New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-07
MADAME GLUCK
RETURNS TO SING
A Lovely Voice and a Ripening
Art, with Drawbacks Some
New Russian Music.

n Nine. Alma Gluck had not told the
readers Of The Tribune in an interview
that she had been studying for several
months with Nine. Sembrich at her villa
iu Nice. those OF them who attended her
recital in Carnegie Hall yesterday after
noon would casily have guessed the re- I.
Ouc-half Of her programme lby many
thousand PEI cent the better halo. was
made UP ~ airs and songs taken from the
great artists list. She followed Nine.
ScmDrich's plan too. in dcvotng the first
part or the scheme % classical eighteenth
century airs Pergolesi's 20 Serpina pen
serete" Handers "Lusinshe piG care
and 20. Sleep. why dost thou leave me-
and tie DAINTY "Fingo per mic dileuo.
By an unknown composer. in the arrange
ment made 10y Pauline NiardoU and the
second to some OF the most admired
songs Of Schubert. Schumann. ana
Brahms c.Der Neugieriche. Die Forelle.
Die rotosblume." "F'ruhlingsnacht.' Die
Mainacht' and bort in den Weiden."
She began the third part with another song
parable grace-one OF Eubinstein's Sprns
Songs. nut not the one indicated by the
boo, Of words il was Die kleinen
FruhlingsauScn." not "Leise Zieht durch
mein Gcmuth' After that she sang an
air from Rimsky- Korsakow's opera The
cars Bride" zone Of the high lights of
the recital. and followed il up win
three French songs by Charpentcr.
Then for a closing group she es-
saved a popular appeal with some Erg-
ish songs by Marion Bauer. Arthur Ro-
senstein Cher accompanisp. John Powell,
Sidney Homer and Kurt SCHNEIDER In
this group she departed an immeasurable
distance from the taste eXemplifed in the
earlier part OF the programme, and en-
phasiZed the vast difference between her
intellisencc and artistic feeling and that
Of the singer whom she had apparently
chosen as 4 model. The difference had al
ready exhibited itself in her interpreted
ton Of the earlier songs. however, and the
surprise created by the sudden departure
from high standard did not being with
it any noticeable shock 10 the connois-
seurs and even seemed TO give delight to
a large number of her hearers
These hearers were many. very many.
They filed nearly all the seats in TIE
big hall. and It was obvious from the re-
ginning that the interest in the singer
was very Great. The large popular inter
est was justified by Nine. Gluck's past
achievements. and was rewarded by a
great deal of what she did yesterday.
The lovely quality Of her voice, its sheer
beauty OF timbre. its exquisite evenness
throughout its range, the finish which she
has attained in some Of the details Of vo-
ca lizati particularly those which are the
product of a purely musical instinct. were
never more in evidence than yesterday,
and slowed the effects OF wisely directed
study. But precept and example, 10 mat
ter how perfect cannot make good lack
Of emotional warmth or of high intel
ligence: and these qualities are as es-
sentia, TO song singing as technical per
lection. Except as they exhibited her
loneliness Of voice the air from La
Serva Padrora" and the first OF the Han
del pieces were negligible as exhibitions
Of artistic singing. The air from "Semele'
had elements of great beauty. but they
were wholly sensuous, and left the feel
ings of the listeners. to which the won
derful song ought to make powerful
appeal. untouched In the German songs IL
was chiefly the outer shell that challenged
admiration, though there was a pretty
disclosure of the kernel also in Greg
I'm Kahne" which Nine. CLICK gave as
a supplement TO the group. and also in the
air from Rimsky- Korsakow' opera. IN
which, however. the purity OF her intona-
ton challenged praise. all the more be-
cause OF the fact that its many measures
are left without the support OF har-
monte accompaniment. IL IS delightful
specimen of an artistic production filed
with the spirit of Prussian folksong, and
though its emotional potentiaities We're
not fully disclosed yesterday It's purely
melodic beauty was eXquisitely set forth
From a popular point OF view Nine
Gluck's recital was highly successful;
from critical it gave promise OF still
greater development of natural gifts
which are almost worthy of being called
phenomenal.