The San Francisco call., 1907-03-19
News of Counties Bordering the Bay
Oakland Discovers New Star
Shining Beside NoTdlca
Constantine, Tenor, Is
Wildly AppIauded
in "Gioconda'

OAKLAND, MaTCn ia new NSiAOA,
close TO Caruso in the power ana
beauty Of his singing voice, swung into
the ken of star gaZers in these parts
when Signor Constantine appeared with
Nordica tonight in Henry RusselIs san
Carlo Opera Company.
The opera was ~Gioconda." The oc-
casion was the premier performance or
a three days season of song The
place was the Liberty Theater. The au-
dience was the best that Western
city could put forward-critical. know
ing, appreciative people. The big star
was Nordica.
No presumptuous man would dare
step ahead Of that prima donna, here
or elsewhere. Constantine, this new
tenor, surely would not break in ahead
of a lady. Certainly a big Oakland au-
dience, knowing its opera canons pretty
well, would hesitate at conceding that
there were any gods or goddesses be-
fore Nordica in the Russell collection
OF song divinities, and yet, Constantine,
Just from Italy, indubitabfy has one ad-
vantage over Nordica. even though the
prima donna is the overtowering high
card in the San Carlo aggregation's s
hand.
He gives his amateur hearers oppor-
tunity TO discover that he is a star or
the first magnitude.
was so keen in the breasts of the audi
ence that crowded the Liberty Theater
tonight that there was acute danger
for a time that Nordica might be over
looked in the bestowal of Oakland
garlands. Nordica. one knows, is es-
tablished, a fixed star, quite impeccable
and in no danger of being dimmed. Also
there is no glory to be gained as dis
coverer in announcing that Nordica is
divine.
But Constantine, with stellar honors
yet TO be heaped upon him, stirred the
Imagination Of Oakland people, who
joyed nightly in discovering his voice.
The adjectives that clever opera lovers
used when Caruso sang will have to be
brought out and busted off and applied
TO Constantine during the next fort
night. and one or two additional bits CT
descriptive embroidery perhaps must be
invented.
POWERFUL VOICE
Constantine can sing and does sing
as no tenor besides Caruso ever has
sung in the annals Of grand opera pro-
ductions on this coast. There is power
and yet fneness in his singing. sweet
ness that is almost cloying. and yet
strength that thrills with its sugges-
tion of passionate Virility; there is gold
and velvet and perfume IN the mans
voice and art allied to an almost per-
feet organ wherewith to interpret
mastery music. The combination made
an hour Of paradise for 1000 music
mad people tonight.
Nordica superbly rendered her part
Of Gioconda-
Tomorrow night Alice Nielsen will
sing in La Boheme"; at the Wednesday
matinee Nordica will be in the cast of
Faust" and Wednesday night Car
men," with Mile. Deyrene as Carmen,
will be the bill
SOCIETY REPRESENTED
The smart set was splendidly rep
resented, numerous opera parties oc-
cUpying the boxes and orchestra seats.
Exquisite gowns and magnificent jew
els were worn by the women. Among
those who attended the first night
were: Mr.. and Mrs. Frank Havens,
Mr.. and Mrs. Wickham Havens, Mr..
and Mrs. w. A. Boole, Mr.. and Mrs.
Harry Bishop, Mr.. and Mrs. ]. r.
Burnham, Mr.. and Mrs. Charles Bates,
Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Crellin, Mr. and
Mrs. Whipple Hall, Mr.. and Mrs. Oscar
Mr.. and Mrs. Giles Nelson Easton. Mr.
and Mrs. Martin w Kales. Mr.. and Mrs.
Gordon Stolp, Mr.. and Mrs. z. B. Stone
Mr.. and Mrs. Bernard Miller, Mr.. and
Mrs. Roland Oliver, Mr. and Mrs. E. L.
Prather, Mr.. and Mrs. Q. A. Chase. Dr.
and Mrs. Will Dunn, Mr.. and Mrs
Frank Watson, Mr.. and Mrs. Robert
Newell. Mr.. and Mrs. Roy Mauvais, Mr.
and Mrs George McNear and many
others. Mrs. George w. Reed presided
as hostess at one of the larger box
parties, dozen friends being her
guests, among whom were Baron and
Baroness Won Snipp, Mr.. and Mrs. Oscar
Jasper, Miss Estelle Peters, Mrs. O. d.
Hamlin, Miss Elva Reed, William
Grosskurth, Clarence Reed, Clarence
Elmer
Definite announcement was made to-
night that Nordica will not sing at the
Greek Theater. The reason given by
the management is that open-air sing
ing would be injurious to her voice.