The San Francisco call., 1906-04-17
Van Rooy Is Great
In the Role of
Solomon.
Performance Is One
Of Rare Merit
Throughout.
By Blanche Partngton.


Ny friend Sally Sharp tslls me that the
audience did not wear its best gown at
the Grand opera-house last night 1t was
wise audience It had probably heard
or rather seen-''The Queen OF sheba'' be-
fors- II knew that no mere earb of today
could hold its own against Solomon in all
MS glory, not to speak Of the Queen of
sheba- Il was absolutely right. No spec-
tacie Of greater gorgeousness, not even
Mother GoOse"-I speak advisedly-has
ever been seen here than last nights
queen Of Sheba," with which the years
grand opera season began. Color. a mad
riot and blaze Of 1t. a clash and cIane and
very thunder Of il. is The queen of She
ba." This for the eye
For the ear. the same. Not the most
piercing greens. the shriIlest pinks. the
most daring vermillions Of the spectacle
but have their intimate counterpart in
the music. II is written in purple and
gold. orange and azure-in everything and
anything but the gray Of things.
The production is magnifcently ade-
cuate- Splendor for splendor the artist
has put down with the composer. Abso-
lutely satisfying on the scenic side IS
the production And herein conspires the
artist with the composer 10 the WEAKNESS
OF the audience. Both pile riches upon
riches; strange scented themes upon GU
riOus wealth Of silk and gold; great cir
cuses Of sound upon dazzling pageantries
OF picture climax upon climax until eve
and ear at length become surfeited. one
longs for quiet spaces: for bare walls:
for beauty less adorned.
sulami1hs plain purple garb in the
third acs ZONES with the grace Of a violet
in a bed Of tulips-as does the gentle lit
tie plant she sings here. The rest is
musical and scenic sumptuousness at their
last word.
IN CLASS BY ITSELF.
As 70 its class the opera stands alone
Like Hamlet" however, II is ''reninis
cent Of much that followed #. OF any
particular opera that It reminds. Aida"
Of course. Immediately presents itself
though The Queen Of Sheba" might
have been written today so far as the
form goes. Puccinfs "Tosca" IS no more
modern Here. as in the later Merlin.
the set forms are almost wholly aban-
doned, the continuous performance
themes. the intricate individual orches-
tration being throughout in evidence.
Wagner undoubtedly Influenced Goldnark
IN the form OF the opera, though tonality.
rhythms and cadence are all his own. One
curious thing that goes 10 testify to the
Intensely characteristic orientalism of the
color.
The hbretto is in German. and a good
one by DR.. Mosenthal. who wrote Leah
the Forsaken." 1t is, note. Teu,isb
edition OF an old Jewish story. with the
music written by a Jew. And so strongly
have both caught the Oriental a+rnos-
pfere that every "ich" and ~d,ch,,
comes with distinct shock. If cries Gov
the Hebrew
The performances lacked Knote last
night, which perhaps accounted for :
certain tepidity OF enthusiasm. Dipnel
was the lover, Assad. and. though he |
gave fine outline OF the part. II was
hardly. at the kindest. to be called
more. Miss Edith Walkers Queen Of |
sheba, a quite splendid affair. hardly |
helped Mr.. Dfppel. 1t is a pity some |
one can't buy him voice He would
sing so we'll And as the smart Oriental |
Dippel may be very attractive pic
ture. letting the part besides in right |
manly fashion.
But barring Mr.. Dippel the cast was
a splendidly vocal one. Van Rooy /
brought his mellow thunder TO the part
Of King Solomon: Miss Walker poured |
out one OF the biggest and sweetest
voices we have heard here as the Queen
OF sheba. and the new Rappold revealed