Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-03-15
la BOHEME' Is
v ELL WORTH
REPEATING
Virginia Pierce, Charlebois and
the Four BohemianS Give
Fine Performance

La Boheme," bestowed perhaps OF
all the Puccini operas, deserves repe-
tation by the Lambardi song.birds.
This much was made plain last night
by the eagerness OF Honolulu music.
lovers to attend the performances and
by their appreciation Of the finely dis
eliminating work by the impressario's
capable cast
One of the largest audiences Of the
season filled the house and was re-
warded by one of the best performances
the Lambardi company has given. All
the striking contrasts Of light hearts
and saddened hearts, the gay insouci.
ance, the brilliance, the poverty and
the little artistic triumphs and de-
feats Of Partisan Bohemia are told In
PucinnRs best style and with q feel
ing that this master OF style has some
times forgotten In his delight In pro-
ducing orchestral effects.
La Boheme" 10 essentially an opera
of contrasts, Of lights and shades Bo-
hernia is either on the heights or In
the depths, and Puccini's wizardry 10
never better shown than In his quick
yet entirely appropriate shifts from
the grave to the gay and vice versa
Virginia Pierce. the young American
girl secured from the Boston Opera
company, made her first appearance
last night and scored real personal
triumph Singing the role Of Mimi.
she carried out the Puccini idea with
a taste that amounts to musical and
artistic distinction. Her voice Ii .
very clear and sweet soprano. charm
ingly fresh and pure, and a. she ID
still in her early twenties there u IN.
ioubtedly a future In the world OF
opera for this daughter Of the Golden
West. At present her voice has not
yet quite found itself, and her pro-
nounced vibrato at times showed an
dications of wavering from the tone
But she has youth, personal charm
and conception OF operate interpreta-
ton, and with further Development
ought to 90 far in her chosen field.
Sophie Charlebois, az Musetta, viva
cious, dainty and dashingiy capricious
In her likes and loves. furnishes one
of the operas contrasts. Mimi - III,
downcast and wistful; Musetta orim-
ming with life and hampered Dy no
bonds OF particular propriety Nine:
Charlebois carries on the honors OF
the second act, darting through the
action OF the opera like gay-plum-
aged bird through the forest, and her
singing OF the familiar "As Through
the Streets" Is one Of the hits OF the
performance.
.Ia Bohemes'' ups and downs gives
ample scope for some excellent fooF
cry by the four happy-go-luck Bone
mians, Rudolph the poet, sung Oy
ARostini, Schaunard the musician, ~
z. Pfneschi. Marcel the painter by
Nicoletti and Colline the philosopher
by MARITIME. The first and fourth acts
furnish some of the most delightfuiiy
whimsical scenes In opera, the Iour
Bohemians at play and laughing' a.
belt somewhat ruefnlly, over their Own
misfortunes. Agostinfs performance
throughout is one of rare insight ann
strength, his solo In the 1rst acs
being O real achievement.
MARITIME, droll az clown, Wittliy
grotesuue in every move, postures anq
strikes attitudes with remarkable Iae-
ility and effect Nicoletti and Pines
chi are quite as apt In the fun-makins
The other roles were well done.
Conductor Bowl received warm ap-
plause as he made his hrlt appear
ance last night and It ID good 70 see
the recognition Of bis fine work