The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-04-10
GADSKI is HEARD.
Prima Donna Delights a Topeka
Audience.
Her Wonderful Voice Used With
Good Effect.
SANG POPULAR SONGS.
This Added to Pleasure of Her
Auditors.
SANG POPULAR SONGS
AccOmpanist La Forge Also
Makes Good Impression.

especially for prima donnas was laid
upon the Auditorium stage again last
night, from the dressing room on the
left to center; this time for the use
of Madame Johanna Gadski, and 1t
may be said at the start that it has
never served to keep the dust from the
train of a greater singer or a more
finished artist.
The programmes used for Madame
Gadskis concert announced the ap-
preaching engagement of Madame
Nordica, whom the management was
pleased to describe as Americas ia
vOrite prina donna. If this was meant
in the sense that Nordica is the favor
tie American born singer there prob
ably will be no quarrel with this state
ment but there are already a lot of
local concert goers up in arms be-
cause they understood it to mean that
Nordica was the first favorite of Amer
lean audiences. This, they say, is not
only untrue, but it was downright
discourtesy to make such a statement
on Madame Gadski's programmes.
The matter is. perhaps, not suffi-
GENTLY important to warrant q pro-
longed controversy in musical and ar
tistic circles. The management un-
doubtedly made the statement without
much thought except as to its value
as an advertisement for the Nordica
concert, which will be the next num-
Der on the pipe organ association
course. But comparisons are always
odious-so much so that it is con-
stantly surprising to note how people
even of good taste in other respects
Insist upon comparing the relative
merits of the great artists One hears
these comparisons drawn in the audi
ence; one reads them in the musical
criticisms in the newspapers next day
Yet they serve no purpose and attain
no end. Whether Nordica is better
than Gadski. or Media than Games,
or Schumann-Heink or Suzanne
Adams than all the rest is merely a
matter of personal taste and pref
erence. They are all great singers
in the highest class. One prefers one
for a certain quality, the other for
quite different grace. We all have our
favorites for reasons of our own, but
surely, and especially in a small west
ern town where the opportunities to
hear good artists are exceedingly linn
tied, we can enjoy all, and do honor
to all, and be grateful for the priv
lege without clubbing over their re-
spective merits.
Madame Gadslxi has a magnificent
voice, as the best critics have long ago
agreed, of remarkable power, but plia-
Bile. rich, mellow, varied in tone color
and under an absolute control which
proves the perfection of the singers
method. The programme used last
night was admirably chosen for the
occasion. It was essentially a popular
programme Most of the numbers
were as one prominent voice teacher
said this morning. things which all the
local girl voice students have studied
in the past two or three years There
was MacDowell's Thy Beaming Eyes,
there was Arthur Foote's Irish Folk
Song: there was Mrs. Beach's The
Years At the Spring. there was Van de
Suckers o Come With Me; there
was Schubert's Gretchen am Spinnrad
and Brahms Meme Ldebe list Grun and
Slumber Song and Aylward's Beloved
It Is Morn. In addition to these were
three Wagner numbers: Stehe Still
the Slumber Song, Senta's Ballad from
the FLYING Dutcfhman and in encore to
these the Valkyrie's Song from Die
Walkure, the last repeated in response
to the insistent demand of one of the
most enthusiastic audiences which has
4 ever greeted singer in Topeka.
Madame Gadskfs intellectual and
temp eramentaI gifts are as remarkable
as her technical attainment. She de-
livers her poetical lines with warmth
and conviction. sings with beautiful
lyric quality in the softer moments
and compelling power and passion in
the great clfmaXes. Her style is de-
! lightful, her phrases exquisitely fin
! ished. Her wonderfully pure. sus-
tanned tones are so natural. so spOn-
taneous,' so apparently effortless that
her audience fOrgets to be astonished
at them With all this natural beauty
and ease and all this acquired skill she
has charming PERSONAL---VERY. init
mate. confiding manner. an air of
cordially and good will which estab-
/ lish an exquisite spirit of sympathy
and understanding with her audience
Madame Gadski has treasure in
! her accompanist Mr.. Frank La Forge
who also assists her with two piano
solos. He is pianist Of more than
4 ordinary ability and gave the prima
donna the most satisfactory support.
1 His solo numbers were MacDOWell's
/ Etude and LISTS Twelfth Rhapsodie
/ HOngroise, which he gave a sane, com
prehensive Interpretation without
rhythmic idiOsyncracies or technical
! frea kishness- Mr.. La Forge is Madame
/ Gadski's only assistant and that is
much better and more pleasing to the
average concert-goer than a company
of four or five third rate artists. No
doubt we are selfish, but we want to
4 hear Gadsd. not some school girl
protege in short skirts Last night the
and the audience was delighted But
Mr.. La Forge also made good His
numbers were both encored Che gave
a Gavotte of Mcdowell after the
/ first and something of Gustave Schu-
song mpositiOns sung by Madame
Gadski. Retreat and Love But
/ Thee. were enthusiastically received.
Madame Gadshi's encores beside the
/ Valkyrie's Cry were / Sing to NV Love
the Rose by Ethelbert Nevin, and
/ Oscar Wells Spring Song.