The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-07

1 in consonance for tires will skid. and | where then be on ones hopes Of a fair, safe
 journey, unless haste is made slowly2 To spend hours where only one Is need ed in fair weather does not bring one to the hearts desire with dispatch. nor | does entry into the narrow, obbe-paved Marietta street at 1s o'clock on the opeh-
 ing night of opera bring one any nearer to the divine music of La Gioeonda,' nor
 the spell of the glorious Emmy Destina.
 But submission to eestacies over the only missing one became an easier price to pay for tardiness of arrival as "<oenigs-
 kinder" I'll Trovatore" and "Otello" followed in increasingly brilliant success sion.
 l When one recalls "Koenigsklnder' It is | first with particular relish for the won- derful musical mesh woven by the Metro poltan orchestra-for to many. the or chestration of this fairy story set 10 music
 was its greatest beauty, though it was generally conceded that the voice and beauty of Geraldine Farrar were sufficient in themselves, even had there been no or chestra; and the scenery was exquisite. The curtain rose upon an enchanting pic- ture The witches hut stood at the right, embowered in leafy branches, and on the opposite side, reclining on a bed of tulips
 was the Goose Girl-Geraldine Farrar-so enchantingly beautiful that only, when she arose and began scattering grain
 to the flock of hungry geese, which com pleted the picture, did one realize that | she was human, and so beautiful, too, that the contrasting hideousness of the
 witch was unnecessary to make the scene a triumph of pictorial art. The music. with it's haunting sweetness, was charm ing to the end, and the scenic beauty increased until, at the close, the witch's hut was smothered in snow and hungry white snowbirds flew above the heads of the goose girl and her lover sinking into poisoned sleep on the tulip bank now a mound of snow with a fall of snow covering their faces.
 The beauty of the music fingered through the strange little song sung by the goose girl as she danced her ex- quisite wierdly wonderful dance express sve of hunger and ended as the two dead young creatures were borne away to the tones of a sorrowful melody. But ''Koengsllinder' was least satisfactory of the operas
 Its music was indeed caviare to the people who were nurtured later the music of Verdis two beautiful operas.
 The matinee on the succeeding day was the general favorite, for when will the melodies and the sad old story of I'll Trovatore" cease to reach the heart? No one is more familiar and yet 1t will never grow old, and never cease to be rich in tonal beauties. A strong aggregation of singers made it eminently satisfying for not only were Homer and Riccardo Mar tin, but Dinh Gilly and Marie Rappold high in favor. What an artist Miss Homer is. One of the members of the Metropolitan organization generously re- marked: "She is one of its wonders, for iS et a iSfa ub cI1o is singing Brangaene or Amneris or Laura in 'Gioeonda' or .Orfeo,' and one might add, or in the role which she so beautifully interpreted in Atlanta-that of Azucena, the Gypsy She threw her self absolutely into the spirit of the tragedy, the very naturalness of her rem dering giving it charm that touched the heart, even as in the supreme r1o- ments when-spendid actress that she is | reaching her greatest emotional heights,
 she thrillea her audience. Martins voice
 was lovely in, the role of HTanrico and
 Miss Rappeld, especially in the prison scene. was charming: Dinh Gilly made | decidedly favorable impression as the | Count Di Luna, by his singing, his very
 attractive presence and his acting.
 'Il Trovatore." followed the same day l by "Otello.' was more than even the
 music-hungry could endure without a fa- l tigue of mind from very excess of mu- sical enjoyment. The grandeur of the
 overture suggested Wagner rather than
 Verdi. The music of the entire score, as
 descriptive of many passions, hatred,
 treachery, love and jealousy, gripped ones
 sensiblllties more closely than any of the 1 rest Frances Aida was an ideal Des-
 demona and her art was evidenced aliko
 in her acting and in her singing. She
 sang her solos with an appealing quality
 of voice and, in the lovely prayer which
 she sings as the Angelus is sounded and
 she awaits the death which she has been taught to expect, her voice was altogeth-
 CT exquisite The partiality felt for her
 was evidenced when. as the curtain de-