The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-11-01
ALMA GLUCK HEARD
IN SONG PROGRAMME
Young Singer Who Is Making
Progress Applauded by
Large Audience.
SHOWS TRUE ARTISTRY

Tho song recital given by Alma Gluck
yesterday afternoon In Carnegie Hall was
OF more than common interest When
this soprano returned to the local con-
cert stage In January last after a short
term OF study with Mime. Sembrich Il
was evident that her studies with the IA
nous mistress OF the art OF bel canto
had not proceeded far enough. Her upper
tones, always insecure. were stlll badly
attacked. Her voice was uneven In its
upper scale and she was unable to evoke
from Its medium the fulness and rich
sensuous beauty which seemed rightly to
belong to IL
Furthermore. in Interpretation the
young singer had nothing to offer but
limitations OF her teacher Mime. Sem
brich had taught her how TO deliver the
songs and she carefully observed her IN
structons That Miss Gluck had little
OF her own to give was made all the more
conspicuous by the long established fact
that temperament had never been one Of
her large assets. And her singing. often
elegant and even at times exquisite In It's
externsls, had always lacked the impact
made By n commanding personality
Yesterdays recital demonstrated that
tho singer since her second sojourn
abroad had developed into an artist de-
handing serious consideration. In the
first place Il seems not only permissible
hut even obligatory, nj this moment to
make one OF those inclusive assertions
which judicial comment is loath TO en-
ploy. But II must be said that as Miss
Gluck's voice now stands Il Is the most
beautiful lyric soprano before the public
Nature gave her notably fine organ, and
its resources have Mt last been brought
fairly, IL not completely, under her COM
mand.
Her medium and upper middle tones
are now not only ravishing In quality,
but they have splendid fulness and
vigor. Her upper scale is now generally
well attacked and clearly delivered, and
she has been initiated into the school or
all perfect equalization to wit. the emis-
sion Of head tones and the art OF carry
ing them down Miss Gluck sang so
norous. futol!ke high tones yesterday
which last January would have been half
strangled In her throat and would nave
been without quality.
Her technical equipment has gained
too in tho clearness OF its colorature'
though this does not promise TO be ono
OF the most effective factors In her art
But IL IS commemorative, II not brilliant
and certainly not slovenly. The only
element OF her delivery which now falls
far below the general level OF merit is
her pronunciation. which Is not nj all
what should he heard from a singer or
her accomplishments
Those who take note OF the mechanism
Of singing will gather from these COM
ments that Alma Chuck II very well
prepared singer The truth II that she
must be accorded n position among the
best young sopranos OF this time. II
she has not eloquence OF utterance, she
has much finish. much taste, much deli
| cacy. II she Is wanting IN archness,
infectious gayety and playful humor, she
| possesses IN no ordinary measure the
power to communicate sentiment, gentle
! feeling and the varying moods OF refcc-
tion and mediation.
She sang Come. Beloved from Han
| dcIs "Atalanta" with authority OF style
land with broad. reposeful delivery and
finish. Der Nusshtum' was perhaps not
deeply moving. but II WAS tender and
| sensitive She was weakest In her group
Of three Brahms songs. for which she
has not the needed penetration of i'm
| aginatiun. Folk songs OF Little Russia
arranged by her husband, Efrem Iim-
balist. she sang delightfully."-. She sang
also very beautifully Charpentlcr's La
| Cloche Felee" and Nasseuet's "Crcpus-
Guile" Unfamiliar numbers on her list were
! three songs by Max Nugrich and The
Bird of the Wilderness" by Edward Hors-
man, a local composer of taste 4 care
lessly made, even thoughtless. attack
threw the singer off the pitch Mt the be-
ginning Of Schumanns "lntermezzo" and
ruined the whole song Eternal vigilance
| is the price of safety in song, as well as
in some other things