The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-04-16
SINGS TANNHAUsER.
WITH FINE EFFECT.
Metropolitan Grand Opera Company
Scores Success in Opening Perform
ance-"Mme. Butterfly Tonight.

With no big names of internationally
famed pri,na doi,nas and puffy tenors
10 coniure with. the Metropolitan
Grand Opera company came to the
Detroit opera house. Friday, with
lust singers" and presented Richard
Wagners majestic "1annhauser." IL
! is 10 years since the Metropolitan
company has favored Detroit with a
visit and at that time II had CalYe,
Nordica, a Sembrich. a De Reszke,
to dangle before the public and the
public fought with Itself in its anxiety
| 10 reach the box Office. Times have
changed" as the eldest inhabitant re-
marked. Thursday evenings grand
opera performance saw the balcony
ard the top gallery with every inch of
room occupied and the parquet almost
deserted Society was not enthusiast
nc. But the real music lover was
there in the upper part OF the house
and listened and applauded. with dis
elimination and enthusiasm. They
need 10 big name a., bait-the mu
sic Itself. with the splendid orchestra
and the capable singers, is sufficient 10
make yo,I real music lover and Wag-
ncr devotee hasten to take advantage
OF the ALI too infteQuent opportunities
brought 10 his uoor of hearing the
great operas adequately presented.
As usually Is the case in audiences
OF the kind. there we're few provin-
ciai folk, not to use harsher term.
who persisted in talking at record
speed with the orchestra throughout
the magnificent overture, thereby IN
curing the wrath of others who
wished 10 drink in every note OF the
music. The orchestra numbered about
GO men, several lows OF chairs having
10 be removed 10 accommodate them.
Alfred Hertz. the veteran German cor
ductor welded the baton with HIS
Gsua. vim.
The cast demonstrated that the
American homegrown common gar
den variety" OF singer has come in-o
his and her own in the grand opera
realm. or the entire roster of princi-
pals but .hree or four were foreigners.
certainly tremendous reversal of The
former order OF things in the Metro
polltan
There was Jane Osborne-Hannah
Chicago girl. singing Elisabeth; Jane
Noria. of st. LOUIS. as the beauteous
Venus: Herber: Witherspoon. Ciar-
ence Whliehill anu SO on, all good
Americans, graduated from the church
Groin and the town choral society.
And righi good singers they are.
Nine Osborne.lIannah's voice, while
not as heavy ami dramatic as is pos
sessed by many o. her predecessors IL
the role Vt Elisabeth in the Metropol'.
tan. is clear and sweet and she sang
true to pitch, a detail frequently airi'y
,disIegarded by the Wagnerian So
praho. Her high tones are PARTICULARS
good. she phrases correctly and her
notation is distinct and smooth.
She has excellent acting ability AMI
raade Elisabeth more OF human be-
! ing than do most singers essaying the
character She sang the Prayer beau
tifully, and altogether was graft
| flying success. Az armful OF magnia-
cent American Beauty roses was
tribute from friends.
Mime. Noria had personal charms as
well as voice to endow her interpreta-
! ton of Venus. She made handsome
siren and sang with decided beauty o.
voice, her tones being warm and color
! iul as BELTS the part OF the seductive
goddess.
Seldom has the local stage disclosed
a finer baritone than that o; Clarenc"
| Whitehill. as Wolfram. II was real
, ;ov to listen TO MS musical tones dnd
| his singing OF the famous 20 Thou.
Sublime Evening star" was exquisite.
He has bigness Of stature and grace
OF stage presence to supplement his
fine voice.
The excellent impression made By
| Karl Jorn, on recent appearance
here in a song recital, was added to in
mis- splendid work as singer and actor
| IN the role OF Tannnauser He has had
admirable training III Wagnerian roles
and his voice met all the requirements
Of the difficult score. He had dignity,
earnestneSs and sincerity OF bearing
and sang the music with an intelligent
care and real beauty OF tone.
Herbert Witherspoon, an old-time
concert favorite in Detroit, sang the
I.andgraf with his accustomed COOL
voice. Albert Re,ss and Adolf Muh.-
mann sang Walther and Biterolf re-
snectively, with ;he excellent voices
and in the capable manner they have
been doing for years. The part OF
the Shepherd was unusually well given
| y Chris inc Helaine.
The corps de ballet disported them
selves in a very decorous manner IN
the VenusDerg BacChanale.
The opera was carefully staged. as
might be expected. the last act in the
valley of the Wartburg proving aspect
ally effective The lighting effects in
this scene were very we'll managed
The large chorus did noble duty in the
scene in the hall OF the castle and IN
the Pilgrims chorus. The audience
called the artists forth several times
at the end of each act, and Conductor
Hertz anu his men we're given their
full share OF praise and applause Tor
their admirable work
Saturday afternoon, a double bill IL
pre- sented In hiumperdinck's fairy
opei eta "Haensel und Gretel'-not
before heard in this city-and Leon
cavallo's dramatic II Pagliacci." Miss
Geraldine Farrur. who. with her
mother and Antonio Scott, occupied
the lower right anG box at Friday
evenings performance, will sing the
name part in Puocinis Nine Butter
fly" Saturday evening. a role that She
has made famous in Europe and
America.
ELLA MAE HAWTHORNE.
-.