The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-01-09
SCORES
ANOTHER HIT
In the Title Part of "La
Tosca" She Eclipses Her
Best Previous Portrayal
OPERA NICELY STAGED
By James Crawford

To follow Ester Adaberto in the title
part of La Tosca" last night at the
Central Theater was to revel in enjoy
ment of genuine vocal and dramatic
art. She sung the role better than 1t
had ever been sung In San Francisco.
and with full remembrance of the
Bernhard Interpretation can con-
scientiously say that San Francisco
never saw il more naturally acted.
True, there We're details of technical
propriety which the Frenchwoman OBJ
served and the Italian ignored, but the
latter's work did not suffer in effect
iveness on that account. Indeed her
utter disregard of some hard and fast
stage conventions accumulated rather
than weakened the character impress
sion that Sardou and Puccini sought
to create. Adaberto did exactly what
any sane being would expect a woman
of Floria Tosca's stamp to do in each
passing situation, even though in the
doing she seemed to forget that her
gown was en- train and that she was
crossing stage" more frequently than
either the book or necessity demanded.
Soul-racked as Tosca was while her
lovers life was at stake and Scarpia
bounded her with loathsome advances
she would not be likely to adhere to
the minutae of personal department.
Z
DOttavi did his best acting of the
season as Mario. and Scifoni was too
reserved to glitter as Scarpia, although
with a woman of less dramatic force
than Adaberto possesses playing
against him he might have made more
of a histrionic hit. The remainder of
the cast was UP to the requirements
and the staging was excellent the
finale of the first act being as impress
nj could
ask for.
The opera does not abound in great
opportunities for solo singing, and
those that do bring the plaudits are
of true Puccini elusiveness. They
haunt the memory, come and go in
flashes, and no street boy whistles
them. D'Ottavi did very well with
Marios "Recondita Amonia" and e
lucevan lie STEELE" and his duos with
Tosca, Duo d'amore" and 1T tue San
que o II MO amore" were splendidly
sung Tosca's aria in the second act,
"D'arte damore," while Scarpia
awaited her final answer to his suit,
brought out the Adaberto voice in full
magnificence, and the rewarding en-
core was contributed to by every one
who heard it. Scarpia is not well pro-
vided with chance for catchy vocaliza-
ton. his best number being sung
Whlle the pageantry OF the nrSt act
finale divides attention with him and
Scifoni sang it satisfactorily.
But all else in the performance was
overshadowed by the work of Ada
berto. From the moment of her first
entrance, radiantly gowned and
beaming, until, somberly gowned
and scowling, she placed the crucifix
on the breast Of the man she had just
slain, she was a figure from which
concentration could not stray. In my
opinion her Tosca is as much more
fascinating than her Aida as the lat
ter is superior to her Leonora.
Cavalleria Rusticana" and rPag-
liaccf' will be sung tonight. with
Velia Giorgi as Santuzza, Russo as
Turridu and Pacini Alto in the
first-named music drama by Mascag-
nj. In Leoncavallo's story of Italian
theatrical life Antola will sing Tonic,
the pantaloon; Martinez Patti. Cunio.
the clown; Blanca Nunez, Media, the
columbine; Maria Million, Pope. the
harlequin; and Pacini. the Villager. /
predict that Antola's singing of the
"Pagliacci" prologue will be worth
listening to. and that Patti will make
of Cunio an interesting portrayal.