New-York tribune., 1906-12-16
MUSIC.
THE DAYS OPERA.
Renaud as the Don.

Yesterday was red letter day at Mr.. Hammer
STEMS new opera house. for in the afternoon Maui
rice Renaud made his long delayed appearance as
Don Juan, and in the evening Carmen"
peated TO the largest audience which the house has
held since the opening night At o'clock there was
almost mob at the box office window and many
VINO wished gallery seats had to be turned away
Nine Bressler- -Gianoli again the Carmen and
Dal1nores the Don Jose. Gilbert. singing for the
third time in two days repeated his fine perform
ance of Dancairo. and the small parts the chorus
and the dances fitted even more admirably and
stirrinsly into the picture The changes from Fri
day were two: Nine. Gilbert sang NIicaela and
Seveilhac was the Escamillo. Both intelligent
artists II not good their predecessors of Fri
day. and the performance not allowed seriously
to lapse from its high plane OF general excellence
The audience was unusually enthusiastic.
A much smaller number OF people saw Renaud
Don Giovanni in the afternoon but they were
quite as carried away with enthusiasm. pressing
down to the stage after the final curtain. Renaud
still long way from perfect vocal condition
but in every other respect his performance was
a marvel. His grace and abandon of bearing, his
picturesque and beautiful costumes his extraor-
binary charm of face and figure were sufficient to
gain credence for all the Don's amatory conquests
and besides. and from his first entrance to
mis- final display Of bravado IN the race or the
avenging statue while the trombones blared. and
his tragic end, he a figure as real, as con-
vincing TO the audience as the creature of ones
own imagination His splenddly picturesque and
dramatic pose at the of the equestrian statue
near the close of the fourth act was thrilling mo-
rnent in his performance that will not be soon for
gotten; It made the Don superb in his defiance
ira gic in his proportions.
The part of Donna Elvira was sung by Nine
Gilbert which made for Improvement over Wednes-
days cast though hers was far from an ideal per-
formance. Otherwise the cast was the same, IN
cuding Gilibert's fine Mazetto and Boncfs vocally
lovely Don Ottavio The tempt were all taken
faster and there not three dull moments in
the entire opera.
It might be added that the last week has seen
an increase Of 30 per cent in attendance at MI
Hammerstein's house over the preceding week.
AT the older house the large audience was pres
ent in the afternoon. when Caruso, Scott Mime.
Cavaler Nine. Alien and the rest sang again
Giordanos Fedora" and the smaller audience In
the evening, to hear Nine Fleischer-Edel, Mr..
Burrian and their associates in "Tannhauser."
Miss Weed sang Venus. without seriously shaking
the laurel leaves upon Miss Fremstads brow. but
jSoritz gave a fine performance Of Wolfram, and
the entire work conducted with poetry and
spirit. The afternoon repetition OF Fedora"
which brought out such large audience, an
improvement In precision and snoothuess the
first production. Nine. Cavalieri both sang and
acted better than before. and Caruso was at his
best, winning great applause. The finale of the
second act had to be repeated.