New-York tribune., 1918-02-03
have multiplied at the

>ANA " MA nave multiplied at Cne
Lexington since the resume of glow
ing praise covering the initial bow
appeared in this column last Sunday. II
might be more logical to begin simply at the
beginning and rehearse these successive
trlumphs as they occurred. But one event
50 Enthusiastically stands out in Importance
that the following Of ones news instinct
seems, after all, the better way 1t is,
then, in order to record, first, CALI -Curcis
New York debut. And here the tale di-
vldes itself spontaneously into three chap
tcrs: First, the singers remarkable recep-
ton; second, the voice which so charmed
ard thrilled New York. and third. how
Mr.. Gatti-Casazza failed to invite her to
sing at the Metropolitan.
Galli-Curci appeared last Monday even
ing in Meyerbeer's opera "Dinorah" The
house was packed. Hundreds were un-
aple to get in even as far as the box Of
flce while the crowd of enthusiastic
standees ranged twelve or fifteen rows
deep on the orchestra floor. And this
packed house, once the singer had had her
chance, rocked itself weary with perhaps
the most tumultuous reception ever staged
IN New York. The citys elect, observed
''Ihe Evening Sum-" "fung itself into the
train OF those who idolize this young so
prano with such an enthusiasm that after
she had finished her marvellous singing
of the Shadow waltz song the whole
house rang with impetuous cheers and
dared white with the waving of pro-
Srrp l.
More than quarter hour went up in
applause, III poundings and cheers that
grew Historically hoarse. The singer had
to repeat the song before the lowered cur
tain, but even then there was no safety
it seemed. Patti they say, had such a
triumph here. Who else?
"And even Patti did not have Geral-
dine Farrar to leap up from her third
row seat and cheer and clap along in
fine, generous impulse of American sports
manship!"
Rarely" declared "The American"
"have such scenes Of genuine enthusiasm
been witnessed of late as she evoked
through the medium of her peculiarly win
ming art with the coloratura garlands OF
Meyerbeer's 'Dinorah' as framework for
her vocal persuasions." Indeed, according
to this paper, the singer quite held the au-
dience "in the hollow of her pretty hand. 1"
One critic rather extravagantly' chal-
lcnged his readers who wished to ascer-
tain the number of thee singers curtain
calls to try to count the Milky Ways
members, the flowers in a summer meadow
or grains of sand along beach" But
another critic, rather closer, perhaps, to
the empiric realities, came to the rescue
with figures less bewildering. There were
sixty.
0UlTE mass of very intelligent though
~ not strictly dovetailing criticism
upon the singers voice appeared in the
New York papers. Against chorus of
assurances that her voice possesses ian
agreeable mellowness," warmth in
purely lyric passages" a 'creaminess"
and "velvet softness," "a luscious quality"
'velvety warmth" warm and tender ex-
pression"-against this chorus stands alone
the critic Of "The Evening Post" protest
ing that her voice "is not luscious, not vel
vety, nor is its quality always pure; also
that "it is seldom honeyed" This critic
MAINTAINS, on the other hand, that 'ner
technique and bravura are admirable, nav,
wonderful. She avoids the white voice
and executes difficult passages with as
tonishing ease; she is mistress of per-
feet legato, but it is her staccati that put
her on level with her great predecessors
and that dazzle and delight her audience"
The. Tribune wrote:
Mime. Galli-Curci is no sensatonalist. de-
pendent on few high tones She is splen-
didly rounded artist, the possessor Of voice
of ample power, of extraordinary thrill
ing quality, and one absolutely uniform
throughout its scale"
The Sun" commended her exquisite
purity of tone, her bell-like attack. her
perfect smoothness of legato, her ad-
mirably sustained phrasing and her "beau-
tlful mezza voce," while "The Globe" re-
Jolced in her "clear and flexible trill. -
the rare evenness and smoothness in the
delivery Of scales and fioriture." the
notable facility and charm in staccato
passages" and added that ct is voice
whose every note in every gradation of
power is responsive and pure, suggesting
in that respect nothing less than the tid-
ding of Jascha Heifetz"
Comparisons were made by most of the
critics--comparisons invoking such great
names as Sembrich, Melba, Patti, Tetraz-
zini In almost every instance Galh-C
emerged from these tests with flying
banners.
Galli-Curci, it was reported, "two short
years ago knocked in vain at the austere