The Washington herald., 1912-03-24
VICTOR HERBERT
LION AT BRLASCO
His Opera 'Eatoms" Closer Single
Days Engagement of Chi
cago Company.

'sNatoma," the third grand opera writ
ten In the United States. was presented
in magnificent style by the Chicago
Grand Opera Company at the Belasco
Theater last evening.
The most distinguished audience Of the
season was present. and the Lion Of the
hour was Victor Herbert. composer of
the opera. who made a special trip to
Washington In order TO conduct ma
toma" In the spirit IN which he COM
posed 10.
From any point Of view Il was there
fore the most important operate event
that the Capital has seen In years. As
O tribute to Herbert, Il was auspicious.
As tribute to that now rapidly develop
ing flower of our own nurture-American
grand opera, involving the romance and
glamour OF the conquest OF this conti-
nent-it was important Finally, as a
tribute TO Mary Garden. the most auda-
cious and brilliant singing actress that
the modern art world knows. II was i'm
portant.
The Music of ssNatoma."
"Natoma" possesses the richest or
chestral color and texture OF any opera
that Mr.. Herbert has given US, and Il
clearly demonstrates that the most bril-
AahL VI hkhl Optid Oti tilncT SLUG
Of the Atlantic Is a composer OF high
stature, even IL he Is not exactly a
Massenet or a Puccini. In melody II Is
neither luscious nor vivid. but this Is for
the obvious reason that Mr.. Herbert has
focused his entire effort In making all
other elements subordinate to his inter-
pretative interweaving of orchestral mo-
tifs. He has tried to impale the true
romance OF the Pacific In his orchestra
q -. l.
sale wrought by his sheer cleverness, n
not by his inspiration. No one singer Is
allowed to break out Of the picture with
an effect striking in itself but antago-
nistic TO the whole.
At only one point does Herbert unleash
his characteristic style. In the dagger
dance, forming the climax OF the second
act. he swings into a pure. clear stream
of vital melody. part Indian and part
Latin. fairly instinct with the joyous
spirit OF California Its Ndramatic val
ues were superb. Needless to say. Miss
Garden here broke into the action with
stirring. brilliant graphics, and once
more recalled that phrase which a IA
nous critic has applied to her-"a tiger
cat in the leash Of art" For twenty-five
minutes before the weird dance, Miss
Garden. singing the title role. had sat al
most outside the picture. her head
Do"Cds ihuSCleS Itnscu. neT DOsOHl
pulsating. Then the storm broke, with
the first broad strokes OF the dagger
dance" melody. and a wonderfully dra-
matte scene followed, with Miss Garden
and Armand Crsbbe participating, cul-
in the .'stabbing scene" which
brought the moving story Of ''Natoma"
to a climax.
Entire Cast Excellent.
The cast which presented the opera
last evening was the cream Of the Chi
cago company. Besides Miss Garden,
the cast included Mario Sammarco, the
well-known barytone. as Juan Baptista
Alvarado; Jane Osborn Hannah, as Bar
bara; George Hamlin, as Lieut.. Paul
Merrill, and Hector Dufranne as Father
Perelta
Miss Osborn-Hannah won a personal
triumph as Barbara, revealing a crys-
talline soprano that was pure and lim-
pid. even II not powerful Hamlin sung
the role Of Merrill excellently. and his
many Washington admirers. who know
him best In concert, had the opportu-
nity to hear him in opera. Dufranne had
one brief but mighty fash OF power in
the second act. The choral singing was
of splendid quality. and Herbert has pro-
vided many stirring ensembles well cal
culated to bring out its fullest power.
The President and Mrs. Taft were pres
ent, and the audience was as large as II
was brilliant Mr.. Herbert was called
before the curtain twice and received a
large bouquet Of roses from his friends.
Miss Gardens personal conquest demon
strsted her hold upon the music-loving
public of this city.
aida" Sung at Matinee.
Aida was sung at the matinee per-
tormance by an excellent cast. which in
cluded Miss Alice Eversmsn In the title
role. in the place OF Carmen Melis, whose
failure to reach the playhouse for the
has not yet been explained. |
Mss Eversman. singing in English. |
scored a personal hit. and gsllantly saved |
The day for the company. which other |
wise would have been compelled to dis |
miss the audience which had assembled |
20 hear the famous masterpiece OF Verdi |
Almost from the first note Miss Evers- |
man won the hearts OF the audience, not |
only by her excellent rendition of the I
music, but also by her acting. While |
she has not a powerful voice. It is of |
excellent quality, and is flexible and
melodious. She was the recipient Of |
hearty applause in all her solo work, |
and. except in the heavy scene in the sec
ond act her voice was sufficient for the |
great concerted numbers with which the |
opera abounds. She seemed also to have /
won the hearts Of her fellow-artists with
ler modesty under very trying circum-
stances.
Outside this unusual feature. the pres
,ntation was further marked by its gen.
raj excellence and by the unqualifedly /
rood work Of all the principals.
MRS. ICKIS INJURED