Los Angeles herald., 1910-03-15
SINGER SCORES
GREAT TRIUMPH
TILLY KOENEN TRANSFlXES
LARGE AUDIENCE
EASTERN soNGBIRD is MARVEL
OF ALL CRITICS
Versatility of Expression and Wonder
full Tones a Treat to Los Angeles
Music Lovers--GiVen
Splendid Ovation
BY Florence Bosard Lawrence

A singer with beautiful voice is a
rarity in Los Angeles. Singers with
perfect artistry, magnificent interpre-
tations of their songs, and tremendous
and convincing regulations have been
heard here frequently, but voice so
round, fresh and beautiful as that OF
Miss Tilly Koenen has not been heard
recently in Los Angeles.
The promise which this singer made
at her first appearance in the sym
phony concert last Friday was amply
fulfilled last night in her recital at
Simpson auditorium. She sang a pro-
gram that was as delicious and un-
hackneyed as is her voice. That tact
in itself is not enough to make re-
cital program interesting, however
but the candor and simplicity with
which the singer delivers her numbers
and the rare musical and poetic charm
which invested the songs made her ap-
pearance noteworthy.
Eastern critics have devoted them
selves most exclusively to praise Of
Miss Koenen's marvellous powers of
expression, and have in many cases
paid rather less attention to her voice.
In consideration of her achievement
last night this seems unfair In eX-
preston she does rank at the top, ana
that quality of her voice was discussed
amply in these columns Saturday
morning. She displayed last night 9TH
er vocal qualities which go far toward
establishing her as one of the foremost
singers. She has range which is re-
markable, and in which every note is
perfectly balanced as to power and ad-
iusted as to scale. She has marvellous
technic and a fluency which is most
unusual in contralto voices. Her rem
diton of the Handel aria, "Furibonda
Spira ii Vento" was brilliant and ORA
matte, and given with perfection of de-
tail, while in the child songs and baby
songs her voice was light and clear
and possessed in abundance that quail
ity of "youthfulness" that is so la
mentally rare in cultured voices. In
that very fact, however, lies one or
Miss Koenens greatest charms. Her
voice is not overturned. With most
fortunate prescience she has stopped at
a point where the vocal organ IS just
as it should be, and not after II mas
signs of strain and twangy spots where
even the simplest songs SOUND harsl
and badly mOdulated.
For all these things one may ENJOY
hearing this young woman sing, ana
then after that one may well apprecl-
ate her fine intelligence and the keen
emotional spirit which enables her 10
portray to her listeners the very PIC
ture of her song, be 1t the deW-laden
Hans Schmidt sings in the Sapphic
ode or "the fairly wonderful legend en-
chanted water lily" in Richard Strauss
song. The "Wiegenleid" Orchard
Strauss) was beautifully sung, and the
two songs by Hugo Wolf, Die Zeune-
rim and "Er Istis" We're forcetul and
emphatic, dominating the very spirit
of the listeners. The two later songs
aroused hearty enthusiasm, and the
a1fn dl more
Strauss number to her program.
The program was sung as 1t had
already been announced. Particular
interest attached to the three Dutch
songs by Catherine van Rennes, and
the two of these, 1.-The Song of the
Dolls" and the "Ring Round Rosy"
song had to be repeated, so delighted
did the listeners grow with them.
These songs formed part of the third
group on the program ana We're pre-
ceded by one of Landon Ronald
charming things, "Sunbeams," which
also met with such appreciation that
Miss Koenen obligingly repeated 1t.
OF the italian group, the Handel num-
her already mentioned and La lin
earella." by Paisello, were specially
we'll sung, as were the two Schubert
and two Brahms selections of the hrst
group.
Bernard Tabbernal presided at the
MAGNIFICENT Baldwin piano ana
achieved remarkable effects in the dlt-
ficult and complicated accompaniments
which many of the songs demanded.
Tonally, the plano blends effectively
with the singers voice and affords
harmonious and eolorful background
While Miss Koenen was greeted by
an appreciative and generous slzed
audience it was not the audience she
deserved, either according to her actual
a bilities or to her eastern reputation.
Another appearance here would un-
doubtedIy be marked by great IN
crease in the attendance.