The San Francisco call., 1907-03-22
San Carlo Opera Company Commences Its Season
atChutes With Nordica and Great Tenor
Audience Is Mostly
Made Up of Music
Loving People
By james Crawford

Taking into consideration the various
disadvantages under which the san Car
los Opera Company began its season al
the Chutes Theater last night, it can
4ruthfully be recorded that the opening
was quite successful both artistically
and financially.
Despite the remote location Of the
theater and the fact that rain fell heay-
lily and steadily throughout the after
noon and early evening, the attendance
was more than sufficient to MI COM
pletely any other playhouse in the city.
And in the face of unavoidable delay in
the arrival OF scenery and costumes
the curtain ascended punctualiy, and
in all its details the performance 'eX-
ceeded the most optimistic anticipation.
AS for the quality of the audience
IL was not easily definable. / have
seen more fashion at a Grau or Con-
ried opera and less style at Lam
bardi production, but never a more ap-
preciative assemblage than that at the
Chnes. Indeed, il appeared to me as
being mostly made up of music-loving,
artistic and intellectual folk who were
there not so much TO be seen as to
listen. Not that the smart set" was
without representation. 1t loomed
large in the,koXes and was plentifully
in evidence where the parquet seats
editor was there to look out for her
own.
La Gioconda was the opera and
Nordica and Constantine. the much
touted tenor, were in the principal
roles. ] had seen Nordica and Caruso
similarly cast during the first Conried
season. so there was chance for COM
parison. Nordica. the certain quantity
showed stouter physically than when
she was here in concert. but her vocal
equipment has remained pretty much
the same. In the first act she was not
at her best, but as the opera progressed
her voice warmed up and in the second
act ii was grandly responsive, In a
duet with the contralto and in the
third act finale she sang as of yore.
Constantine, however, was the big
card OF the performance. He came
heralded as the equal of Caruso in GER
tain attainments, and he quickly proved
himself entitled to consideration as
rival of Conried's great singer. He
apparently labored under the handicap
OF a slight cold, but in spite of il he
displayed the quality of first rank
artist. In his own way, which differs
in several respects from the way of the
Italian. this Spanish tenor is more mag
netic than any singer OF his class who
has been heard here in two decades,
beyond which my music memory run
meth not
But in the ways that make Caruso's
charm there is only one Caruso. Con-
stantino's voice IS or lighter caliber,
but he sings with absolute ease
throughout a most remarkable range.
taking the high A note with velvet
like smoothness. The beauty Of his
singing in middle voice, the fneness of
his pianissimos and the dfstinctness of
his phrasing is not excelled by Caruso.
But in power Of sustensto he is inferior
TO the Italian, unless it be contempt for
final shouting that makes his climaXes
so comparatively abrupt. He impresses
as q singer with great deal Of reserve
force. You feel that he is keeping
something back-and it is very artistic
TO make you so feel, even IL you are
deluded His "Sky and Sea- aria was
faultlessly phrased, even il il were less
pyrotechnical than Caruso's singing
of it,
To sum IL all up. Constantine is a
tenor whom IT would be to the disad-
vantage Of any lover OF good operate
vocalism 20 miss hearing
Aside from Nordica and Constantine
no principal in the cast was of stel-
lar rank Fornari, the barytone, sang
unevenly with 2 voice of resonant
quality. Segurola's bssso was sonor-
Gus enough, but IT ssvored of being
subjected TO heavy pressure. Nine.
Monte Baldinis contralto is rich and