Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-11
GALLI-CURCPS
VOICE CHARMS
BIG AUDIENCE
Famous Soprano Appears at
Auditorium in Recital That
Recalls Her First Bril-
liant Appearance Here.
By HENRIETTA N. Res.

from the main floor to the top row
in the balcony with the eagerly ex-
pectant throng. Those who had
heard her before were anxiously
waiting to repeat their delights of
that long-to-be-remembered eve
ming. Those who had never heard
her had been waiting for almost two
seasons for the opportunity to pre-
sent itself when they too might sat-
isty their long cherished desire. The
flu" ban was banished with a ven
geance and it was an encouraging
fact that but little coughing was
heard at any time in the audience.
Cordial Greeting Given.
When Madame Galli-Curci appear
ed she was greeted with a cordial
outburst of applause. both for her
lame and for her modest appearance
and sweet charm of manner. Her
voice is a truly wonderful organ
with a velvety quality of tone which
IS more than satisfying. Her colora-
tura work was remarkable, and de-
llvered with an ease which disarmed
the listeners from any knowledge of
the extreme difficulties which she
frequently encompassed. But upon
the whole this recital did not COM
pare with the one which she gave
two years ago at the Boyd theater,
when she sang for the Tuesday
Musical club.
1t may have been partly the fact
her success has been so phenomenal
that one expected far too much. III
may have been partly the size Of
the auditorium, which in spite of its
excellent acoustics makes it harder
to feel en- rapport with recitalists of
the dainty bird-like type of a CALI
Curci. 1t may have been that the
prima donna herself did not feel as
much in the mood as she did that
other evening when she took the
audience by storm with one of the
hnest recitals ever heard in this
sity.
Some Brilliant Numbers.
The recital was excellent in many
ways, but Nine. Galli-Curci sang at
times with an effort, and at other
times her voice sounded tired, while
we suspected the pitch of several of
her high tones. 1t wasn't quite up
to what one would expect from
Galli.Curci, The great moments of
her former recital were not there.
In those parts of her program
where she was at her best, particu-
larly the brilliant coloratura num-
bers, she sang with a wealth of
vocal display and exquisite beauty
OF tone which quite ravished the
senses. Her passage work was at
all times delightfully."- clear. each
note standing out by itself like one
Of a string of pearls, and the re-
inarkable breath control with which,
she prolonged the delights of many
an opportune note quite made one
marvel.
1t may have been partly her pro-
gram too, which caused a vague
sense Of disappointment. 1t did not
seem fit to her as suitably as the one
she presented at her former recital,
and her two groups of shorter num-
bers were so placed that it seemed
as il she gave too many of them
for an artistic balance.
Great Tone Beauty.
In the brilliant aria from the
Barber di Sevilla" and her closing
number, the Mad Scene From
Hamlet" Nine. Galli-Curc sang
this taxing music with great beauty
Of tone and art of Interpretation.
"When Chloris Sleeps" one of two
attractive songs by Homer Sam
ueis. her accompanist. was among
the gems of the smaller songs she
presented. Both of Mr.. Samuels'
songs were charming, and brought
spontaneous response as tribute
10 both the composer and the sing
Ell. An old Norwegian echo song
was another important number
which evoked the greatest enthussi-
asm, and which Nine. Galli-Curci
presented with great contrasts of
tonal art. Her encores were
numerous, and were for the most
part old English gems such as
Drink To Me Only With Thine
Eyes" Robin Adair (Which by the
way was one of the most artistic
Of the whole EVENING", and Annie
Laurie" A Cyril Scott Lullaby
was another encore which brought
unalloyed pleasure by its sheer
beauty and tender sentiment.
Sings In English.
II was a compliment to the au-
dience that all Of the smaller songs
werc sung in English.
Nine. Galii-C enunciates her
English we'll, and for the most part
il Is clearly understandable. We
have heard many singers who have
been brought up in this language,
and many others who have been in
America far longer than Nine.
CALI Curci, who could not be UNDER
stood nearly as we'll Her pronun-
citation and infection, however,
still smack somewhat of foreign
flavor. Since her English is not her
strongest point and her scintillating
brilliancy of tone is, we suspect that
there were many in the audience
who would have foregone a little of
the compliment for perhaps another
Italian aria or waltz song where
they could revel in the dazzling
beauty of vocal establishment,
which one does not find so fire.
quently within the powers of many
another singer.
Given Many Eneores.
The audience was enthusiastic and
insistent with its applause, recalling
Nine. Galli-Curci again and again,
and she in her turn was gracious in
her response, giving many sencores.