The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-17
ureat lmpresariO Compliments
C;ty on Refraining From
Star" Worship
San Francisco, Los Angeles and
New Orleans Only Real
Grand Opera Towns
By WALTER ANTHONY

ana Is not a community of star wor-
shippers.
Lambardi, usually the mildest Of
men, spoke with some bitterness and
neat Of this ruinous demand for SEN
saOon in the music world. Always"
ne said, IL is Have you seen So and So.
The tenor; or Madame So and So the
pIlfna donna% The opera takes a back
seat and the star shines"
Lam Dardl's comments were drawn
1ofth after he had read Chicago an
Houncenent TO the effect that the Met
Fopontan grand opera companv faced
a loss of 100000 for a months en-
Easement in Chicago. A loss of $3.50
VVv mas already been sustained in New
Aorh by the Metropolitan opera di-
said Lambardi: L quote Frank
memo Damrosch, director of the New
Aork musical Institute and authority
On ltlngs musical, when I saw that
opera is not appreciated in America.
l'amfosch declares that we have not
been educated in the art of opera Some
leW centers, such as san Francisco.
VIII support an opera organization tina It
IS not based on the star system, but
such communities are rare in the United
states Every city of 100 600 should be
aole TO support an opera company in
When asked what cities he con-
sloered real genuine grand opera
cities Lambsrdi held out his hand and
counted three fingers, one each for San
francisco. New Orleans and Los An
geles. But the distance between them
Is very great, indeed, sighed the i'm
pressrio sadly
Grand opera is not a regular diet for
me American people," he continued. 1T
IS q sensation. A singer makes hit
and everybody flOcks TO hear that one:
nobody else will do. They hear this
wonderful voice and that ends the mat
Ter 1ney do not 90 to the opera
again until another star is discovered
ana then II is the same thing over
again However, the opera habit is
growing slowly. I do not expect. here
after 10 visit any other than the three
cues have just mentioned-San
j FRANCISCO, New Orleans and Los An
geLes- Following my annual South and
central American tours these three
cities viii be my limit in this country. .
owing TO contracts in South America
and Cuba il is not likely that Lam
oardl viii return to the United States
next season
La Tosea" viii be the opening bill al
me Columbia theater tonight.
The finest string quartet in the
world is what Manager VIII Green
baum claims he viii introduce to music
lovers this afternoon at the GarricL
theater when the FlonzaIey quartet of
switzerland makes its bow to a San
Z francisco audience.
IL Is the only quartet in the world
the members Of which devote their en-
tire time to ensemble playing. For
more than nine years none of them Ia :
given a single lesson or appeared with
orchestra or in solos. During all this
time there has been no change in the
personnel of-the quartet
The program this afternoon viii in
clude MOzart's quartet in c major,
Schumann's in A minor, and a rare old
French Sonata a Ire" for two VIC
Inns and cello, by Leclair.
The second concert viii be given Fri
day night at the Novelty theater on
account Of the Burton Holmes trav-
elogues occupying the Garrick, and the
program viii consist of Beethoven
Haydn, Smetana and Max Roger com.
positions.
The farewell viii be given next Sun
day afternoon at the Garrick.
Seats are on sale at Shermon, Clay
& Co.'S.
Next Thursday afternoon. April 81
at 3-l5, the Fionzaley quartet will
play in Oakland at Ye Liberty play
house, offering the same program as
at the second concert in San Fran
cisco.
on Wednesday night the St. Francis
musical art society viii hear the F'lon-
zaleys-
As a rule chamber music concerts
are not very interesting to the general
public, but the Flonzaley concerts are
quite different from any ever heard
here. It is a virtuOso quartet with al
the charm Of personality and indi-
vidualty Of any sOloist- To miss hear
ing the Flonzaleys would be to miss
Of the present time
Maud Allan and a still larger orches-
ira than before viii apear at the Va
Iencia theater next Saturday night
April %, and Monday night, April 25
offering a splendid program. which will
include the widely talked Of Vision
Of Salome," which Miss Allan claims
but one in a thousand who have wit
messed il understand. She complains
that cheap and vulgar limitations have
caused the work to be sadly misun-
derstood, and she hopes that the peo-
ME Of this city viii thoroughly GRASP
| Ter meaning and intentions as they
nave with the other works she has
ofe~ed. Miss Allan would not appear
IA This work until she had achieved
. success in her art here, and 1t is fol
+bat reason and not because Of The
Question Of seating capacity that the
Valencia has been chosen for hel
farevveIl appearances. The stage at the
Csarrict could not accommodate the
,,sesive scenic environment that Miss
h1Ian brought with her from London
-s-b5le that of the Valencia viii ac-
commodate any production at all
Tie dates are Saturday night, April
o and Monday night, April 70, while
= return visit TO Oakland will be made
Tnesday night, April 26, at Ye Liberty
playhouse. ~.
curing the coming week Miss Altar
"a her orchestra will appear at SaI
Toee stockton and Santa Cruz.
Il
Dr Ludwig Wullner's repertoir'
o,+sfne more than zoo songs. From
t,is wonderful array Of masterpiece
- Great singer has no difficulty il
boosinr new programs. When n
sDoears sunday afternoon. May !. a
- valencia theater he viii be hear
entirely new program differing
adSca1Iv from any Of those previousl.
-1%-a- nv him in this city The offer
-vgil include Schumann's "Dichter
5iaSe,' cycle of 16 songs These viii
- eixen. il is said. for the first tim
tbesr entirety in this city.
CO. francisco is the only city in tn
r-si+ed states, with the exception o
49, pacific coast cities, where Docto
St---S1,,a,. bas not played return engage