The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-03-13
Grr", Singer Heard Inst Night.

Great Singer Heard Lust Night.
w l. Radcliffe, who. To repeat
statement made many times in this
column, has done more for the musicai
advancement Of Richmond than any
other notwithstanding of this DAY
added last night another great nam.
To the tong lis, OF artists whom he has
introduced To this public. when he pre-
scented at the City Auditorium the Ia
nous German contraito. Ottiiie Metz
ger.
This master singer came over last
season from Germany for two concerts
with the New York philharmonic So
cicty's orchestra, returning Immediate
~ TO her own country, and her tour
this season Is 10 be confined to com
paratively few cities. so that Rich
mond was more than fortunate In be-
ing given an opportunity to hear her
last night.
What voice she mas, It Is natural
that che should he compared with
Schuma -tieink whose successor shv
~ a. Hamburg and whose pedestal she
VIII, doubtless, some time occupy IN the
mind OF the general public And the
word mind Is used advis"d,y for she
viii hardly Gus; Schumann-H cink from
the neart of this or any other public
because. tremendous. amazing rs ner
.'i'S''NE NVi1t NAupUhlsulN ~. II ~ not
81 the Ivory and velvet quality which.
rosses sed by the other and olde- great
Herman contralto. has permitted her
10 sing her wav into the hearts .,f men
and women all over the world
But. nSain. what = voice she has
In Its middle and upper registers 1t is
large, almost incredibly large but its
lower tones are literally huge Below
hsy middle c. and she serms 20 use
her chest tones higher IN the scale
than any singer we have heard, il has
"A power, vihrarcy and--may 1t be said =
-rugGcdness that is positively mas
cultre AZ times. during her singing
OF the aria from Samson ana Deliiaf.',
which was her first ard only pro-
gramned solo number, lf one closed MS
eyes he might easily imagine thai
Amato. even Whitchill. basso- cantante
that he is. was singing. Never a tenor.
even heroic tenor. was suggested but
always at least n heavy baritone Nor
nas her marvellous voice tho cello-hkc
quality that we have learned to as
sociote with thos, OF pure cuntraltos.
I; Is more like the tones OF great
noon, out without the slightest vibrato
TO AID to Its resonance.
In word. IL Is simply OF an ,mmen
SHY mat seems practically boundlcss
IL 10 so large that Its very size astound,
the nearer to th& point at which he In
likely to overlook the art with which
VIC Singer uses IT, tOr Nine. Mct2ger
has not only "A great voice but grca,
art. This she proved last night in
every phrase OF the Samson" aria and
the subsequent encore number from
Carmen" as we'll az In the dramatic
duet from Aida" In which she was
superb We shall hardly hear such a
contralto aSain-unless Nine. Metzger
by some improbable chance should re
turn
In addition to the German artist. Mr.
Radcliffe also presented Nine Marie
Rappold. OF the metropolitan Opera;
George Sheffield, tenor, and Theodore
Harrison, baritone. Mime Rappold has
been heard here betoro--she sang In
Mr.. Radclime's series last February
so her voice and style are well known
II Is necessary only 10 say that SHE.
was very hne In both OF her puccini
arias. the first from "Manon"-the pro-
gram was chanEed-tollowed lmme-
diately by the programmed "Vissi d'Arte''
from "Tosca," for her ringing voice
seems better adapted to Puccinls un-
conventsonality than &c older Verdrs
melody.
Mr. Harrison sang Walter Runners
Ecstasy with excellent effect. and
was also telling In the quartet from
Rigoletto," with which the concert
closed. He was much better IN work
or the brilliant order than In the sim
pier. lowing style OF song
Mr.. Sheffield has a nice well-placed
little voice OF much hcxibility and CON
siderable trcmolo. and he shouldn't
nave been made. or allowed. TO sing a
duet with Mime. Metzgcr.
Harold Osborn Smith supplied q
thoroughly satisfactory accompaniment
TO all The singers.