The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-07

night.
Fine Concert for ShcItering Arms.
After last nights concert at the CITY
auditorium. that faithful and unselfl sh
circle circle Of Of. Kings Daughters. which
ing Arms Free Hospital may consider
itself not only an agent for the allie
Walton OF suffering humanity's ills.
eut an active and potent element In
iorwnrding the community's musical
ueVelopment. For five years these ear
nest women have presented concerts or
| rscltais Tor the benefit of the exalted
sist. and in that time they have or
lereu several OF very considerable
merit. put last night they surpassed
IN IN practically every respect any effort
mat they had heretofore made to I'm
| ierest. entertain and delight a roIc q.
, less generous public
FOR TO It's Shame-and III is to be
hoped. 10 its regret--be it said that the
public responded last night In q man
ncr that by no means showed the am
probation that either the charity or
| the concert was entitled to receiye.
filled. 40
Nine. Frances Aida. one of IN, lena.
ing sopranos OF the Metropolitan Opera
and the wife, by the way, of MIR. Ciatti-
SasazIa. the general director OF that
artist of the concert, but Nine. Aida
was assisted by two men who are both
artists in the best sense of the word
VINO added Infinitely to tho enjoyment
and TO the worth Of the concert. while
the program was model of light, yet
artistic selection.
Gutia Casini, young 'cellist who
accompanied Nine Sembrich to Rich
mond season before last. but was not
the indisposition OF the famous So
prano prevented her recital. and Frank
La Forge; one of the foremost accom-
panists Of America, and n composer OF
~
brich's party at that time, but who is
happily remembered as the accom-
PIANIST TO Nine Sembrich and Ellison
Van Hoose when they appeared here
lists.
Mr.. Casini opened the program with
Theme" by Tschaikowsky. which served
chiefly 10 display the remarkable tech :
sionally n tone of rare beauty emerged
from the Intricate phrases Of the varia-
tons.
Four songs of an older school formed
Nine. Alda's first number. In these she
was somewhat Disappointing: she had
not warmed up" or the house was
stiii strange. or one OF a dozen things,
to pitch seeming TO feel for the centre
of the tone more than once. and. more
than once. missing IL.
when the Roses Bloom" she took n
! number of strange liberties which we. q
meaningless To one VINO rcncmb ercd
Mr.. Van Iioosc's manner of breathing
the words, and, besides, she fumbled
the words. But throughout even these
her voice came with remarkable ease
and clarity: of abundant range and
with luscious quality IN its lower
register. there was lacking In the voice
itself only warmth.
And this was heard in full measure
in many OF her later songs-in nil. in
deed hi which ii was required. In the
prayer from Puccini's ''Tosca." she sang
with such dramatic hr and intensity
that the audience was also fired, and
She was compelled 10 respond to nm
encore. For this She gave the never
old Barcarolle from The Tales OF IIoff-
man." MIR. Casni playing the second
voice part, as he had played an oblgato
to the prayer and to tho preceding
number. Cesar Franck's fine Pants
Angelicus." Beginning at this point
and continuing to the end OF the con
cert, Nine. Aida sang charmngly. APP
nsalingly and often very beautifully,
SO that the last song .ame all too soon
for the audiences. which would not leave
until she had sung again---ths time
Massencts "ouvrc ties yeuX bleus."
The Russian, CaSini. opened the cyes
and ears OF most OF the audience M to
the possibilities that lie In the cello.
lie played not only with nm evident
thorough command or his Instrument.
~ wonderful teohnio that enabled kim