The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-02-09

son, mourns thefftt y loss and ex-
horts their followers to avenge their
death. she depicted successfully and
with fearful intensity, by voice move
ment, and facial expression, grief, hor-
TOR, scorn, rage. all-consuming love
bereft of it's object, despair, and mute
remuneration.
Madame Jebe was In costume-the
costume of a Viking queen, but without
adequate scenery or stage settings her
performance was still a most impres-
sive examples of hfstrionic achievement
The programmes gave a translated
synopsis of the scene but even without
it Madame Jebe made her perform
ance Ineligible The. scene of her
reading was further illumined by the
Grieg musical setting. masterfulIy
played by Mr.. Klingenberg. that finish
ed and thorough pianist. whose oc-
compartment was an indispensa BILE
feature of this extraordinary perform
ance- The Grieg setting, heard for
the first time in Topeka on this oc-
casion. is of exquisite beauty and who
could play it like Mr.. Klfngenberg 4?
breadth and fire. brilliancy, dash, col
or; the heighth and depth of emotion,
passion, sentiment The Grieg setting
to the Bjornson drama, is more than
narrative. graphic description, soul
stirring epic.
Madame Sigrid Lunde Souther, the
new voice teacher at WaShburn, who,
L
Jebes. is a native of Norway, also ap-
peared last night. first in a group of
Norwegian folk songs and later in
Grieg's AT the Cloister Gate" in
which she sustained the role of the
maiden whose lover has slain her
father and who comes in despair to
the convent. Mrs Florence Fox
Thatcher sang the part of the nun who
admits her to the cloister and the
Wash burn girls chorus trained by
Mrs. Thatcher sang behind the scenes
the chant OF the choir of nuns. This
scene, with complete settings, and
Madame Souther in costume, furnish
ed a most effective finale to the pro-
gramme. Mrs. Souther has sung in
public in Topeka a number of times
since she came here last fall to take
charge of the voice department Of the
Washburn music school but has never
been heard to better advantage than
last night. She has an exquisite So
prano voice and sings artistically al
ways. In pure lyric she is delightful.
but the Grieg number last night re-
vealed her in a new light as dramatic
soprano of unusual ability. For the
folk songs she wore Norwegian
peasant costume in which she looked
charmingly picturesque and was even
prettier than usual in her blonde wig.
Her touches of comedy in the folk
songs were especially effective and
throughout she displayed histrionic
talent of much more than ordinary
degree.
Mr.. Haitian Jebe opened the pro-
gramme with a Norwegian Fantasia
OF his own for violin. an ambitious.
original and meritorious composition
in which he gave evidence again of
his remarkable musicianship- Mr..
Jebe's playing IS all fire and fame,
and a flame which gives off warmth. as
well as light and brilliancy. His vir-
tuosity had already been known and
recognized by the local musical elect
but he proved last night by his Fan
taste that he is a musician as well as
a virtuoso-
The only variation from the other
wise strictly Norwegian character OF
the programme was the Irish Wash
woman" a sketch written by Mrs
Klingenberg, ''IrishedH by Mrs j. B.
Sims and presented by Miss Eleanor
Sims, who was trained by Madame
Jebe. Miss Sims had complete cos
tune and stage settings for her act
which was one of the popular hits OF
the evening. The sketch is clever
satire on society from the house
maids point of view and was wei
conceived and interpreted The, iden-
tity of the young actress who was to
give this number had been kept
secret and this mystery added to the
general interest in this feature.