Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-01
ANOTHER HIGHLY FINISHED
PERFORMANCE GIVEN
Dolores Frau and Eugene Battainh
Score Distinct Successes, but IA
duction Is MARRIED by UnduL
Long Waits
MASON OPERA HoUSE-cARMES'
Opera in Four Acts Riret-
BY FLORENCE BOsARD LAwRENCE,


The Lambardi opera company has
given its season at the Mason in a
gradually creSCendo scale of merit
whether or no this will continue to
the end of the engagement remains to
be seen. The company now has pre-
sented one performance Of mediocre
quality, one which was fair, and two,
La Boheme' and Carmen" which
we'll deserve the grade of excellent
The singers have displayed better
poise and Judgment with their solos in
the last two appearances, and their
voices also seem to be improving
Many of these soloists made their pre-
mier here Immediately after completing
long journey across an ocean and a
continent. 1T was hardly to be ex-
pected that the few days of rest fol-
lowing their arrival would enable them
to get their voices into the most per-
feet condition. But Los Angeles sun
shine and glorious atmosphere, SO like
the soft air of their native Italy, seems
to have restored and freshened their
voices until last night they fairly
flooded the Mason with harmony and
held the large audience spelIbound with
delight.
The chief interest in last nights per-
Torrance of Carmen" centered about
the charming mezzo soprano Dolores
Frau, whose Interpretation of the char
acter has been widely lauded abroad
Madame Frau has temperament in
abundance and a fine discrimination i'm
using her voice, so that il never be-
comes merely loud, whatever her
abandon. Her dramatic possibilities
are so great that it is pity she does
not seek the advice of some competent
director and learn to express her emo
lions as dramatically as she does
vocally.
Eugene Battain gave a fervent and
highly dramatic reading of the part of
Don Jose. The voice of this gifted
singer is still noticeably afflicted by a
cold, nevertheless the honors of the
evening were fairly his, and he de-
lighted his listeners with the briIliancy
of his high notes.
Angelo Antola, whose triumphs of
last season have not been forgotten,
made his premier for this engagement
in the role Of Escamillo and was
greeted with tumultuous approvaT an
his every appearance.
The entire company was handsomely
costumed in appropriate new garb and
the stage pictures were vivid and pic
turesque.
There was some unfortunate hitch,
however, in the proceedings behind the
scenes, and unpardonably long waits
between acts exhausted the nerves and
destroyed the enthusiasm Of the aud
fence.
The orchestra, under the direction of
Signor Jaccia, was not at it's best and
was lamentably slow in taking up its
cues. On more than one occasion the
brasses and woodwinds INDUCED in a
too vivacious rendering of the wrong
notes.
The audience assembled was one Of
the largest Of the season. Indeed there
was scarcely an empty seat in the
house, and every member OF the large
gathering showed the kindliest feeling
for the soloists, offering generous APP
plause and several curtain calls after
every act.
The bill this afternoon will be 'tTrova-
tore" with Frau Campoli, Pimazzoni
and Scalabrini. This evening Faust
will be sung, with MARITIME as Mefisto-
fele.