The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-04-18
DETROIT OPERA HOUSE.

fall. coupled with the reputation she
has made for her remarkable interpre-
tation of the name part In Nine But
tegfly." had aroused keen interest was
! given ample proof in the enormous
and very smart atidtpt,et.=ti4at =satheE=4
ed in the Detroit opera house Satur-
day evening, when the last perform
ance OF the brief season OF opera by
the Metropolitan Grand Opera con-
pany was given. II must have been
the personality and not the opera mat
was the magnet for society Tor the
previous performances were played TO
I almost empty orchestra chairs. me
Puccini opera was not novelty 10 De
troit, either. having had several al
mirable presentations here by the say
age company that We're none too well
patronlzed. SO the power OF lovely mu-
sic must give way TO the potency OF
+, Miss Farrar name and fame.
IL was triumph for Miss Farrar-
| Americas most gifted song bird as
she has been called. She had not been
on the stage five minutes before she
had the big audience hanging breath
lessly upon her every note and watch
! ing every play of her wonderfully ex'
pressive face Miss Farrar is first,
]
I Her dramatic gifts are no less re-
markable than her voice That organ
is unlike any other great voice now in
/ the prlma donna world. II Is full and
exceedingly vibrant. liquid and caress-
ingly soft as she wills II To be, ana
| always so full OF color that II paints
the score as an artist with brush
creates a masterpiece. The exquisite
love music of the first act was sung
with a fervor OF passion and beauty
of tone that alone would have made
| the hearing worth while. Again. IN
| the scene with the consul. where But
terny brings forth her boy. Miss Far
rar's singing aud acting of the difhcult
scene was a remarkable achievement.
| Her expression OF mother love and
pride and passionate devotion 10 the
child and its absent father was touch
| ingly realistic The joyous spirit with
which she prepares her house for
| Pinkerton reception when she learns
mis- ship Is again In the haroor was
no less beautifully expressed than the
| complete desolation and despair OF
! her soul as she watches all night at
the window for his coming. Miss Far
rar has not only studied the vocal
score. but she has evidently made her
self familiar with the Japanese nature
and customs. and for the time being
she lives the character OF poor little
| Butterfly Her Interpretation is such
as can result only from individual
! gifts and intelligent study. and is never
the result OF a mechanical lesson we'll
learned under a good stage director.
In Miss Farrar's entire performance
Saturday evening she seemed TO be en-
| tirely unconscious OF anything be-
yond the footlights until the curtain
! fell on the act and she came out OF the
| character long enough TO acknowledge
| the storm of applause. She was given
| more roses than she could carry ana
| seemed greatly pleased at the cordlal
reception and appreciation given her
So much of herself did she throw In
TO the part that, at the end or the
opera, when she came forward TO bow
her thanks. she seemed thoroughly
exhausted. physically. After hearing
and seeing this little American girl
of "a summers In such performance
as that Of Saturday evening, one no
longer doubts the extravagant stories
OF her European successes or tnat
crown princes have lost their heads
and nearly their crowns over her
Walter Hyde. an English tenor. who
! IS a very recent acquisition TO the
/ Metropolitan company. sang the role
Of b. f. Pinkerton. Mr.. Hyde 5 voice
and acting powers have their nmlta'
tons and he lacks temperament lie
could not but suffer In comparison
with artists OF the caliber OF Miss Far
rar and Mr.. Scotti who sang the
American consul. Sharpless. The lat
/ ter is too seasoned a singer and actor
to give other than a satisfying per
! Torrance Of whatever role he as
shmes. Rita Fornia was an acceptable
Suzuki and the other parts were In
capable hands.
| The one Earring note in the perform
ance was the use OF a dummy child,
except In the first scene where But
terfv brings ir the child 10 the con
sui. The substitution Of the dummy
1 for the later scenes might have been
! a necessary stage eXigency. but the
risk Of running performance Is too
great TO resort 10 such a thing unless
I absolutely necessary With lesser
artist than Miss Farrar the use OF
/ the dummy" would have proven
ridiculous incident AS ii was. II less
ened the dramatic effect and struck
the auditor as being highly inartistic.
| In the afternoon "Haensel und
! Gretel" heard for the first time In
Detroit. proved to be thoroughly
charming music. ripping and melo-
dious. The story OF the naughty chill
dren sent into the woods to pick Der
ries and captured by the witch who
| lived I'm the gingerbread hut, is told In
one OF the most delightful musical
scores the Germans know.
The cast was excellent. with Nine
hatfield as Haensel Rosina Van
Dvck as Gretcl: Florence Wickham as
the mother: Anna Meitschik as the
Witch and Otto -GeFitz as Peter the
father.
on the other hand the performance
and the cast of II Pagliacci, which
followed the German operetta. was
disappointment and the opera has had
many far better presentations in this
CITY. The one good point was John
ForseU as Tonic. and he sang and
acted the part we'll Miss Vera Court
nev was an indifferent Media. with
neither voice nor acting ability and
Herman JadloWker as Canio was only
/ fair. his best work being done In the
famous aria.
The visit Of the Metropolitan com
panv. after 10 years absence. has dis
closed the fact that Detroiters are
evidently unimpressed with the great
ness OF the name Metropolitan COM
pauy' unless backed by an array OF