The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-06-01
&c
0News
Elsa Hirschberg


trast was afforded local devotees of
music Saturday afternoon at the
Knights of Columbus hall when for
the third time in ten years. 1t was
their privilege to hear in concert Miss
Elsa Hirschberg of Newark at a mus.
icale and reception rendered by Mr..
and Mrs w. Il. McCormick
When a mere slip of girl, Miss
Hirschberg sang at the Mccormick
home and there revealed vocal power
of such prodigious timbre that she was
at once characterized by all whose
good fortune it was to hear her as one
with a glittering future in store.
Three years ago and at the same
hall in which she appeared Saturday,
Miss Hirschberg again met a Mt. Yer.
non audience through the medium of
Mr.. and Mrs. Mccormick. People have
not yet ceased to talk OF the interpre-
tation she at that time placed upon
Samson and Delilah,' rejecting it.
self in her dramatic tensity and in.
describable sweetness of tone.
Subsequent to her last appearance in
this city, Miss Hirschberg journeyed
abroad and enrolled herself as pupil
of the Lamperti Italian school. She
/ applied herself with assiduity to the
work ahead and with such a marked
degree of success that she was en-
gagged as contralto prima donna with
the Spadt Opera Co. OF Posen Ger.
many. Singing there, she created
quite a furore and, at the conclusion
| of the season, was offered the roles of
Fricka and Waltraute in Wagner's
| Ring Cycle" with the Summer Opera
| Co. of Berlin. It was while singing
with this company last summer that
the war broke out and Miss Hirsch-
berg returned to this country
In view of Miss Hirschbergs extern
sive experience since her last appear
ance here, it was with an interest, ming
led with curiosity, that the guests of
Mrs. Mccormick gathered Saturday
afternoon. 1t was freely thought and
expressed that the hard and severe
grand opera training and experience
abroad would have removed the child.
like sweetness of tone from Miss
Hirschberg's voice.
The program had no more than
started than the auditors realized with
satisfying surprise that this sweetness
had not only been retained by Miss
Hirschberg, but that it had also be-
come more fully developed and accen-
tuated, despite the gruelling strain of
grand opera. And yet, there was a
change. A great broadness and depth
of tone and feeling was distinctly no.
ticeable and pleased beyond measure.
The remarkable voice seemed to have
ascended into its own and shaken off
the slight imperfections of youth and
ineXperience.
In lieder work, Miss Hirschberg
seemed beyond criticism and her fault
less work was provocative of a COM
parson with that of Julia Culp who is
considered and reputed the greatest
lieder singer of the country. A num-
Der of the audience heard Miss Culp
this last winter and all unqualifiedly
pronounced Miss Hirschberg's work
as very favorable in comparison with
Miss Culp's, while number asserted
the superiority of the Newark girl in
this particular department.
An extreme generosity in the matter
of encores endeared Miss Hirschberg
to her audience, cementing more firmly
the cordial spirit obtaining between
berg
All of the accompaniments were
done by Miss Sabina Hirschberg-a
sister of Miss Elsa-and added great
ly to the program of the afternoon.
While abroad, Miss Hirschberg sang
under the names of Elsa Hirschberg
Lyon, or, in its shortened form, Elsa
Lyon.
Following the program, dainty re-
freshments were served and an OPP
portunity presented to the audience of
renewing acquaintanceship with Miss
Hirschberg which was eagerly
grasped-
The following program was rem
| dered:
Part l.
The Warning Cry of Brangaene
Christian and Isolde). ..... Wagner
| Selections from Brahms:
a-Oh wuesst ich doch den Veg zu.
ruech.
b-Salome.
c-Die Mai-Nacht.
d--Der Schmied,
Part 2.
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