The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-15

When Birmingham was smarting z
most painfully over the sting of Nine.
Melba's refusal to enter Birmingham,
a member of the Music Study club re-
marked that the preparations for the
distinguished diva had been fine thing
because they proved Birmingham abil-
ity to support an expensive musical
venture. Selling an $500 house had
been comparatively easy; what the city
had done once it could do again So
out of the Melba incident came Bir-
mingham's consciousness of certain
sort of musical power.
1t was again evident in a way, this
week, when the three presentations of
grand opera. coming without vast
amount of heralding, received a worthy
patronage. The house was not packed
but il was comfortably filled each time;
and there have been scores of apollo
getic speeches since-"If | had known
how good the company was 'If they
had been better advertised" "If /
could have been sure; l have bought
seats and regretted so many times
where grand opera was concernedr
Still the productions of the San Carlo
Opera company were so creditable that
anyone who still loves the old favor
ties would have enjoyed Lucia" or
'Rigoletto.' or "Trovatore," and it is
a great pity even more people did not
read the advance estimates or go on a
tour of discovery to the Jefferson Mon
day or Tuesday
Enough of these musical pioneers
however, did attend to prove the power
Birmingham has to support a high
priced musical aggregation, and that
has been a gratifying fact to many.
The audiences at the opera Were tre
mendously interesting. To be sure the
usual music patrons were there--the
people one always sees There were Mr..
and Mrs. A. II. Ford, Mr.. Charles Cal
houn, Mr. and Mrs Victor Hanson, Mr..
and Mrs. James Bowron, Mr.. and Mrs.
Richard w. Massey, Major DeValcourt,
MIR. and Mrs. c. d. Ebersole, Mr. and
Mrs Richard Johnston, Mr.. and Mrs. j.
w. Donnelly, Judge Oscar Hundley,
Mrs. Florence Jordan, Miss Belle Conner,
Mrs. w. E. b. Davis, Mr.. Murray Brown,
Mrs. Harry Stringfellow, and others
who, like these, are among the faith
full" and never miss an opportunity to
hear the really worthy musical offer
ings.
The Italians composed no small part
of the audience at each performance,
and were perhaps the most entirely ap-
preciative of all the people in the au-
dience. They were to be seen in every
portion of the house-the second night
filling one or two of the boxes Several
people noticed the elderly Italian who
sat during the presentation of Lucia
in one of the orchestral seats very close
to the front. His wife was with him
and the two were altogether happy
she with her head swathed, throughout
Al.
we used to call "fashinator," but worn
just as in other days in Italy or Spain,
maybe, she had worn her mantilia. The
face of her husband was a capital in
terpreter, musical barometer indeed,
for the opera-and 1t fattered the opera
nightly His every expression beamed
satisfaction. whether at Lucias mad
ness or her lovers beautiful tenor-the
gravity of the opera story or its tune
full execution. lie was undoubtedly
pleased and, since he leaned on the seat
in front, bringing himself unconscious
ly as near to the stage as possible, he
was surely enjoying the sound of his
native tongue on the visitors lips, He
was type found frequently in the
audience.
Another, of different sort, was the
gay society lady who, while not pro-
Tossing musical culture of any sort,
proved the genuneness of her appre-
citation the other day when in answer
to the question as to whether she had
heard the opera company during their
engagement said, "Oh, yes. l am very
sorry that / had TO miss the first one.
l heard the matinee presentation Of
"Rigoletto' and was thoroughly
charmed that before leaving the theatre
/ stopped by the box office and ha /
seats reserved for that night"
Probably in evidence of the kinship
of the arts was this incident. a pretty
little dancing teacher told me that
looking about over the audience she
discovered almost every member of one
of her classes Has the mania for dane
ing increased peoples appreciation of
music or are music lovers finding the
dance form of expression for love Of
rhythm and tune?
Certain 1t is that the audience at
the grand opera have proved Birming-