The San Francisco call., 1910-03-27
MUSICAL ffASIS
OF HIGHEST MERIT
San Francisco Audiences Given
Opportunity to Hear the
Best of Artists
Well Chosen Program Will Be
Presented This Afternoon
by Maude Powell
By WALTER ANTHONY


Maude PowelIs local engagement will
extend into next month, her first re-
citsl being given this afternoon at the
Garrick theater. She viii play again
Thursday night and the third and fare
wei recital VIII be given next Sunday
afternoon. Meantime on Friday after
noon the great violinist will appear in
o recital at Ye Liberty theater in Oak
land
Miss Powell is distinctively an
American woman, and is a refutation
Of the traditional belief that good art
can not come from a neighboring COM
munity. She is pioneer-and this
without relation to her age-in the eX-
tending paths of American music. Just
now her success. achieved in Europe, is
in the way of confirmation of our
growing belief in the efficacy of our
own musicians AS evidence that man
ayers are looking unsuspiciously TO
American musicians TO do something
the production Of Frederick 5. Con-
verses American made opera, THE
Pipe Of Desire" at the Metropolitan
opera house, with q east exclusively
composed of American singers, is re-
assuring. Soon will come Victor Her
bert's grand opera, and though the
writer was not born in America he has
been allied with American music SO
exclusively nearly all his life that he
may well be regarded as an adopted
son.
Now that we are speaking about
homemade grand opera let Us reflect
for a second on the scarcity Of New
York presentations Of the native prod
uct. Damrosch's Scarlet Letter" was
ov,1 =
f. Bristow's RIP Van Wrinkle" was
played there at some time prior, and
that is all OF original operate pres
entations, Yankee made, that ] know
OF in New York.
That hasn't much TO do with Maude
PoweIrs concert this afternoon, but
her coming here is suggestive of the
awakening Of Americans TO the sense
OF their own musical possibilities and
to the development Of the tone art
in our star spangled land.
Miss Powelrs recital today viii open
with the first movement from the
Tschaikowsky concerto, work OF
great difficulty and beauty. A Schubert
duet for piano and violin will follow,
then group of three preludes for vio-
lin unaccompanied; two by Bach and
one by Fiorillo. -Four small gems. lie
Fleurie," by Couperin; 'Minuet,7 by
Beethoven; Minute Waltz" by Chopin,
arranged by Maude Powell. and Span
ish dance by Sarasate. The final num-
Der Will be a Wieniawsh display COM
position. fantasie on Faust"
What did you mean" asked Nine.
Ma uricia Morichini, by that word
singing the aria from La Tosca' last
Sunday night at the Orpheum2"
The celorstura soprano, who is
bringing genuine grand opera TO the
Orpheum, was quite concerned TO learn
what the public thought OF the expert
ment, and though her English has inn
proved greatly in the two years she
has been away It IS still not of as ex-
tended vocabulary as her French or
Spanish or Russian. i meant" said 1,
that the experiment in singing so
chsstely unsensational an aria without
previous scenic preparation and be-
tween typical vaudeville numbers
would have been likely to frighten any
artist but one entirely self possessed
and in control of an assured technic."
After. what did you think2" she said.
Il thought that the experiment was
justified"
That is it," she went on, exeitedly
warming TO her subject In vaude-
VILE you have the audiences that really
test the serious singer. Few go TO the
Orpheum to hear grand opera, even
though all may be fond of it. The
mood is not there; the artist must
make the mood. But it can be done
for the people respond quickly to
music. Then. there are all kinds of
tastes TO satisfy a vaudeville audience
The man who wants TO hear a high
note at the end Of the song must be
pleased. the lady who wants a pretty
little melody must be given it; the mu-
sician who wants the bigger, finer
music must be satisfied, and the-what
do you call ilim?-the gallery god must
be given something that he can whis-
tie after the show. Oh, it is not so
easy to please vaudeville audience.
If you win a vaudeville audiences
approval. though, you have a right to
bei proud, for you have succeeded in
making. I think YOU say in English, a
unit out OF great variety of per-
sons"
The aria which Nine. Morichini
sang last week from La Tosca" was
The cause OF this comment It is the
big song for the soprano ip the second
act. II demands not SO much the
coloratUra singer. such as Nine Mori-
chini Is ranked as being as the dra-
matte soprano whose voice is more than
50 many brilliants placed on a vocal
string IT must be voice with q soul
back Of it. II is a superb lyric sup
plication: a prayer. heart rendine in
piteousness. for divine assistance. 7
have not heard it sung many times in
san Francisco; never SO well as the
prima donna at the Orpheum did IL
and the audience did itself honor when
st recognized the beauty of the rem
dering.
For this week she Will sing ''Casta
Diva" from Norma"
While a coloratura song this Benini
number demands more fuIlness of tone
than most vocal operatic displays de-
mand.
Since leaving here nearly two years
ago the singer has concertized in Eng
land, appeared in opera in London and
was a member OF the Moscow opera
cOmique company until few months
ago.
Those who did not hear Tilly Koenen.
the great Dutch contralto. when she
was here last. and who through neg;f-
gence or uncertainty as to the merits
OF the offerings, failed OF great treat
are TO be given an opportunity to hear
and repent.
Miss koenen is winning more sue
cess in point of attendance in the north
west than she achieved here, though
the enthusiasm that greeted her in this
city was proof tnat those who went
knew good singing when they heard
II, and surprising artist when they
saw one. though the approval, numer-