The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-05-07
FESTIVAL CLOSES
WITH AIDA SUNG
BY SUPERB VOICES
.Verdi's Great Master
piece Presentedin in
Concert Form.
CAROLINA WHITE
EASILY THE STAR
Tina Lerner, at Matinee, Receives
Ovation, Even Orchestra Join
ing in Applause e-Betty
Booker Welcomed Home and
Showered With Roses.
Whitehill Again.
BY w. DOUGLAS conpoN.

Closing. rs ii mad begun, In the en-
Veioping lustre radiatcd by brilliant
stars OF the musical Armament the
twentieth annual music festival OF the
edhesday Club came to an end last
night before an,aher huge audience
But. instead OF ending. AS had the
concert OF the evening before. with a
chorus. the festival concluded with one
of the most celestial duets m all the
literature OF music. that wonderful
farewell TO the world Of Aida and Ra-
danes they are entombed in Vul
cans Temple, while Amneris stands
above bemoanIng her lover, and the
servants OF the gods chant TO Phtha
For the work chosen for last nights
concert was Aida that opera OF great
Verdi which - commonly cons idered
MS crown!nS work. Written b. the
famous Italian at the request Of the
khediye 1smaiI and based upon an in
eident OF ancient Egyptian history. Il
throbs with Latin passion and pull.
safes with the spirit ~ broodlng mys.
terry that Verdi conceived TO DC OF the
essence of Pharaohs land. Filled with
the fury Of Oriental rage. ringing with
the vigor or conquerlng men-at- arms
weeping with the sorrow % ar en-
slaved army. bitter with the hatred or
scorned woman. and burning with
the hot passion OF Eastern love. the
opera Is Intensely dramatic In almost
every line.
opern Thrilling Always.
And yet st abounds In melodic
beauty. arias. duets and trios disclose
lines and blended lines OF most ex-
ouisite melody. while the choruses.
whether they march. pray. or wall,
are beautiful to the last degree So
that, even without the accessories OF
settings and costumes and the aid of
dramatic action, the opera is thrilling
always and often startling in it's tenn
pestuous splendor.
Aida" was sung. or a large part OF Il
was, in 1904 by the club. with Homer.
Gwyln Miles, Frederick Martin Anita
Rio and tenor whose name escapes
Inc, who substituted for jacques Bars
when he became ''indsposed" after his
arrival in Richmond. but these artists
gave no such performance of the work
AS did those of last night
For the title role the management
Of the club selected Carolina White, or
the Chicago Phi ladelphia Opera Com
pany. and wise choice 1t made. Dark
and with sombre eyes, she s an ideal
type, as others had most evidently dis
covered. since she sang the whole opera
without n note TO guide her and as If
thoroughly familiar with the entire
score. even with innumerable cuts.
And as she seemed. so she sang
with burning fcrvor and passion, in
tense dramatic feeling, and with a
prodigalty OF voice more than gen
erous to the audience that she swayed
The voice itself Is wonderful, an un-
usually high type OF dramatic soprano,
and OF apparently boundless range.
She sang the high C's OF the score with
the same ease with which the ordinary
soprano attains an y, and in full,
round, and perfect tones. Probably the
most completely satisfactory soprano
that the Wednesday Club has ever pre-
Eented.
All Sang SpIendtdly.
Paul Althouse. the American tenor
who has quite recently arrived" sang
Radames with the same unstinting
munifcence that Miss White displayed.
Although very young, he has a finely
developed and true tenor robusto as
distinguished from Bonci's lyric voice,
and VIII. in all probability. become one
OF the singers Of the day The much
desired baritone quality in the lower
voice is his to marked degree. and he
uses the whole voices for the most
part. without forcing, though there
were occasional exceptions last night
Clarehce Whitehill sang the parts of
Amonasro and Ramfis with the same
CONTINUED On Second Page.)