The San Francisco call., 1908-11-02
CHARMS AUDIENCE
WITH SWEET VOICE
Nine. Blanche Arral Scores
Triumph in Concert at
Van Ness Theater
Extensive Program of Vocalists
Provides Rare Treat for
Music Lovers
By Walter Anthony

We are conservative people, music
ally. We do not believe everything we
read and we wait, like Missourians
and those not too sure of their own
Judgment, and want to know. A week
ago Nine. Blanche Arral sang at the
Van Ness theater to a fairly well
filled house. Just how much of it
was papered" nobody but VIII Green
baum, impresario. knows--and he won't
tell. The artist, after three weeks i'll
ness and two postponements, sang as
only an artist can sing. This auditor
told that about 1t. and that one told
another. so that the news spread and
1t happened that yesterday afternoon
the Van Ness housed a fine audience
worthy Of the singers art; more worthy
perhaps because the balconies. No. l
and No. 2, were sold out. The cognis-
cent? were all there and thundered
from above knowing approval. Down
stairs, where the aristocrats-the" dead
heads" and the paid go -come-sat, was
not SO crowded. though there were not
many seats OF idle and uncovered plush
even there. And the singer made a
little speech at the close of her long
and vocally trying program. Said
she: Il speak not the very good
Engleesh, but from re heart / thank
spelled
Nine. Arral exhibited a purer, round
er and fuller voice this Sunday than
she did last week. 1t had more vi
tality. timbre and ring to 1t. for
her Illness was week further in the
past, and her bounding spirits were not
80 hampered by a weakened physical
system. Even the first number on her
list Of songs showed the improvement,
ato 1r,c 70 ffc ol rtf U
vigor and beauty. 1t was the grand"
aria from Gounod's Queen of Sheba.''
Masses 'tNightingales Song" from The
Marriage of Jeanette followed with
flute obligato by Louis Newbauer.
Like the lark song by Bishop. on
last weeks program. this number as
sung by Nine. Arral We'd with the
flute in runs and trills, and If it is
worth while to make an instrument out
of the voice. she certainly made the
song a gem. From a monotone of
strings the night motive scared, vo-
cally, like the notes from a bird 8
throat clear crystalline and pure.
Braga's sentimental Angels Serenade''
was unnecessary on the fine program,
but 1t pleased and got an encore. w.
Villalpando played sympathetic obli-
cato.
Bembergs "Aime Moi" and a bolero
lowed, the latter leading nicely and
rhythmically into two Spanish songs
one from folk lore and the other COM
posed for the singer. In these two
the audience liked her most, for in
them she acted as we'll as sang. and
added to our knowledge of art the
quality of delicious capriciousness, as
Of woman who says mo" when she
means Yes" and scolds because you
do what she demands. Her last num-
Der. though lacking the "toppest" note.
was the furore of the concert 1t was
you have guessed it?-"Ah Fors e
Lui' and "Sempre Libra" from Ira
viata." A big number to end big
program with, surely!
Nine. Arral has left us with delight
ful and unexpected memories. She has
appeared as a songbird, fitting over
our fields. Her stay has been short
and she passes on and we will not
hear her again. She will not be re-
membered as the greatest who has ever
scared above us. but rather as one OF a
flock OF fast diminishing songstresses,
whose numbers and beauty are decreas-
ing with the passing of Patti, Melba,
Tetrazzini and Sembrich. She may not
fly as high as these, but she belongs
m their flock