The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
Gounod's Faust Gin French)

l Gounod's Faust" Gin French) 1 Why should the devil have all the 1 good tunes as well as all the good times?" asked a gentleman, one Row 1 land Hill who lived somewhere back in l the eighteenth century.
 | As a matter of fact, the devil doesn't have all the good tunes (nor all the good 1 times); at least, not in the fantastic | M. Gounod's lovely opera of Faust" and 1 we may as well right here shame this cloven- footed parsonage and tell the truth l about his satanic majesty, for the com poser of this melodic opera, like M Ber-
 loz who wrote ..'The Damnation of Faust" helped himself plentifully to some scenes from Goeths story and set them to solo, choral, and orchestral eff fects, and the whole product gave every body chance to have some good tunes. as well as soniA good times.
 I know that it is perfectly outrageous and very wicked for me to talk this way about Gounods S masterpiece, and I sup pose I shall be accused of musical 'lese siflage-just word en passant-and let me add that Faust a dramatic legend, a lyric drama, what you will, has all ways been and will always be one of the most popular operas the world has ever known.
 The beautiful masterpiece. as presented Saturday afternoon a the matinee by the Boston National Grand Opera company, was a phantasma gorial panorama, vo- cally and scenically, a consecutive pot pourri of singing peasants, soldiers, stu dents angels, devils, sylphs. and gnomes, the tuneful melodies being executed by one of the best orchestras ever heard here under the baton of M. Guerrieri, who in terpreted the score with flawless musical acumen.
 Maggie Teyte, lovely, dainty, adorable Maggie Teyte, who reached our hearts last season by way of her beautiful vo- calization of Mimi in "Boheme," was the Marguerite. and she proved that Goeth's placid German village maid, witt ''her golden hair a-hanging down her back" was none the less lovely than the frail little Puccini heroine of our recol- lection.
 Maggie Teyte's Marguerite was a Mar guerite of rare charm in appearance. song and histrionism; the quality of Maggie Teyte's voice reminds me tremendously of Emma Flames, but Maggie Teyte is a far better actress than the Junoesque diva from Maine could ever hope to be; Maggie Teyte's singing of Marguerite" Saturday afternoon established the fact that in some respects the gifted song stress is peerless in this day and time, for no one else can excel her colaratura work her trill or the consummate ease and brillancy with which she delivers the florid passage in selections like the Aria des Biioux" (the jewel song). Mag gie Teyte had one of her marked ocea- tl,, eioe, NTar fA anc. the generous outpourings of her rav-, ishing notes was a thing long to be re- membered.
 Jose Mardonnes, the robust basso (Mephistorhees) sang like the devil tex cuse me; didn't mean that, neverthe- less he was the devil, so why shouldn't he sing like him? If there is such thing as musical Armament" and if it is really besprinkled with stars" then MT Mardonnes is the operatic sun that outshines them all; he took his audi ence by storm with his great art as an actor and his wonderful allurements as a singer; he was a most delicious looking perfumed and pomaded blonde Mepfis- topheles A devil with an immaeula trimmed beard, la Henry w, is sugges- tive of Mir. John Phillip Sousa's concep- ton of His Santanic Majesty in the March Kings story, ''The Fifth String which is my idea also of a perfectly good devil Mir Mardonnes sang and acted the role with consummate art and his "Drinking Song was Dit of bravura that few bassos could duplicate
 MT. Gaudenzi, as Faust, registered a fine vocal triumph, and the ways of Verona seemed to suit the popular tenor $ voice and acting admirably; this artist possesses a vocal organ of unusual tona' beauty, and his phrasing is smooth and his range impressive.
 MT. Graham Marr is great favorite in Birmingham, his 'Sharpless" of Madame Butterfly a season ago, fingers with us like the note of last years nightingale. and his splendid vocalzation of "Manfredo," in "L'Amore Dei Ire Re- being still delightful recol- lection, sang ''vaIentine'' with rare taste and refinement: MT. Marr has not only musical pulchritude, but physical pull chritude as well. the combination mak- ing him pleasure to the eyes as we'll as a delight to listen to.
 Francesca Peralta sang "Siebel' In a charming manner and her 'Faites lui mes aveux'' (The Flower Song) her rich, deep voice showing beautiful quality and artistry of high type.
 Others in the cast, including Marie Winietskaja Ia clever vocalist with a name like a Russian ballet, which I've been trying to learn to pronounce for weeks), who sang Martha and MT. Puliti. who sang Wagner. were satisfactory in their respective roles.
 'Faust" was a wonderfully enjoyable production. as presented by the Boston Nation Grand Opera company in Birming- ham Saturday afternoon. and will be re- called always as a feast of virfle vocali- xation and fervent histrionics.