Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-05-01
miss MABEL GARRISON
SCORES GREAT TRIUMPH
Given Ovation by "Wednesday Club
~ Audience mt City Audi
forum.
HER VOICE CAPTIVATES ALL
Closing Program OF Festival To-
HER VOICE CApTIvATEs ALL
Closing Program OF Festival To-
Night to &c Featured by May
Peterson, Sophie BraSluu and Paul
.AlthOuse.
ny JOHN GEORGE HARRIS.

DY JOHN GEORGE HARRIS.
The second concert in the music
festival Of the "Wednesday Club proved
itself unique in the highest degree. in
the fact that during the intermission
between the two parts of the program
no less a sum than s2.250.000 was sub
scribed TO the third Liberty loan. n
matter which is treated in detail else
where. and. further. in the ovationai
reception which was rendered 10 Mabel
Garrison. the coloratura soprano. both
before and after her various appear
anccs.
The nature OF this triumph, for no
lesser term describes Miss Garrison's
reception, may best DC imagined when
one contcmplatcs tho vast audience.
nearly three hours after the opening
of the concert, becoming voeiferousIy
enthusiastic in it's insistcnt demands
for an encore number following Miss
GarriSon'S appearance in tho Bell
Song" from Lakmc. Such cnthusia SIN.
under similar circumstances. I have
never seen equa!ed and. one may safely
assume. II IL quite unusual anywhere.
This second concert. even with other
numbers OF exceptional interest in "A
program OF unusual merit, must be
considered Miss Garrison's evening.
Curivaled. save by one other colora-
tura soprano and she characterized as
having the voice of the generations"
Miss Garrison attained TO heights Of
artigtic excellence last night which
we're little short Of amazing. Whether
in tho Mad Scene" from Lucia, the
Lakme Bell Song" or the second part
Fof the aria from La Traviata": her
marvellous voice OF crystalline purity
completely filled the auditorium. SCARED
and sang above orchestra fortissimo,
sparkling and scintillatins with brill
va nrv yl.ith |, ~
smoothncas and exquisite tone-color.
h3 dainty and attractive as a portrait
III miniature or a priceless cameo. she
was $ much "a delight TO the eye as to
the car. Her wonderful head notes
were surprisingly we'll placed and o.
remarkable intensity. She even
swcllod and diminished tones which
arc az far from tho average voicn,as
the Antipodes. Miss Garrison may
come to Richmond at any tine, a..
might indeed. at any time after her
appearance at the last festival and
have anything tn" city affords.
or hardly less interest was the APP
pcarancc OF Lambert Murphy. who. m
his "hh. lcvc-,oi. soleil.' better known
as the Scrcnadc. from Romeo and
Juliet" and in the aria from Masscnot's
opera. "Grisclidis.' made an instant
impression with his ringing quality OF
tone. combined with his unusual tenor
resonance. MIR. Murphya voice was
fully adequate TO the size OF tho audit
torium and comprises large measure
OF the floating quality dependent upon
a perfect breath control and a Ger
tainty of vocal method. His numbers
aroused enthusiasm that was genuine
and insistcnt: after his first selection,
he approached tho harpistc Of the or
crcstra. but failing to elicit cncour-T
aSemcnt in that section or the orchcs-
Rcichardts I'm The Time Of Roses
This he gave with exquisite lighter
quality. in contrast 10 tho heavier aria.
Mr. Murphy established himself as an
artist OF splendid equipment and nm
ished technique.
The Russian Symphony orchestra,
under the direction of Modesto Alt
shulcr. as the opening number, gave
the Filth Symphony OF Tschaikovsky.
a Inasttr-composition which with the
Russian composers Sixth symphony,
arc considered his best works. The
four movements. tho Andante Allegro.
the Andante Cantabilc. the 'NalSc"
Allegro. aud the Andantc MacstoSo.
were given In their entirely, the tim.
OF the performance about ntty-hve
minutes. The work was given with
consummate artistry. the conducting
OF MIR. Altshulcr displaying TO III"
highest degree his thorough command
OF the score ana inc orchestra. Noill-
posed while TSchaiiovsky was living
in his country homo, under favorable
conditions and free from Interruptions.
the work Is characterized by a quality
OF brightness and an atmosphere oil
contentmcnt. discernablc through tho
several movements. Conspicuous in
the score OF the symphony one may
recognize bits Of choral music, suS-
Ecstions of Russian national melodies,
which appear from time TO time IN an
ferent phases. The symphony was
heard with the kcenest attention. and
at its close received marked approval.
The Russian symphony Orchestra, In
all its work last night. was above
criticism and in tho accompa ailments
furnished the solo artists gave support
that ives fautlcss.. Nicholas GaraEaS!
the concert master OF the orchestra,
played the solo in the Rondo Cappric-
coso OF ST. Saens, with irreproachablc
technique and with roundncss of tone
which made this number particularly
important in the program.
Tho third and concluding concert OF
tho Festival tonight Will be OF cXccp-
tional interest, in presenting three dis
tinguished Metropolitan artists, May
Peterson. soprano; Sophie Braslau. con-
tralto, and Paul Althousc, tenor. in
addition to numbers by the Russian
Symphony Orchestra. The programmed
plumbers embrace arias for which each
OF the artists is famous. II should be
the climatic event of tho Festival. BY
special request of the Wednesday Club
board of directors. the Wednesday Club
chorus will repeat the Gladstone
Light, rendered on Monday night.