Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-02-15

|
opera toward which Salt Lake music
lovers have been looking so long, was
ushered in last night with a beautiful
performance of La Gioconda," by the
! Lambardl Opera Co. While. the house
| was not crowded. the audience was
| representative and critical, and at
first inclined to be frigid, but before
+, the evening was over. the excellence
OF the presentation thawed out the
general reserve and curtain calls and
cncores became both numerous and
enthusiastic
The company put forward last even
ing. a group of its strongest players
to render Ponchielli's famous opera, Il
work which. though almost as old as
the other we'll known Italian operas,
is rarely done because of its eXactions
on the singers II calls for six people
almost all of equal strength, and 1t
tells Enthusiastically what the resources
of the Lambardi company are. when 1t
is known that complete change OF
principals VIII be introduced in Mad
am Butterfly tonight: also that there
are other strong artists who will ap-
pear only in the other works In the
repertoire.
The triumphs last evening were car
ried off by the orchestra, the chorus
rht VIC bidnitllit oOptluDr MIle.
settl. The lady filled a role of tre-
mendous difficulties. full OF passion
ate singing and acting from beginning
to end, but her voice seemed even bet
ter at the close than at the opening,
She has a superb voice. filed with ef-
fects almost electric If Mother Ma
ture, or kind stage manager had as
sisted her In the art of makeup. her
triumph. strong as 1t was. would have
Il
complete organization. rendering Ital-
ian opera as 1t was written by a COM
pany selected entirely from its native
musical heath we must learn to shut our
eyes to many such details as makeup,
stage management, costuming, and
looks in the chorus, which American
managers always place foremost, but
which TO tho Italians are always second
ary to the one great requirement OF
voice. Thus the chorus last night, though
some of the women were wonderfully
assorted, and the costumes not much
better. gave some specimens of choral
work that were almost hair lifting. 1t
is doubtful. indeed whether the old
historic theater ever rang with the
echoes of more tremendous finale
than that which the full company rem
dered at the end of act three. 1t was
81 glorious burst, in perfect balance,
full of exquisite shading, and with
its difficulties handled both by the
orchestra and singers In a way that
told thoroughly what grade of mu-
sicians were before us.
The conductor of the evening, for
whose name the program was searched
in vain, is a marvel. He led the en-
tire presentation from memory and
held the singers and orchestra thor
oughly in hand throughout. The COM
pany did not even have the usual
prompter conducting from n hood un
der the foot lights. The familiar music
rendered between the acts, originally
written for a ballet (Which, fortunate
ly. we were spared). was given with a
swing and a charm thoroughly charac-
teristic. The orchestra numbers near
" 40 men, and some OF the parquet
seats had to be sacrificed to make room
for the members.
or the other principals. the blind
mother of Mime Bugamelli. was excel
lently sung, as was the Laura of Nine.
Frau The difficult part of the spy,
a sort of Iago, was we'll sung and act
ed by Mr Maggi. n good baritone. who
had some hearty recalls, The tenor.
Mr.. Maurini. filled the role of EMO
acceptably, though his voice is not at
all times as sweet as the ideal tenor
should be Mr.. Viola as the betrayed
husband. has fine stage presence. and
he sang and acted with due dignity
throughout Mr.. Elena as the boat
man was thoroughly good.
There has been a tremendous ad-
vance sale for Madam Butterfly" to-
night, in which Mime. Calyl sings the
title role, and another tenor, Mr. Ma
del has tho part of the faithless lieu
tenant. II there were nothing to hear
in this presentation except the fine or
chestra and chorus. 1t would be worth
all the management ask for admission.
but with the all round excellence of
orchestra. chorus and principals to-
gether. the engagement. II 1t continues
as well as It opened last night. ought to
history.
ORPHEUM-A choice delegation |
from the tight little isle Is more than |
doing It's share at ''the house OF mirth" |
this week, and as a result the bill is |
full of sparkling features. features |
that could only come from Britain's |
domains. Miss Alice Lloyd is a \
plump little artiste with winning |
graces and a dainty manner that mado |
her a favorite from her entrance |
There is a freshness In her songs and |
in her way of singing them that Is
she was called back for six numbers !
and each was given in n quickly !
changed costume. ending in n bit of !
Coster philosophy that was tantaliz- !
ingy amusing. Not all the fun for
the audience was furnished by Miss
Lloyd. though she was responsible for
1t all. Picking out sparsely settled
pates for the rays reflected from a
hand mirror, she sang tender love
ditty to the illuminated object of her
heeting affection. Some of her sub
jects were not altogether displeased.
but there were others who were vis-
IDLY piqued.
Tom and Fred McNaughton are two
others who have strayed far from the
Strand, and they bring some jolly jibes
and queer quips told in the inimitable
way of the funny Briton. Their run
ming fire of clever and clean wit is
productive OF wave of rumbling
laughter all the while they are before
the footlights. A sure cure for CAST
ritis and kindred ills of the inner man
o.z tho McNanphfOnS