The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-04-29

Miss Mary Garden Is first. ~
and always singing actress. and -
the concertgoers otDetroit. who gntn
cred in large numbers Thursday even
ing. In the Light Guard armory. u
greet this famous operate star on Der
hrst appearance in this city. TO- O.
more OF less extent were disapDo}u@
ed. Misc Garden is not concoI
singer or song ~recitalist." IN tA1
same sense as Mines Schumanu>
Heink, Gadski. Nordica and oth6r
famous divas. Nevertheless. sho a ~
great artist and a great actress, onfI
woman with personal attributes that
will live in history, long after the
bird-like notes OF her rivals In the
operate song field have died away
In forgetfulncss.
Like Miss Geraldine Farrar-whom
the big world music critics say II Mieo -
Gardens only rival as a singing ac<
ress-Miss Garden dares to be oriGiT
nal, dares 10 do just as she likes
with time-honored roles, dares -
sing as she pleases and dares to face
a concert audience with program
that no other prima donna would
dream OF presenting.
Again, like Miss Farrar, who mnd4k
her first concert appearance In De
troit, In October, 1909, on the sa16b
platform, Miss Garden CARRIED herself
TO set conventional evening stage
dress at defiance and made a picture
that will not soon be forgotten. Con-
certgoers are still talking about Mid
Farrar's wonderful costume and headx6e
dress--they will probably speak of =.
Miss Gardens In the same sentence
henceforth. Miss Farrar is n little
dark-haired and dark-eyed girl stfll iDf>
her twenties-Miss Garden IL big auks4
blonde and blue-eyed. and As probab1x :
nearer-well, no matter. Thursday
evening her famous, uncorseted ngur4 ~
was gowned In a marvellous dress O1<1
white satin, yelled in shimmerinou
crystal net from which cleaned the
brilliancy of many diamonds. A huge =
pear-shaped emerald set In diamond9
clasped the corsage. and long uiae
mond-studded chain. set at intervelDo1
with emeralds, hung about the neoc<x
Her equally famous red-gold hair Wa2ut
worn very fiat against the head and =
strands of diamonds pressed closeix>
its waves into place. AS she stood on
the armory platform, with Its fearful ~
red background-for the once reliey- II
ed with a row Of palms--it was easy y
to imagine this unusuallooking wom3lr
an in the settings of That's, -
lone" and the other great roles ah6,x
has made famous. frA ~
Miss Garden elected to sing aria ~
from three OF her big parts" Louise. -
That's" and "Heroaide." all French y
of the school which she has made heEl6
own, and made known to Americas
She sang them Dramatically and WITH
a wealth of tone and color. Ever16fr
grand opera critic In New York haAe|
told Miss Garden time and again thq(:o
her tones are harsh and that she hae3c
vocal imperfecuons by the score, all
I-ofe.which probably holds goods Hu11I
falso, they have = capitulatedy 20 har q
great art, her tremendous scapacieUi<
for making lrer hearers feel the ~
port of every note she sings land here
genius for vitalizing everything iw4lzp(
which she comes In contacts e Mfb6
Garden teens with energy and the11
| pure JOY OF, living, and so. all she.<
does has that vital quality that ar-N
rests, then fascinates and finally de-
fies criticism a
Miss Garden was generously ap- Z
plauded and was gracious with hers
songs, in way that only Mary Gar
den could sing them. Her clusino,q
number, = the Back Gounod Ave
Maria. with violin obligato. wusN s01
beautifully given that a repetftfou =
was demanded. This number seems :.
to be a favorite with concert prim4 |.
donnas this season, for Detroit has, Z
heard Mines. Schuman-Heink and &
Nine Jomelli sing II within COM
| parativeiy short time. II remained 4
| for Miss Garden to make you feel you
had never heard IL before.
| Howard Brockway, the American 4
composer.pianist, who played twoi
groups OF solos and the accompani- +
ments for Miss Garden and her assist
ing artist, Arturo Tibaldi, the violin
| list, proved himself worthy OF both APP
pelations. Mr.. Brockway is an excei-{
lent pianist and q delightful and
Worthwhile composer. His work wasf
thoroughly appreciated by the audit
ence.
Mr.. Tibaldi is also very good
musician, and while not possessing
brand OF very full tone, II Is sweet<n
and clear and he plays with feeling 4
and scholarly finish.
The concert from q musical stand 1
point was enjoyable; 1t was remark 1
able In that 1t made Miss Garden /
taown 10 Detroit and satisfied much 4
of the curiosity which this noted art
iat had aroused in the minds of those i
who have read and heard so much
about her, her genius and her ecccu-
tricities. but who had not enjoyed tho
privilege OF hearing her in New York.
Chicago or other cities IN the operas 4
she loves so we'll and knows so we'll
how TO sing
ELLA MAE HAWTHORNE.