New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-02-07
MUSIC
NINE. sEMBR1oH's FAREWELL
Operas of a Saturday Afternoon and EveriDs

Operas Of a Saturday Afternoon and EvePDg-
The incidents Of last nights representation Of
opera al tie Metropolitan opera House which viii
chiefly interest the public narrated in another
column IN this Journal In the moment Of Nine Sem
brfch's farewell the operate stage Of New York,
few viii know how the fragments OF opera
which made up the programme OF the occasion
performed by the artist who is as much be-
loved by the people OF New York as she is ad-
nfred. who has won their hearts completely as
she has won their enthusiastic praise 10 their
admiration and love the people bore witness last
night in a demonstration the like OF Whlch Is not
to be found in the annals Of the American yrc
stage. r. indeed, there is a record anywhere OF
similar festivity soemnty, It is not within the
memory Of this writer the histories OF the uahl-
tons with which he is familiar The sudence was
phenomenal in number Cthe house would holo no
rnore) and equally phenomenal in character me
flowers placed the prima donna's feet were d
small portion Of the offerings which hah .ossn
left the opera house the addresses and the gus
which accompanied theTr-eoquent. heartfelt nc"
spoke no more than the applause which burst OUT
like q tempest after every air which she sang OF
the gratitude which filed the thousands OF hearts
And from beginning to end the smiles Whlch
greeted every OF the pretty cequetries OF 'h7
arch comedieune were but the avant-cOureurs OF
the tears which came afterward- So TAR as a
Ieavetaking which can only be contemplated Win
sorrow could be made a joyous festivlty NINE
Senbrich made Il She chose scenes OF mer-
rineut onIy-a fragment from the first act or Don
PasCuale.' ending with the puuP uuVt III Eti-l--'
signore Scott joined her. the second act Of II
Barbiere" into the lesson scene Of which she IN
trcGuced the Strauss waltz. All non glunge
and Chopin's "Maiden's wish (tO her own &C
compartment, Of course-none other would have
been tolerated.. and duet with Signor Bonct from
Don PasquaIe': finally. the first act Of La
Traviata' in which the principal members OF the
Metropolitan Operl Company honored her by grac-
ing Fioletta's banquet room, while Miss FarraI
not only did this but sang the minor role OF Flora
8 4 mark Of devotion. At the enc
Of this came the addresses and presentation Of
gifts
It shall not be told here now Nine Sembrich car
ried herself through what must have been painful
ordeal, despite the testimony which was borne 70
her Of the peoples appreciation OF her marvellous
gifts and lovely graces. II Is enough TO say that
she was in fine voice and in equally fine spirits,
and that all that she did recalled the best Of her
performances in the long period Of years in which
she has been ornament OF our Opera House. an
exempar Of all that is most beautiful in the art Of
song and inspiration 70 thousands OF students
OF singing. Again it made evident how beau
tfully her profound muscianship is disclosed in all
the music that she sings-the airs Of the opera
composers OF the eighteenth century, from BOnOn-
cinI and Handel down to Mozart, the work Of the
composers Of the first six decades Of the nineteenth
century. BeIIini DOnizetti Rossni and Verdi the
songs % Schubert, SchuTlanu and Brahms Uttered
by her voice Of sivery ciearnsss mellow, warm,
caressing to both sense and feeling, the merest
commonplace IN music have bLossomed with
charm that carried ear and fancy captive Mar
veIoUs always has been her sense Of symmetry
and proportion OF phrase and period, OF that LOFTY
artistic quality, rep0Se; Of business OF information:
Of emotional color Marvellous too, her capacity
to body forth these qualities in her singing Hand
in hand with her singing has been her acting.
fascinating in comedy. most moving wneu deeper
emotions were to be stirred How bewitChing have
been her rogueries Rosina. Susanna, Norma,
Marie Gin The Daughter Of the Regiment and
Adna, With what compelling pathos has she ap-
peaied to US the dying VIoletta and Mimi But
why enumeTate these things They Will die
till the generation whose experiences she has
riched whose tastes she has purified and ennobled,
whose artistic Judgment she has steaded, shall
have passed away. And they viii be exempIifed
again when she returns 10 sing in concert in the
years that are 10 come II E. X.