The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-25
FESTIVAL COMES ID 4 BRILLIANT CLOSE Enjoyable Concerts After
 noon and Night ORCHESTRA AT BEST Quartet From "Rigoletto" Sung at Matinee-Sextet From Lucia"
 and Herbert Compositions
 Features Last Night
ORCHESTRA AT BEST

Birmingham's music festival under the direction of Vict2r Herbert, came to a brilliant close Nst night. The audience was not quite so large as that at the opening concert, when tn ere was capacity house, but the final per- formance was very largely attended and the enthusiasm of the audience ran high.
 While all of the five programmes were varied and choice, yesterdays mat inee bill and last nights bill were more enjoyed, perhaps, than those of any other day The afternoon bill was entitled Wagner programme" but it contained in addition to favorite se- lections from the music dramas many modern gems In the lighter vein.
 Part I embraced Siegfred's Rhine Journey" "Evening Star" from Tann- hauser sung by MT. CroXton: prelude and love death from Tristan and Isol de-" prize song from Der Meister- singer" sung by Evan Williams, and Ride of the Valkyries.." Part II included i. Tschaik owsky' s "Nutcracker" suite, violin solo-saint-
 
 MT. Landau, the young concertmeister of Victor Herbert's orchestra; aria by Gomez, sung by MT. Fellows; a group of three small pieces for orchestra. a group of two songs-"Night' by Rich ard Strauss and Morning Hymn" by Hensheel, sung by Miss Smelling; Mas senet's ballet music from 'Le Cid," and the quartet from Rigoletto, sung by Mrs. Kimball, Miss Smelling MT. Williams, and MT. CroXton. The quartet made a great hit.
 All the orchestral music was finely played and all the singers were in good form. MT. Landau, the violinist, dis tinguished himself and met with most cordial reception. He has a. sweet, pure tone, and plays with feeling and bril- liance. The night programme was as follows:
 Overture, "Sakuntala" .... .Go1dmarS Prologue from "Pagliacci". .Liencavallo
 MT. Wheeler. Prelude to Third Act "Natoma"
 ....'..... Herbert
 Miss Smelling. Larghetto from Symph ony, "The
 New World" ............Dv Dvorak Paul's Address from 'Natoma".
 .,.................. Herbert
 MT. Williams. From "Natoma" ............... Herbert
 (a) Habanera.
 (b) Vaqueros.
 Co Panuelo.
 (d) Dagger Dance
 Spring Song" from "Natoma" Herbert
 Mrs. Kimball. Slavic March. Tschaik owsky y Sextets from Lucia, sung by Mrs Kimball, Miss Smelling, MT. Williams. MT. Fellows, Mr. Wheeler and MT. Croxton
 The orchestra was at it's best, and Mir Herbert was never more magnetic or masterful. The overture and the Lar ghetto" from Dvoraks New World" symphony were greatly enjoyed. Mr. Wheeler, in the "Pagliacci' prologue, was heard for the first time here, and he ac- quilted himself nobly. He has a splendid dramatic voice and sings with great style.
 Miss Smelling was in unusually fine voice, and her captivating manner easily caught the audience. But judging from the spontaneous applause Herbert's com PoSiioho Aoi iicu tHt Ilosl pOpuldT InuSlc of the festival. In addition to the Her bert numbers on the programme, the conductor played his own music for en- cores. The piece played by the violin and harp is an intermezzo from one of Herbert's light operas, and it was so beautiful that it had to be repeated
 Mrs. Kmball won a triumph in the "Natoma' spring song. Her voice was all music and her intonation was perfect. She had many recalls. Of all the conductors who have ap- peared in Birmingham Victor Herbert hes more magnetism, perhaps-more spirit and more fire-than any of them, and yet in dainty pieces and in pianissmo pas sages he is gentle and reposeful. He has been generally regarded in the mu- sical world as the best all round musi- elan who has lived in this country, for he has been most fertile in composition; he is pianist and virtuoso violoncellist, and as for conducting he has long been a master.
 MT. Herbert has had most successful southern tour and when he comes to Birmingham again next sping he will cer- tainly draw crowded houses.
 
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