The Topeka state journal., 1908-02-18
IT PLEASED ALL.
Audience Delighted With Pro-
duction of III Travat0re.
Is Topeka Getting Interested in
Good Musicg
AUDIENCEALARGEONE
More Than That 1t Was Iutelli-
gently Appreeiative.
Singers Give a Good Account of
Themselves.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

Now, here's an unusual thing: every
body you met today who heard II Tro-
vatore by the Italian Grand opera COM
pany at the Grand last night was en-
thusiastic over the performance If
there is a knocker in town he has been
afraid to cheep. Even the unwilling
husbands who tried to sidestep the date
but were dragged along in spite of
their screams by wives on culture bent
admit that it was a better show than
the Majestic bill this week, or Painting.
the Town. The fact of the matter is
that this one night stand is getting in
terested in good music and the day
when grand opera company could play
to empty seats in Topeka, is past
There was a fine audience last night
not a record breaker in numbers al
though big enough to save the towns
good name with the True Music Lovers,
but intelligently appreciative, and cor
dial. No two ways about it, Topeka
is learning how to listen to good music
and we find, much to our astonishment,
that we like it. OF course their choice
of an opera had a good deal to do with
the success of the italian company
here. You couldn't put on a more pop
ular bill if you picked the best slap
stick artists in the business. Every
body knows II Trovatore-the story of
concert band and half the travelling or
chestras have an II Trovatore number
on their programmes and every boy in
town, whether he knows it or not,
whistles the famous Prison duo. And
when they become equally familiar the
musical classics are fully as popular
as rag-time.
1t would not be fair to single out
any one performer in the company
which gave II Trovatore in Topeka as
ia Il.
occasion. The company is exception
ally well balanced and all the princi-
pals gave eminent satisfaction and
scored tremendous hits in their strong
scenes. Signor Samoilov is a magnifi-
cent tenor with all the essential quail
fications of a great singer-range, pow
er, depth and beauty of tone. In con-
troll, in phasing, in smoothness, in sub
DUNG that bugbear of all tenors-the
break between registers-he has not
been surpassed by any singer who has
been heard in Topeka. And you must
remember that we have had many
mighty good singers and few famous
ones, here, all told But of his tenn
peramental gifts-at least as evidenced
last. night-not so much can be said.
He has not the dramatic genius of Sig
nor Alessandroni, for instance, who
sang the role Of the Count of Luna,
and while his splendid voice and his
exceptional good looks make him
most acceptable Manr1CO, a more merry
and impassioned Interpretation of the
role could be amagined. Alessandron
had the less grateful role and his ap-
pearance is not so much in his favor
(Samoilov is really as handsome as
god and an average good looking man
looks very ordinary beside him), but he
is an actor of unusual ability and his
scene with Lenora in the last act was
the best bit of acting in the perform
ance. Although Samoilov Is a Rus
sian by birth his method is distinctly
italian, especially as to phrasing, and
the beauty of his singing in mezzo
voice, the fineness of his pianissimos
and the delicate lyric quality of his art
are indispensable.
Madame Norelli who sang the role of
Lenora is finished artist and her per-
formance last night was a brilliant
example of coloratura singing. She
threw in an astounding cadenza in the
first act which captured an audience
evidently very fmpressionable to vocal
gymnastics and her singing Of the role
was at all times adequate, but like
Manrico she lacks a little histrionically
or seemed to last highland Mile.
Colombatti in the role of Azucena put
it all over her when it came to acting.
Madame Noreli is very easy to look at
and she is not so fat as to stretch
the imagination to breaking point in
an ultra-romantic role. In fact she is
handsome woman and good singer.
Colombattf has a delicious voice,
smooth, even and exceedingly sympa-
thetic and the audience liked her i'm
mensely.
Fornari's name appeared on the pro-
gramme as the conductor but it was
Signor G. Merola who really occupied
the podium and waved a baton, SEEM
ingly touched with magic, over a strong
orchestra of excellent musicians and
directed the stage performance. You'll
certainly have to give it to Merola.
The singers got the hands and the
curtain calls but the performance hung
upon the directors efforts and he met
the demands we'll upon him with much
ability, technical and intellectual In
point of dramatic power, and skill in
getting the values over the footlights
Merola was the triumph of the even
ing. There were % men in the orches-
ira and every one an artist.
People who sat on the left side of
the house were much amused in the
prison duo to see the shadow of Samoi-
low, singing behind the scenes, reflect
ed on one of the flies. He was sing
ow revealed all the movements
of his head and of the music which he
held in his hand. But even this un-
expected incident could not spoil the
effect of the famous duo. Hackneyed
as it is. and in spite of the open con-
tempt of the musical High Brows who
point out that it is music in its SIM
plest aspect without a ray of intel
lectua1 velopment-"nothing but sing
ing''-there is nothing in musical liter
ature more beautiful and more ap-
pealing to the average listener and its
beauties never grow old.
Ohio Valley Is Warned.
Washington, Feb. 1s.-The wealth