Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-02-26
eLUCK PLEASES
BIG AUDIENCE
Noted American Prima Donna So
prano in Recital Greeted By
Packed House.

Any doubt regarding the popu-
larity or Misunderstanding power
Of Madam Alma Chuck must be
dispelled by those who last night
heard the noted singer at Angus
tana gymnasium, for Rock Island
gave Madam Gluck a reception
Ethat was as creditable to the city
fas it was complimentary to the
famous American prima donna So
Eprano. The audience, perhaps the
largest that has ever assembled in
brock Island to hear a concert pro-
gram, was worthy of the artists
best efforts, for it packed the aud :
ftorium from the stage 20 the en-
trance, filing every nook and cor
ner and overlooking onto the stage
back OF the singer and into the
running gallery Of the gymnasium.
Seldom has an artist in the COM
munity ever had a more cordial
welcome and she must feel the af-
lection in which she is held by the
American public.
The first thing that wins one to
Alma Gluck is the charm of her
presence on the stage, the subtle
Equality of distinction which makes
+ one conscious that here is a per
fsonality replete with those mag
5feiic qualities so much desired by
patrons OF music. Charm of man
fner, graciousness and comejiness
that never fails to attract are but
80 few Of the attributes possessed
IN abundant degree by the singer.
sShe wins convincingIy because
she appeals to the visual as we'll
Jas the aural senses.
Broad in her musicianship. in
constant sympathy with the fullest
s7rtent Of the composer, Alma
fGluck also attaches paramount
Importance to the value of clear
sand correct diction with the re-
.sult that the text of any song she
s3nterprets is unyaringIy distinct.
sAnd whatever may be said about
the quality of her voice, one must
admire her excellent control of it,
the warmth of temperament, the
HAWKES. diction and the fine in
ktelhgence that has wrought out the
combination of merits shown in
sher singing.
The singer was not in good voice
land evidently was Iaboriug under
ssome difficulty. perhaps i cold, or
se1se the fact must be ad-
Emitted that Madam G1uck is on
sthe decline. While she sings
with fine feeling, with chaste
refinement ana intelligence and
E with musical judgment, her
voice seems to have lost its accus-
s{omed richness, warmth and emo
stional color though to the delivery
tof her songs she imparts a variety
$50 that her recitals can never fall
into monotony.
Her upper tones are strained.
thin and husky and even false at
times and her program numbers
called for no show of great techni-
cal powers or ability. But it must
be said in justice to the singer
that her rendition of the simple
every day songs with which the
public has long been familiar, was
beautifully done. Especially was
this true of her concluding mum
Der given as an encore after pro-
longed applause, Garry Me Back
70 Old Virginny" Games Bland)
.and Comm Thro' the Rye" was
given as an encore selection.
The program opened with u
group of four numbers:
rPlus ne suis ce que j'ai etc" -.
..... Clement Marot
"Quand Mon Mari Went de
. dehors" ...... Orlando de Lasso
20 Sleep Why Dost Thou Leave
Me- Handel
sLoVe Was Once a Little Boy"
........ Wade-Zimb alist
To this group she responded
with an encore 1.-THE Lass With
The Delicate Air" OF the group
the Handel selection was the best
given, the composition fitting bet
Ter than the others to the register
of her voice.
A group of five Russian songs
Followed:
sLittIe Russia Folksongs' .....
Zimbalist |
sLilacs" ..-...-. Rachmaninof |
1.-THE Answer" ..... RachmaninOff |
1.-THE Rose Has Enchanted the
the Nightingale" .....-
...... Rimsky-korsakoff |
sHopak" ....... MouSsorgsky |
@Lilacs" in this group was well |
sung and was in fact one of the |
best numbers on the program. Two i
encores were demanded and she
gave such a Little Fellow" and |
tComin' Thro' the Rye
The concluding group struck the |
most responsive chord i'll the aud
ience and was sung very well in
deed, the numbers being:
Prayer Perfect" $500. Stenson
-The Shepherdess" 49,. Horsmar
sAuld Daddy Darkness" E. Homer
9 The Angels are STOPPING" ...
s...--.-.. tranl
Sigh No More Ladies" Treharne
1.-The Angels are STOPPING" found
The most favor with her audience
81 this group and the number was
alphabetically and beautifully
given. The audience was not overly
critical and the majority seemed tn J
be pleased with the performance
md that was the object in pre-
senting it.
Miss Eleanor Scheib was at the
siano as accompanist tn Madam
1luck and one of the greatest COM
sliments that can be paid her is
hat the listener was not aware
shat she was accompanying, a real
art in itself. One was only con-
scious that there was a sympa-
shetic background for the voice o. :