The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-22
IO-D OPERA
| AT TRACTNE
INOreIIi Scores as
FdiT' ROSind

1t was written in Is days and 1t has
lasted nearly a hundred years. THE
Barber OF Seville" is stiil- merry; as
merry, in fact. as any of the century OF
springs which it has survived. The
international grand opera company
played 1t yesterday afternoon and will
repeat 1t tomorrow night. Rossini's
masterful measures were as intelligi-
BILE yesterday afternoon to a modern
audience, in spite of certain old fash
toned intervals of recitative supported
by a piano, as they were when Milan
first heard the Garcias in the premier
of the piece and Kissed the opera be-
cause they didn't want to like it,
II is impossible to escape The Barber
OF Seville" which is as engagingly To-
quacious and busy as any barber. 1t
may be of interest 10 recall the fact
that it was this same Rossini opera
which really began the still moving
epoch of Italian opera in America, for
it was in 1925, in New York that the
Gareias presented the play at the Park
theater.
ArcangeI played Figaro yesterday
afternoon. He was splendid in the
role. Imprudent and seIf-conSdent,
willy and quite scamp. he was delight
full throughout the lyric setting of
Beaumarchais' comedy. His Largo al
Factotum" in the first act was given
with much spirit and bombastic elo-
quence. Colombini's Count Almaviva
was droll and vocally effective. Seated
at the organ while Rosina sang her
lesson, which by the way was the mao
scene from Lucia" he was a trifie too
engaging, 1 should say, and monopo-
lized much of the attention which should
have been given to Nine. Norelli's
vocalism. His count was not person
OF dignity. but a creature of within and
fun, and he added much to the comedy
moments OF the opera.
Nine. Norelli made her first ap-
pearance in the role of Rosina. She
had never sung that part before. The
fact robs criticism of it's sting Her
vocalism was always sure. but her rec
itative intervals were robbed of effec-
tiveness sometimes with a lack of lines.
On the whole. however, her presenta-
ton of the Rosina role was credita Bile,
though il must be said that the best
thing she did was the aria from the
Donizetti opera, where as pupil of the
bogus singing master she sang the
Lucia mad scene superbly, and won an
encore.
Rossini's Barber" is one of the most
entertaining presentation which the
International grand opera company has
given US. and a large audience enjoy
ed and applauded 1T yesterday.
A series of Friday night wagnerian
concerts viii be a feature of the en-
gagement OF Frederick Neil Innes and
his orchestral band az Idora park Oak
land. The first. TO be rendered this
Friday. will embrace the professional
Of the knights of the Holy Grail from
"Parsifal"; "Huldigungs March" and
'Vorspiel" and the prelude and Bridal
Chorus from "Lohengrin." Two OF
the bands soloists viii assist. vir-
ginia Listemann will sing "Dich Thoure
Halle" from "Tannhauser." and Ku-
chynka. string bass virtuoso, will play
the Evening Star Song The con-
certs will be given from the open air
shell.
Five times since its opening the New
Chutes has broken it's past records for
attendance-records made when the
present Fillmore street park was To-
Gated in the Richmond district The
management announces that its last
Sundays crowdswere greater than the
opening day and the end is not yet.
This week the band stand is being
moved to another part of the grounds
to make room for additional seating
accommodations. Sirignano and his
Royal Banda Roma are becoming great
r.