The San Francisco call., 1908-12-21

AZ Me NORDICA'S splendid voic-
M ing of a Robert Franz song yes
1vl terday afternoon brings to mind
the unpleasant fact that this
great master of song writing-the
greatest perhaps since Schubert and
Schumann-is much neglected by sing
ers. He does not seem TO be sensa-
tional enough to suit the majority OF
vocal artists with voices and teehnic
to show off. He is too intimate, fragile
and perfect and the poems he has
chosen to grace with his music are
usually too undramatic for the .pur-
poses Of vain songbirds.
Schumann is often dramatic; so Is
Schubert. Franz is never so. He is a
composer of moods-an apostle Of ma
ture. His songs are like George Mere
diths poems in their fine interpreta-
tion of natures beauties. Even his
mouraful. melancholy lieder-and there
are many of them-like From Grief l
Can Not Measure''-are without bitter
ness. Among the many Heine lyrics
which he selected for musical transla-
tion there are none that contain the
prevalent Heine cynicism at the close.
and none are snowy or smart There
is total lack OF the thea-tric in
Heine's songs as there was in his
temperament.
Lilli Lehman, who By the way has
just celebrated the sixtieth anniversary
of her birth by signing a contract Tor
four concert appearances in Germany,
was one of the few great operatic ar
lists with courage enough to sing
Franz songs when that composer was
+ sorely in need of disciples and en-
couragement And IL is pleasant TO
record the truth that she was nightly
rewarded in applause for her temerity
and for her appreciation of a great
composer.
Nine Nordica's artistic conscientious
ness is one of her highest charms. and
supplies q great contrast with the
stupid egotism of SO many singers.
Nine, Nordica will sing any song that
is worth while, and the fact that it
J does not have a top note, or that it
contains no intricate embroidery and
no display passage. makes no differ
ence to her so long as it is music.
Nine. Gadski. great singer that she
is, exhibits in her concert singing a
song" In her Interpretation of Schu-
bert's immortal "Serenade' for in
stance, which she sings divinely. she
/ insists that the pOstlUde. wherein the
piano wavers in delightful uncertainty
between ID major and D minor be cut.
asked her once why she didn't let
! the pianist finish the piece as Schu-
{ pert wrote IT. Sne SAID JRit IL was a
vocal solo, and that when the voice
part was ended the song was finished.
4 n strange contradiction of her own
fine musicianship is found in that an
swer, and supplies an explanation why
many other sopranos do not sing Franz
| songs. They are too perfect in their
welding of poetry to melody and mel
ody TO Franz's fine polyphOny. The
piano doesn't always stop on a tonic
with the last word of the song but
sometimes. as in Schubert's abused
'Serenade," adds a finishing touch of
its own with which the singer has
nothing to do.
| Manager Howell of the Central the
ater was running over with me the
list of operas which the Lambardi COM
pany has contracted to sing here. The
tip of his forefnger hid one name
Guess, he said. l Guessed Iris" and
that's what it was.
'Honest?"sI asked.
Sure" said he. I'VE are going to
hear Iris this season or the opera
company forfeits penalty to me. IL
| is so nominated in the bond"
Last season Iris was promised
faithfully; but il wasn't sung There
were several reasons for this One
was that the company couldn't. It's
different this season, I'm told. Iris