The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-12-01
APOLLO CLUB CONCERT.

H. s. Woodruff, leader Of the Apollo
club, had rounded the club into good
shape for it's first appearance at the
Auditorium last evening There was a
large audience, almost filing the house
to appreciate their songs. The volume
OF the club is full this year, with first
tenor exceptionally good, tho it fre
quently throws into relief rather in
SECURE second bass. Precision and in.
telligence characterized the whole pro.
gram last evening, altho sometimes de-
clded contrasts in shades Of tone were
used where a somewhat subtler and
more unobtrusive crescendo or diminu
ton would have given even better eff
feet: Mr.. Woodruff gained wonderful
results with pianissimo passages given
in hardly more than whisper.
: UThe Feast Of the Holy Grail, Z
from "Parsifal,'' with G.. A. Marshall
at the organ and DR.. W. RhysH Herbert
at the. piano, was one of the biggest
things attempted by the club. DESPITE
inaccuracies which at times blurred it's
thought and made the audience bit
uneasy, the reading given it was mas.
terly. It is a difficult thing to sing
with it's long and sustained phrases and
two choruses, but it was done if not
consummately well, at least satisfac.
tori!y. There was really fine climax
at the close which hushed into solemn
quiet while the organ and piano re.
peated the two prominent themes. The
aeee%p Man ho Of g5untS made the
istic and the club clearly interpreted
its fierce awfulness and grim bitter.
ness. "In a Year, Sweetheart - was
one of the best things the club did
Altho handicapped with a bad cold
Herbert Arnold Smith sang the sere.
made, "You Remind Me, Sweeting,' -
alphabetically. The tuneful, graceful
lyric was well suited to his voice and
he was obliged to repeat the number
The piano accomplishments were played
by DR.. Rhys-Herbert with care and, ex-
Scept where. they were too loud, with
beauty: Mr.. Marshall at tn.
was wholly pleasing.
Alexander Petschnikoff exhibited a
fair degree of technical proficiency
which he had no occasion to display,
as we'll as understanding conception of
his numbers, but he was unable to i'm
part, any. stirring emotion or rouse
great enthusiasm. He is a musician
without the spark of fire which emo
bles all art and raises it to great
heights. His tone, tho not large or
broad, IS smooth, beautiful and far
Teachlng; His last mum Der, "Danse
A'ocnc No. L, one OF mis- own COM
positions, was marked by a bold and
unusual rhythm. Its novel short
phrases gave an elfsh effect whose I'm.
reality was further heightened by a
development Of the theme in whistIing
harmonious. 1t met with favor and
after several recalls he responded to
this as well as the first number Vieux-
temps "Fantasia Appassionata,'' by
an encore.
Miss Janet Spencer, the assisting 70.
calist, has contralto of wonderful
timbre and searching beauty, well used
Tor the most part, altho she frequently
sacrifices quality to volume. Her eli
makes sound forced and are sometimes
distressing: Miss Spencer missed the
dramatic Interpretation of the aria
from Gounod IS Sappho, "Harp Immor-
tal,' and made her greatest effect
with Hills o. Skye which is simply
the quintessence Of loneliness and sad
ness. The song showed the fine quality
OF her voice and the sad inarticulate
cadence at its close was Of haunting
beauty.
HGae to Sleep was a tender little
lullaby which lost none of it's spirit
thru Miss Spencer's Interpretation.
Miss Katherine Hoffman, who &C.
companied the assisting artists, was al.
most ideal. >"'' ~