Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-06-29

Operate Stars
in Fine Concert
Amato, RappoId, Botta and
Other Metropolitan Singers
Score Success.

It will be a long time before a con-
cert of like proportions and dignity
to that of last night in the First
Regiment Armory is seen here. Five
of the most distinguished stars of
the Metropolitan Opera Company,
with an orchestra of ninety men,
under the direction of Louis Ehrke,
presented a program of wonderful
beauty.
While the audience did not fill the
immense hall, 1t was a large one for
a summer night, and marked its ap-
proval of the efforts of the contrib
uting artists most enthusiastically
The efforts of Pasquale Amato aad
Madam Marie Rappold were most
gratefully received, as they should
be. = Presenting the Gounod Ave
Maria" Madam Rappold gave full
value to its beauty and devotional
spirit Recalled again and again, she
was finally compelled to repeat the
number.
The beauty of the diva's voice and
its ripe dramatic quality were never
displayed in better form than in the
prayer from "Tosca," and in the
quartet, from "Rigoletto," at the end
of the concert. In this number her
full, pure tones dominated the voices
of the others in the quartet.
Andrea de Segurola made the best
use of his bass in the invocation from
Meyerbeers Robert il Diavolo,' and
in a duet with Miss Media Humphrey.
The duet was the famous one from
Don Giovanni and completely
captured the audience, as Miss
Humphrey had in her solo, the "Yil-
lanella," of Dell Acqua.
The long first movement of Men
IN a VII t,,
was played, with illuminate Miseren-
dino, as soloist. The hall was too
immense for the single strlnged in
strument, and to add to the difficulty,
great mass of bunting stretched
above the platform This absorbed
the tones of the violin, and made it
difficult to hear the finer passages at
the rear of the hall. But in execu-
ton and phrasing, Mr. Miserendino s
work was all that could be desired.
Luca Botta, the young tenor of the
metropolitan forces delivered the
phrases of the aria from Martha. /"
with sincerity and exactness. Though
still young he is the possessor of a
robust tenor of fine and mature
quality. Rendering Reconcile Ar
monie," from ''Tosca," he was es-
pecially excellent as in the "Rigolet-
to- quartet
Miss Mary Adele Case, an Ameri-
can contralto, made her first appear
ance in this city, accepting the con-
tralto part in the quartet. Her voice
may we'll be liSened to that of Edith
Walker, another American who at
tanned success in some of the greater
things of the Metropolitan Miss
Case, who is to appear with the
Metropolitan forces in the coming
season, has a perfect contralto of
wide range and beautiful quality
She acquitted herself most admirably
1t was predicted last night that with
in few months she will create a
genuine sensation.
There were three orchestral num-
bers. Mr.. Ehrke directed with au-
thority and a full understanding of
the score and had the entire SYM
pathy of the men under him.
At intermission Mayor Thomas l..
Raymond was introduced to the au-
dience by William J. Kearns, chair
man of the committee in charge of
the concert. He greeted the audience
and singers, and presented to Mr..
Amato the key of the city" This
was an immense gilded key, standing
almost to the mayors waist While
he held it Mayor Raymond was visi-
bly, embarrassed, as was Mr.. Amato
when he received It,
Now he's got it the slgnor does not
know what to do with 1t himself -
said the mayor, laughing.
A considerable sum was realized
toward the organ fund of the Church
of Our Lady of Mount Carmel by the
concert