The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-01-28
Metropolit OperaCom
p any and Orchestra
for May Festival.
FIVE LEADING
SINGERS BOOKED
Alma Gluck, Florence Wickham,
Signor Amato, Ricardo Mar
tin and Herbert Witherspoon
Engaged-Josef Pasternack
to Conduct Orchestra.
Contracts Signed.

Contracts were closed last night
which VIII bring to Richmond q t the
annual music festival Of the Wednesday
Club five of the leading singers or the
metropolitan Opera Company, or New
York. and the famous orchestra OF the
Metropolitan Opera House. The sing
ers Will be Mines. Alma Gluck. Flor
ence Wickham. Signor Amato, Ricca rd o
Martin and Herbert WithcrEpcon. The
orchestra Will be under the leadership
OF one Of the most prominent of the
metropolitan conductors, josef FASTER
mack.
The May Festival Will be held on
May l and 2. and Will give an oppor-
tunity for Richmond people to hear
grand opera-works of the world 3
greatest composers-sung by stars Of
worldwide reputation. The festival
VIII be under the management OF the
same body Of men to whom mas been
due the credit for having brought al
most all OF the great singers WHO have
sung in Richmond in recent ycars-the
board of governors OF the Wednesday
Club.
For I;dmcntion in nIusic
me purpose OF the organization is
purely for the musical uplift and pleas
Ing OF the Richmond public. there be-
Ing no element of profit. Already about
100 contributing members nave been
y
Der is daily Increasing. The training
OF the choir under Director Arthur
Scrivenor. assisted by l.. L. Weitzel
and Bassett w. Housh, is progressing
satisfactorily, Mr. Scrivenor rep orting
that the list Of members Of the choir
VIII close in a short time, after which
there Will be three months Of hard
practice for the festival.
The brilliant success of the last two
Cif 20 -, y
ernors that Richmond people We're In a
condition OF mind and feeling as to
music that would justify them in I'M
taking festival OF character so
high that all the previous concerts OF
the club, exquisite as many Of them
have been, would seem almost inslg-
nlIcant in comparison, and they did not
Company itself.
Takes Only the Best
president j. G. Corley and members
or the board. after many conferences,
delegated to the music committee, con-
sisting of Directors Scrivenor, a. B..
Guigon and Meade T. Spicer the au-
thority 10 enter into negotiations for
outside talent After corresponding
with number Of orga nizations and
artists. the committee recommended
the orchestra and artists of the Metro
politan Opera Company.
LIZ Scrivenor, as chairman of the
committee, went TO New York and got
IN touch with +. c. Coppicus, secre-
tary of the great musical organization.
and the personal representative OF Mr..
GATH Casazza, the famous director or
the metropolitan Opera. BY courtesy
Of Mr. Coppicus, Mr.. Scrivenor was az
forded an exceptional opportunity TO
hear several of the artists who viii
appear in Richmond; and from intor-
nation gathered during his visit to
New York, he feels equally assured OF
the high standing and popularity or
those he was unable TO hear
WHO the Singers Are.
Nine. Giuck is one OF the most brill
liant If not the most brI.nant, of all
OF the younger sopranos on the opera tic
stage. She has often been cast as Mar
guerite In the Metropolitan,s produc-
lions of Faust" and She will be heard
in that role at the coming festival
Miss Florence Wickham is singing
this season the leading contralto roles.
alternating with Nine. Louise Homer.
whose voice OF velvet and ivory is we'll
remembered in Richmond. So goou is
Miss Wickham that only last Monday
night she sang the leading contralto
part in "Lohengrin."
Rlccardo Martin is generally con
5fdered to have the purest tenor voice.
together with the most perfect method.
of all the Metropolitan's artists. He Is
the principal tenor in all the French
operas. having become particularly
famous as Faust" which role lie win
sing in Richmond.
Pasquale Amato, S mature in his
wonderful art as he is young in years.
Is 50 great that no comment is neces-
sary. he is admittedly the successor OF
Antonio Scotti as the greatest baritone
of the day.
Herbert Wdtherspoon is probably the
first OF the living English speaking
BASES. Only recently his great, round,
beautiful voice has won the highest
praise from critics OF music in his per-
Torrance of the terrific role of "Gurne-
MANI in "Parsifal."
Approved by Board.
The music committee made It's report
TO q meeting of the board Of governors
Of the club last night. Delighted be-
yond measure at the success OF the
committees efforts, the board unani-
mously approved and ratified its action.
and instructed President Corlcy to SIGN
the contracts. Contracts for the Civ
Auditorium for the concerts were :..o
approved.
After the meeting of the contracts
for the artists and orchestra. we've
executed and the committee wired the
acceptanc by the club OF the Metro
politan's offer to New York, SO tina
the public of Richmond may be assur-
ed that 1T Will have the opportunity to
hear this spring the greatest festival
Of music that has ever been offered In
this section.
The opportunity will not lie confined
to Richmond people. Arrang ements
arc already being perfected whereby
music lovers and singers OF other
cities IN Virginia may be enabled to
attend or to take part In this feast OF
Continued on Third PaCal ------