Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-05-06
THE OPERATIC SOCIETY
GIVES THE SERENADE"
Excellent Performance of Herbert's
Comic Opera Under Baton
Of the Composer
THE SERENADE
Opera by Victor Herbert

The Philadelphia Operate Society gave
the tiftioth opera and tho forty second per
formance of its career at the Metropolitan
Opera House last evening when it pre-
sentCd Victor IIerbcrt's The Scrcnade."
Tho opera was we'll sung. admirably acted
and effectively staged, the one feature which
might have been improved being the in
terminablc waits between the acts, which
were more than half an hour in each in
stance. Mr.. Herbert. too. was as generous
of cncorcs as he is at Willow Grove Park
during the summer season. with the result
that most of the arias of the opera were
sung twice and one or two of them three
times. and the performance was not over
until few minutes before midnight.
The audience was large and thoroughly
appreciative and insisted upon the more
popular numbers being repeated. The mem
bcrs of the large east all acquitted them
selves with much credit, the parts of IvonnP.
taken by Emily Stokes lIagar and Dolores
by Marie stone I.angston being among the
most effective Of all. Both made charming
stage appearances WIN JluSHl'nl anu
tinossp. acted and sang with much beauty of
tone and truencss of intonation. The color
atrrre song sung by Ivonne in the second
act was an especially good piece of work
aud displayed an excellent range with good
tone color throughout and an equally good
vocal technique.
OF the male characters all were Of about
equal merit and the standard was high.
Horace Hood was very good as the Duke,
the part making some severe demands both
in acting and in singing, while Carl Wey-
mann as Alvardo. showed a voice Of pleas
ing quality but rather light in volume. 1t
was sufficient. hswcvrr, for the part, which
is not heroic. The fine bass voice of J.
Hclfcnstcin Mason and the equally fine
tenor of Paul NoIkmaun furnished two of
the best bits of vorn!zation of the perform
nnce and their solos and ensemble num-
bcrs received the applause from the audi
cncp which they deserved. Charles J. Shut
tleworth as Gomez had more of an acting
than singing part, and kept the house in
a gale of laughter by his fine work as Il
comedian. The character did not allow him
an opportunity to display the really excel
lent base voice that he possesses. The com
p. Whitel. the Mother Superior eva A.
Ritter. Fra Anselmo UeRoy =. Harry
and the Ancestor (E. J. Brown were ade-
quatey given.
The ballet. which is an unusually good
feature of the Operatic Society, gave some
very fine dances and showed the hardswork
which its members have done to attain such
proficiency in the difficult ensemble dancing
figures which they gave. The scenery was
appropriate and was lent by the Metro
polian Opera Company.
Mr. Herbert, the composer of the opera,
conducted. but the real credit of the per
formancc belongs to Wassili LPps, who did
all the work of training the cast and chorus,
and to whom Mr.. Herbert, in a little speech
oftcr the first act. made due acknowlcdg
mpnts. The chorus was excellent. especially
in the capclla work at the beginning of the
third act singing with good tone quality and
rhythm. The opera will be repeated tonight.