The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-09-13
BY ESTHER GRIFFIN WHITE.

This city has had an opportunity to
read and, now and then see, the fam
Gus literary artists native to the state,
but last night was the first time it
had had the privilege of listening to
an Indianian who has become cele-
brated on two continents for his won
derful voice.
Be 1t said, however, that after seeing
and hearing Orville Harold that it is
not the quality of his voice alone that
distinguishes him but his musical and
histrionic art.
For that Harold possesses the lat
ter in an eminent degree was evident
in his three songs from "Pagliacci,"
given in costume, and that he triumph
ed over the handicap of the stage sett-
ing which was so out of keeping as to
be preposterous. only goes to prove
that Art is supreme when translated
through SO superlative a medium as
is this great tenor.
Harold, in the first part of his pro-
gram made up from various well
known operas of the French and Ital-
ian school with single number from
Dvorak, was put through his musical
and operate PAGES, If 1t could so be
put, and showed his technical acumen
as well as the capabilities of his ex-
traordinary vocal organ, which reach
ed f, in one fine climax, and yet did
not exhaust it's register which is one
note higher.
In Harrold's presentations were
heard all those projections of techni-
que which distinguish the trained
operate singer of celebrity and which
mark the difference between the one
of a high plane of Accomplishment
and the other of musical genius.
| For in this singers exquisite nuanc-
es of tone, his coloring of the phrase,
| his beautiful use Of the half voice.
and his splendid climaxes were
heard that musical sophistication
which is found only in the direction OF
rich natural gifts.
| Harold, after a certain fashion, is
an instance of that dictum by great
/ philosopher, that perfection in the
arts is only reached by following the
rules without knowing them"
was also shown in his Interpretation
OF varied scale of emotion, both in
degree and kind, and of both the tragic
and comic spirit.
! Also of the lighter emotional phases
as in his encore from Naughty Mari
etta," in which he starred with Ire
TIM during the first year of that sue
cessful light opera-"I'm falling in
love with someone" which was an
illustration of the vast gulf which
! yawns between the Interpretation OF
the great artist and he-or she-o1
mere talent.
Nor in that comprehension OF the
beauty and melancholy of life possess
ed by the lieder singer did Harold
lack, nor in the more purely melodit
art of the ballad singer, nor the poetry
of song, nor the significance of meta
phorical allusion.
"The Snowy Breasted Pearl" in in
stance, was sung with wonderful ap
peal and appreciation of it's symbol
ism, and the response to a recall tn
familiar 81 hear You Calling Me-" wa
given with haunting tenderness.
In the recall elected by his Dvoral
number, the singer gave Chaunce.
Olcott's Each Day Til DE-" sun,
and composed by the latter popular &C
tor-singer, with an effect only possible
to a musical artist with inexhaustibl
tone and temperamental possibilities
In Allitsen's '"The Song of Thanks
giving" on the other hand, he wa
heard at the opposite pole of emotion
al manifestation but was none the les
successful in convincing sincerity, bot
unsteady and Intellectually.
Harrold's dramatic gifts were show
in accentuation in his three number
from "Pagliacci," an opera in who's
presentation he has enacted leading
role, which he gave in costume an
which was the climax of the program
Harold, in these translations Of Gel
tain incidents in the life of an Italia
strolling player, or mountebank, dis
; played those dramatic gifts whic
have lent themselves to his ovel
whelming operate success. 1t is NO
usual, it is trite to say, for histrioni
. |