Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-06

The second Of the Pension Fund con-
certs of the Philadelphia Orchestra was
given yesterday afternoon, Wagner
program and Nine. Johanna Gadsh being
the accessory features OF the afternoon.
Those whose motto is wagner. Wagner,
Ueber Allies" were happy to say the
least. The others, ono ventures to say,
listened to Tristan und Isolde
Certainly It was not the most felicitouH
thing In the world to precede the lowell
ness Of the Veuusberg music In Tam
hncuser with the absurdItles and the
sounding fury of the prelude. As the
orchestra played that prelude, Wagner
became more noisy than the controversies
about him. In the Nenusberg music the
strings came TO their own wonderfully,
and held tho high impassloned lines to
the last item OF their emotion. So I'm the
"LohcngrIn" and above all in the final
excerpt from Tristan und Isolde" The
orchestra was by no means at its best
throughout; the WEAKNESS after the long
pun OF the "LobEesanC' was evident In
a weakness and insecurity OF tone. But
at the heights 1t was good and could find
the power and the glory OF its music to
send II forth again.
1t would be idle TO pretend that Nine.
Gadksi has not been better heard here
this year. II seemed, i'm fact, at the
beginning Of "Elizabeth's Prayer" that
tleTe was 10 ne only a memory OF lne
sweetness OF her voice. But as Elsa,
and finally Isolde replaced Elizabeth.
the singer rose to the higher demands
and sang richly aud well. The mystic
faith OF Elsa in the knight of her dreams
was sung with a calm affirmation; the
narrative Of Isolde. difficult in its blend
ing Of purely lyric with purely dramatic
motives, carried its auditors back to that
shipboard OF fate and to the fatality OF
passion which there began. But It was
IN the Liebestod that Nine Gadski, and
with her the orchestra. we're able to
recreatc an atmosphere and give dra
matte life to their subject The passion
Of Isolde rose in great spirals OF sound
and the flesh and the lusts thereof were
purified I'm splendid pain and beauty.
La Gioconda" at the Garrick
LA Gtoconda" was given its first per-
formance by the San Carlo Opera Com
pany At tho Garrick Theatre last night.
The only features that would mark 1t as
n first performance were the prompter's
box. the interminable waits between the
acts and the fact that It was not until-
l2:2G that the final curtain was rung
down. II Is questionable IL a company
that is not recruited from Tito Rufros.
Dcstinns. Carusos and stars for every
part should attempt an opera like Clio
conda," which depends chiefly upon the
singers for success. But after once
granting the San Carlo organization per
mission to embark on the hazardous
trip, with the aid of Enzo's good ship
Hecate, it must he admitted that there
were many bright points in last nights
production
Alessandro Modesti acted Barnaba
we'll If he had not persisted in sing
ing off the key every little while his
would have been really dis
tinctive, Ester Adaberto was La Gio-
conda; Emilio Sesona. Alvise; Salvatore
EMO; Carolina Zawner, Laura,
aud Miss y. Cadamarteri. La Ciec!a. the
blind mother The Dance of the Hours,
which was staged in keeping with the