The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-02-04
Aida (Yerdil

l -
 While Faust was being sung at the matinee performance Saturday aft
 ernoon preparations as well as antici-
 pations were astir for the presenta- tion py the Boston National Grand Opera company for the evening per | formance of the wonderfully beautiful l Verdi opera. Aida
 The rumblings of war being the topic on all tongues in our great Uni
 ted States of America by day, what i more apropos than that the firing 1 should go on by the light of the stars" at night?
 l To begin with, the scenery in Verdi'~ 1 spectacular opera was gorgeous, but not garish; and the utmost artistry 1 was displayed in handling the large
 number of people who constituted the
 Egyptian soldiery rabble and parade spectators of Aida"
 1 Much thought has been given by MT. [ Josef Urban in the planning of the l stage accessories in which the color {! schemes were pleasing and are en- 1 hanced by historically correct wall dec- 1 orations, costumes. insignias of the I priests and the military
 So far as mechanical resources fig ured in the production, Mir. Rabinoff, With the assistance of Mr. Urban, | proved brilliantly that his operatic or ganization has come into the limelight 1 full grown and needs no indul gence on the score of 'unpreparedness' or inn maturity
 Aida" is what might be termed a sort of musical bath and even the most <, hardened musical cynics occasionally i loll back and let the warm, stirring tones of verdi's masterpiece lave their l senses
 vocally. "Aida," as presented by the 1 Boston opera, was a delight. I.uisia 1 Villani, who has the distinction of I having created the role of Flora at | La Scala, Milan, fin Montemezzi's $ ! "L'Amore Dei Ire Re" and who sang l it here last season, made a pleasing ] Aida. with real Egyptian legato l and Abyssinian warmth in tone color ins. Villain is in robust voice just i now and her tonal technique and va
 riety in, modulation are quite lovely. She has wealth of beautiful top notes and she colors them with emo l tion at the same time covering the Verdi text with meaning.
 The statuesque and effulgent repre- sentative of the Princess of Arnneris. Madame Maria Gay. and the full | throated and mellifuous Rhadames sung by Mr. Ricardo Martin. shared honors with the prima donna
  meditation that marked the vocalizing of Madame Gay, the suavity of tonal utter ance and the restraint of dynamics which she exhibited in the refined and fluent pages of the Amneris music, stamped this artist as an operatic songstress of an infinitely high type. Mr. Martin proved himself to be even a greater mas ter of song than when we heard him as ~Pinkerton' in Madame Butterfly and he is today regarded as one of the finest opponents of bel canto. His triumpiis at the Metropolitan opera in New York. as we'll as his appearances abroad, have all ways elcited the admiration of the critics: his tasteful and delicate handling of the Rhadames music last even>ng showed finish and authority. Many of our American tenors have tried to win admiration by tours de force; Mr Mar tin wins it. without trying, by tours dart. His Celeste Aida (heavenly Aida) was an offering worthy of the greatest tenors of all ages and the alttudlnous "C. was flung out with spendthrift fullness and golden quality which set the hearts of his hearers to humping and their hands and heels as well.
 Volumes of praise for his temperamental impersonation of Ramphis must go to Mir Lazzari, one of the most finished artists with the Boston opera; his incomparable