Los Angeles herald., 1910-11-08
SINGERS Do WELL IN THE
LOVE TALES OF HOFFMAN
Crowd Greets Bevani Company at
Opening of the Second
Week of Opera
BY FLORENCE BosARD LAWRENCE

The second week of grand opera
opened last night in the Auditorium
with an audience which crowded the
house. In presenting the Love Tales
of Hoffman," Offenbach's posthumous
opera, the Bevani singers came into
competition with grand opera in
! English" for this same work has been
sung a number of times by stock
musical company Last nights per-
formance served to show us how well
it had been sung before, although no
such adequate cast has ever Deen
offered. Vicarino met the varied de-
mands of the leading soprano role with
magnificent success, both Vocally ana
dramatically, although she was better
in the second and fourth acts than in
the third. This singer is still young,
and while her voice is of great lowell
ness, she misses some of the seductive
possibilities of which the opera offers
so many.
Achille Alberti played the three roles,
Coppelius, Dappertatutto and Miradolo.
He continues to grow in favor with
his audience until his success bids falr
to outshine all others of the company.
Fdmee de Dreux sang Niclausse with
excellent presence and a voice which
is pleasant and of good quality, al
though occasionally less vibrant and
mellow than the part seems to re-
quire.
Umberto Sacchetti as Hoffman gave
the many beautiful solos, and his
duets with Vicarino with the splendi
voice for which he is already noted,
and with dramatic effect that was con-
Yincing.
Other members of the cast We're
Marie Scherzer, Joseph Florian, M.
Cernusco, G. Michieli, Arthur Mesmer,
H. Perron, G. Mordecai and William
Lyons.
Scenically the arrangements were
good, although a more careful adj
justment of lights would offer an i'm
provement especially in the third and
fifth acts. The members of the chorus
formed picturesque groups, and in the
Venetian scene the costuming was st-
fective, although it was this one scene
in particular in which the combination
of languor and passion was not suf-
ficiently in evidence either by soloists
or chorus or orchestra. Director
Francini received applause that was
well deserved for the beautiful inter-
mezzo playing of the "Barcarolle."
s.
Musicians who failed to hear Pepito
Arriola, the young Spanish pianist,
missed an interesting and novel re-
cital.
In the first place, this boy looks the
part Ol d u6dllllyy SlulNJ AASSAC OANNR'
whose highest ambition might be per-
haps to play a good game of football.
He comes on to the stage in his boy
ish suit of white. harmonizing with
his bobbed hair and dancing black
eyes, and greets his audience quite
confidently. When he touches the
keys, however, all thoughts of this
youth vanish from the listener. One
does not say "how wonderfully that
child plays" but rather, "Such tech
nic," "Such strength, such grasp.
These are the things which impress
the listener His Beethoven was
broad and comprehensive. The rhythm
was strong and the movements of the
Waldstein sonata we'll differentiated
In the Schumann, List and Rach-
manikoff selections which closed the
program a scintillating brilliance was
maintained which carried the audience
to enthusiasm.
In his Chopin numbers his masters
had used great discretion, for the Sc
lections included a nocturne, prelude
and the difficult polonaise AS dur.
The young prodigy took this work at
tempo almost unparalleled. Trills,
staccato and repetitions were accom-
plished which seemed of paramount
difficulty, yet this same tremendous
speed pitch was maintained without
a break throughout the work. The
boy will play again Friday night, and
his playing is entitled to serious con-
sideration.