The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-21
AT The RECITAL

The Grand theater last night ac-
commodated a comfortably large au-
dience, as concert audiences go. to
hear Orville Harold, the American
tenor, whose work is offering serious
rivalry to that of the long established
and world renowned singers He has
been heralded from abroad as one of
the most powerful geniuseS of the
time, and this western man, now in his
early thirties, has carried the poetic
gospel of the new world into the heart
of the old. and comes back to America
crowned with laurels from exacting
European capitals. Apparently the
former Muncie. Indiana, delivery boy
has sung himself into a notable career.
But Orville Harold is not obliged to
rest his appeal to the public on pa
triotic grounds, for his voice is warm
and resonant and colorfully adapted to
the changing mood of the text A
few bars of exquisite, smooth mellow
tone and the story of great success
and a new musical sensation is told.
The program was pretentiouS
enough to prove the singers extraor-
binary talents, and yet simple enough
to appeal to the unlectured and TO
those whose culture is not learned by
a chart and those inclined by nature,
not forced by vanity to have pleasure
in q work of art. The first half of the
program was almost entirely, except
the encOres, chosen from the operas
II,
ish. Most of the numbers are familiar
to the moderately constant concert
goer. A solo from La Favorita, by
Donizetti, Cavatina, from Gounod
musical setting of Romeo and juliet
and an aria from Puccini's La Boheme
have been sung to Topeka audiences
by artists whose musical gifts have
stimulated the appetites of the pubic
to a highly seasoned diet. Last nlghI
they were given with fine ardor and
IL aI711iT
voIatilized into sparkling particles fall
ing from dizzily pitched passages, yet
sung with a simplicity in inverse rallo
to its subtlety Songs from the Span
ish composer Lalo are being 1reeS
Incorporated into local programs late
w. and Harold chose La Roi Dis to
exploit his music.
What impresseS one most about TINS
new master is the engaging personal
itv of the man. It forces itself into
the consciousness the moment ne ap-
pears on the stage. Behind every note
he utters there hovers tremendous
individuality. He enters with brlSk,
almost martial step, and at once es-
tablishes in his audience a sense of
nrofOund expectancy. No sitting on
the rim of confidence with him-he is
in it's full tide.
The applause that greeted him threat
ened to rival the political conventions
of last summer, and he was called back
for encores that proved even more
highly appreciated than the original
numbers. His singing of the popular
song II Hear Thee Calling Me-, was
done with a power and sweetness that
swept to the exquisite climax OF Haf-
rold's long and high note that is one
of the real thrills of his singing.
His last number was a group OF songs
from Pagliacci by Leoncavalla- He
dressed in the costume of the travel
ing montebank about whom the plot OF
the opera centers. The outfit consisted
of white trousers and sackcoat elabor-
ately adorned with red buttons, ana
on his head was a peak cap he ex-
plained to the audience the story or
the play and the meaning of the songs
he had chosen. The first of the group
was the announcement of the comedy
the clown was to perform, the second
the warming song" and the third the
ssCrying song" in which the actor
makes up for the comedy with the
agony of jealousy in his heart. The
costume group of songs were given with
dramatic power that swept away all
mechanical difficulties. and proved 1t
q fitting vehicle for the genius it re-
vealed There were those in the audi
ence who had heard Caruso sing it.
and they insist that arrold holds out
every promise of becoming Carusos
successor in the world of art The au-
dience exhibited a strong desire to hear
Harold again after the curtain went
down. but he refused to appear for