The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-03-17
BRILLIANT HOUSE
. GREETS sEMBR|CA. .
Great Singer Appears i'll Ricl,-
mond and Stirs Big Audience
at Academy.
PEOPLE REFUSED TO LEAVE.
Sat Still at Close Until She Came
Back-Notablc Work Of
Others.
PEOPLE REFUSED TO LEAVE.

Showing slightly tho touch OF time,
but charming as OF old, Madame Mar
celia sembrlcil, Sone OF the greatest liv-
Ing opera and concert sopranos, was
greeted In Richmond last night by the
most brilliant audience OF society peo-
pie, musicians and music-lovers of all
classes, assembled within the Academy
OF Music for many years.
In moro respects than one tho con-
cert marked an epoch In the musical
history of Richmond. Nine. Sembrlch
is regarded by many as the greatest
of present. day singers. a poor peas
ant girl by birth. her career has been
a most remarkable one, and her en-
day is due entirely to her own unceas-
Ing, untiring hard work. In addition
to her vocal gifts. she is a beautiful
woman, with Q wonderful amount Of
personal charm and magnetism, and
she created an appearance OF queenly
majesty the moment she stopped upon
the stage,
Brilliant Audience.
Tho audience that heard her was the
! largest that has attended a musical en-
tcrtanment since Norclica and Schu-
! mann-Henls sang here. and the en-
!, tllllsinsm manifested has not been
equaled since the appearance'of Adellna
! Patti at the old Richmond Theatre. Not
only was the cream OF Richmonds So
| clety represented, but several hundred
came from Petersburg, Roanoke and
other Virginia towns, and even North
| Carolina was represented by many OF
4 its ardent music lovers and musicians
\ Away ,,p In the gallery were four or five
! hundred of the real enthusiasts, those
i who. though they could not afford or.
| chestra seats. nevertheless derived as
much, II not more. enjoyment from thu
4 musical feast than any in the theatre.
! The program WAS selected with com
mendable taste and embraced operate
i selections. charming folk songs. one o.
4 two entrancing little melodies and {
i charming waltz song. After II brillian
3, concert number by Mr. La Forge, tn
! pianist, Nine. Sen,brich stepped from
/, the wings and. advancing to the plano
assumed q graceful and unconventionnn n
\ attitude with one elbow resting on tn
instrument. Her opening number wa
the familiar "Ah Fors o Lui," fron
yerdi's "lraviata,'' and the renditio
of 1t started the first wave OF thunder
Gus applause that compelled the grea
4 diva to bow her acknowledgment halt
dozen times. Mr.. Van Hoose. well
established Richmond favorte by reaso
OF his previous appearance with til
wednesday Club. was next heard IN
dramatic aria from Meyerheers lie
fiuguenots.n Nine. Sembrich then fay
ored the audience with u group Of fly
songs by Schubert, Schumann. Rlchnr
strauss, Arthur Foote and La Forge. M
I.e Forge's competition, Like tho Ross
bud" was so captivating that y hnd !
be repeated, and "rhe Land o the l-eal
showed the sIngel's wonderful expresslo
2 of feeling. She rewarded the usbounde
enthusiasm of the applauding auditor
With n charming encore number, VII
I.uss with the Delicate Alr."
Closing Scene.
Tho second part Of the progral
orencd with one of Liszt's weird an
wonderful Hungarian rhapsodies, bri
, lIantly executed by Mr.. La Forge
!: whose equal as an accompanist an
!, soloist is rarely II ever heard.
I Nlme Sembrich and Mr.. Van Hoos
/ we're heard together in a scene an
/, duct from the llrst act OF Puccini
= L