The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-13

Mrs. Mary Pace Groner. who is re-
sponsible for the coming of Tetraz-
zini to Richmond, reports that the
advance sale of seats at the Corley
Company has surprised her. agreeably
surprised her. for that matter.
II is no small matter to bring to
Richmond a celebrated singer whose
fee alone is $1,000. The incidental
expense is considerable, and to make
the venture pay is well nigh impos-
sible. But Mrs. Groner says that her
endeavor to give Richmond the OPP
portunity OF hearing the greatest So
prano in the world for modest sum
has met with response that has
surpassed her expectations.
1t took some persuasion for Tetraz-
nni to appear in Richmond. 1t Is
the only city in the South Atlantic
States 10 be so favored. Tetrazzini
concert tour Is limited to all the big
cities Outside OF New York and San
Francisco she Is best known in Bos-
ton. where she is q big favorite.
Philip Hale has showered her with
praise and the eminent critic of the
Boston Transcript. which speaks for
musical Boston. says:
For the first time. last evening,
Nine. Tetrazzini sang in Boston with
out the aids and the giamours of op-
era. A like audience awaited her to
those that used TO sit eagerly before
her at the Boston Theatre. II was
socially significant and 1t was not ;
musicians and amateurs and many
who are neither were of it; those who
seek a voice for the voices sake,
who stir to the ornaments and the
ostentation rather than to the init
macies and the fine intensities of SONG
ahounded In the hail; the company
was neither urban nor suburban; II
was the miscellaneous throng that q
| great voice." a likable personality
and a great reputation can attract
Nine. Tetrazzini used to be childlike
and bland in the opera house: she
would step gayly out OF her person
age; she would cheerfully take the
audience into her confidence. She
had not even the small reason of a
part last evening at symphony Hall
to be any other than herself. She
beamed robustly and necessarily out
Of her white lace frock-Mme. Tet-
razzini has not lost flesh or JUNCTION
she toddled in little steps on and
off the stage: she drew kisses unnum
bered from her lips and she scatter
ed them with outspread arms among
her audience.
1t is human and honest to love
applause: and Nine. Tetrazzini Is sim
Pile and sincere mip ded enough to lei
all and sundry know that she loves
It. And as the audience was gen.
erous wit hher. so was sne generous
with her audience. TIE i've mum
bers'' announced she added four ex-
ira pieces. In all she sang ten times
and In the course OF them she ranged
through Ophelia's music of madness
in Thomas Hamlet" the great air
from Donizettrs forgotten Linda d.
Chamounix": the like piece t"Bel
Raggio'D from Rossinfs "Semira-
mide"; yet another from Verdi's I'm
Ballo in Maschera the pages arr
Vol che sapete" from Mozart's Fig
arc: Grieg's setting of Solveig's sons
In Peer Gynt"; Aida's "Ritorne al
vincitor": the air. with the flute from
David's Pearl of Brazil" and In In
telligibie English. The Last Rose o.
Summer The list brought memo.
ries OF Patti. of Meiba. Of Calve. Of
Miss Farrar. OF many other eminent
singers in opera ami in. concert. No
tytfs <of ''tffe4st44t. To- safe to- ,sase---hai
surpassed IT in length and variety.
Three--perhaps four--of thes'
pieces seemed an unusual choice--a'
unusual for such a concert a. tn
Schubert with which MIR. Hastings
the baritone. diversified it. Their
was reason to expect the coloratur'
airs of RosSini, Donixetti, David an,
the early Verdi from Nine. Tetraszini
but Solveig's Song Is far indeed from
then,v4y-a. Norwegian ..folk+piece en-
rsehed by. 1rieE into the sabdues
voice OF lonely and rememberinl
emotion, Grieg's harmonies are no
those to which an Italian singer i
accustomed. the mood that speaks II
them and in the melody Is no
operate. The more wonder. then. tina
Nine. Tetraxzini sings the piece will
a rich loneliness of tone. with
sensitiveness to the expressive modu
lationA with a warmth OF suffuse'
voice In the mounting Of the melody
with a musical and an emotiona
comprehension that were altogethe
surprising beside her past. And JUS
before, In Cherubino's air, she hat
shown a sense Of the rounded beaut,
Of Mozarts phrases, of the simpi
flow OF the melody in linked ant
wistful sweetness through them. tina
| was more surprising still. She has
then a sense OF style--and of styl'
that transcends the exactlons OF col
oratura music. In the opera house
when Nine. Tetraxzini used to stint
"Dite al Giovine" in the second &C
I OF "Traviata," those that listenet
with discerning ears knew that sh'
| had a sense OF the emotion tina
Verdrs melody can bear more full!
and touchingly than defamation witt
| all its eloauence and arloso with al
its concentration can achieve Sh'
gave new and large proof Of TIL
understa ndinE. of this ability to Inn
part, when she sang yestctda
"Ritorne al vlncitor." from the late
Aida She did not on the on
hand make II a show piece for he
voice and technical skin: she did mol
on the other. try to emphasize II b.
the means Of the opera house brough
factitiously into the concert room. ah'
did by the coloring sDf her toHei
by just emphasis Of phrase. BY ~
nificant variation Of the nteio4ic lin
iu4oa ~ thu cNnflictinR am01ldnn q