Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-05-29
GREAT SOPRANO
THRILLS WITH
MAJESTIC SONG
Galli-Curei on Second Appearance
Before TrI-City Audience
Arouses Enthusiasm.
CAPACITY HOUSE HEARS SING
Assisting Artists, Manuel Beren-
guer and Homer SamueIs, Com
plete Perfect Performance.

For the second time in the three
short years since Amelita CALI
Curci made her famous American
debut in Chicago, a vast audience
at Augustana gymnasium was
swept by a magnificent voice that
thrilled and swayed her hearers
to the widest enthusiasm as she
appeared in concert recital last
evening.
AS on her appearance two years
ago in the same hall and under
the same auspices, the Tri-City
Musical association, she looked
when she stepped upon the stage
as though she had been released
from an eighteenth century minia-
ture or daguerreotype and she won
an instant ovation from her audi
ence which filed every available
place in the spacious gymnasium.
If there was any question in the
minds of those who heard her two
years ago, and not since that time,
that they would feel disappoint-
ment, it was at once dispelled
when she uttered the first lovely,
pure legato note of her introduce
tory song. She is still the great
est cOlorature soprano that this
generation has produced, in fact
she seems to have gained in some
subtle quality that grips her hear
ers and there is perhaps something
to be written in praise of CALI
Curcfs singing that has not al
ready been written; but it does not
occur to the writer just at this mo-
ment.
Likewise as on her previous visit
to Rock Island. the program was
presented by Galli-Curci with the
assistance of Manuel Berenguer,
fiutist, and Homer Samuels, pianist,
both of whom with their fine art,
enhanced the pleasure of the well
arranged program.
In colorature Galli-Curci dis
plays the supremacy of an artist
and for briIliancy and fine color
of temperament she has no equal
today on the concert platform. She
possesses the charm of emotional
expression particularly in the low
er register where so often colOra-
ture sopranos lack vibrance and
resonance. Her high register is a
marvel of clarity and so resembles
the flute in its quality that it is at
times next to impossible to dis
tinguish between the instrument
and the human voice. With per-
/ sonality at once attractive, though
demure and ingenious she sings
with the most wonderful art which
is entirely devoid of effort or at
fectation. Her power of sustain
ing tones is so remarkably devel-
oped that the listener involuntar-
lily draws many breaths for her
while she serenely and easily
holds on to the tone, never falter-
ing nor indicating in any manner
where from that small body she
gets the actual breath to keep it
steady and pure. New York crit
les have recently been accusing
Galli-Curci of fiatting in the IN
accompanied passages, but no sign
of this fault was visible last night
unless the eastern critics have
much sharper ears for tone Auctu-
alton, Her tone seemed as true
and pure as the instruments that
accompanied her, but spots may
even be found in the sun, but only
the pessimist or scientist ever
takes the trouble to find a dark
ened glass to look for them, most
of us preferring to bask in its
warm rays.
Added to the voice Of brilliancy
and beauty of personality that so
distinguishes Galli-Curci there is
an indefinable something that
stamps her as the perfect artist.
of musical nuance, she is poetic,
imaginative and has that vital
thing in art, a personal quality.
The program was admirably ar
ranged, the diversity of the selec-
lions giving the noted singer OPP
portunity to exhibit styles of sing
ing as different as the styles of
composition. Thus the fourth
group containing nothing of par
ticular significance, offered a won
derfully> sweet voice in SCOTS
Lullaby" which contrasted eff
fectively with the vigor of Gou-
mods Valse Song from Romeo and
Juliet" and the rollicking treat
ment of THE Brownies" by Leoni.
The program opened with an old
English melody, MARY of Allen
dale" by Hook and the familiar
composition found so frequently
on concert programs because of
its de1icacy, THE Lass With the
Delicate Air" by Arne. specially
pleasing was the well-known Bel
lini number, All, Non Creda,"
from "Sonnambula" and "Lo Ca
pinera" (The Wren), by Benedict,
with flute accompaniment. Her
tone in these was inimitable in its
delicacy with its trills and run
executed with the ease that most
of us breathe. But undoubtedly the
most surprising and battling fete
of the evening was her singing of
the concluding number on the pro-
gram, the Shadow Song" from
"Dinorah," by Meyerbeer, given
with flute accompaniment Its con-
tent comprised a variety and in
tensity of expression which has
probably never been heard since
she sang the Mad Scene" from
Lucia" on her previous appear
ance here. 1t was like listening to
two perfectly tuned instruments
with the same wholly beautiful
and luscious quality, each note
round and pure and easily and nat
uraIly produced, delightfully."- warm
and appealing, absolutely tranquil
and enforced and which never
failed to carry conviction. The
other group of songs included