre-
mier and introducing three singers new
to the lyric stage of America the grand
opera season opened tonight at the
Metropolitan. The audience was. if
possible. larger and the subscription
sections of the house even more bril-
liant than ever before
Decidedly the feature of the opening
night was the first appearance in
grand opera in this country of Miss
Geraldine Farrar. the young American
soprano and prima donna of the
Royal Opera house of Berlin. Miss
Farrar was the Juliette a role in
which she had won her iaurels in
Berlin and elsewhere in Europe Some
eight years ago Miss Farrar a girl of
16, sang on trial one afternoon in New
York as novice among aspiring vo-
calists. Since then she has developed
into the most popular of American pri-
ma donnas in Europe and a generous
Endorsement of that verdict was voiced
by an American audience tonight
Charles Rouselliere, for several
years one of the leading tenors of the
Paris Opera, was the Romeo, in which
part he has been received with much
favor by the critics in his own coun-
try. Charles SiInard. a barytone and
also a Frenchman. took the part of
stage in New York. and both to a minor
extent shared in the triumph of Miss
Farrar
Those who reappeared in the cast to-
night We're Plancon. as Friar Laurence
Journet, as Capulet; Muehlmann. as the
Due de Verone; Miss Josephine. Jacoby,
as stephano. the page, and Jacques
Bars. as Tybalt. Miss Neundorff, as
Gertrude, and Bouque. as Gregorio,
French conductor, held the baton for
the first time in this country
Never before perhaps in the history
of the house has Gounod's tuneful mas
terpiece been sung under. the. auspices
more delightful for audience and art
list. New York was there in her full
glory. and before the end of the beau
tiful balcony scene the whole house
blazed with color from orchestra to
the topmost gallery.
But there was one feature essential
ly new. Before the first act was over
Miss Farrar had won her house, which
brought her back again and again at
the fall of the curtain 1t was not
until the end of the balcony scene.
however, that the triumph of the
American girl, returned to her own
people. was fully felt.
With every seat in the great house
filled, the audience waited without
a handicap deeply intent upon solo
and duet. until the curtain dropped.
Then indeed the young artist had cause
to feel that it was into warm American
hearts that she had fairly sung her
way. She was recalled fully a dozen
times, and al each recall pages carried
upon the stage great floral pieces and
clusters of American Beauty roses.
They came until the prima donna and
Mr.. Rouselliere, her Romeo, stood be-
fore a high bank of roses, and still the
audience called. 1t was graceful
welcome and most gracefully received.
1t was midnight when the scene at
the solo of Juliette brought the even
ings play to a close. 1t was perhaps
the best piece of artistic work of the
evening. and brought out the wonder
full temperamental acting of the prina
donna. The audience remained almost
intact, and after the curtain fell Miss
Farrar and Mr.. Rouselliere were given
an ovation. Some of the boxes in the
parterre We're particularly gracious.
Among the society people of New
York occupying the boxes were ]. Pier
pont Morgan, who has the center of
the parterre; Thomas Hitchcock, Mrs.
Charles Steele, Mrs. z. r. Thomas, Mrs.
Ogden Goelet. August Belmont, Mrs.
Henry Clews, Levi P. Morton and Mrs.
Harry Payne Whitley.