The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-05-26
NOTABLE MUSICAL
Event IN MANKATO
MADAME SCHUMANN HEINK
SANG LAST NIGHT
THEATRE WAS PACKED
Splendid Audience Heard Great
Srtiste In Magnificent
Program.

intensely magnetic. Add genius
and the most gigantic super per
sonality results. Add a great. love
of humanity and you have Madame
Schumann Heink. A wonderful wo-
man-a remarkable personality. She
is not only a great singer but is a
woman of exceptional qualities. No
wonder she sang TO a magnificent
audience last night. II was a splen-
did gathering Of music and song
lovers from all over Southern Min
nesota. No one ever sang TO
larger audience in Mankato. No
songsters won the hearts and the
applause that Madame Schumann
Heink did at the Orpheum theatre
last night. The crowd tested the
theatres capacity. The audltorlums.
the balcony, the gallery, the stage
we're crowded. II was the most not
able occasion of its character In the
history of this community.
Was Fine Program.
Madame Schumann Heinks pro-
gram was one of the finest in her
repertory-the one she has given
in many of the largest cries or the
United States during the past sea
n began with two great Italian
classics by Rossi and Handel, and
the great dramatic "Ah, Mon FITS
from Meyerbeer's lie prophetic that
mo coptralto now singing invests
with the dramatic force and pathos
that Schumann Heink gives 70 II.
ITO call her the greatest OF con-
traltos is not sufficient description
of her voice, which today, as II mas
ever been, combines all the guam :
ties of a dramatic soprano with the
deepest organ tones OF the contralto
register. To attempt to describe neI
qualities of voice and superb and
HneonsIIed artistry would be only to
reiterate the written comment OF
critics throughout the country.
There is but one Schumann Heink
and she sang for US with all the fire,
ardor and pathos and humor that
90 to the rendition Of a Schumann
Heink program anywhere In the
world. She was, as always, liberal
with encores. giving after the arias
of her first group, MacDoweils "a
nous "Thy Beaming Eyes with a
wealth of expression that made II
new song to many. .,-
she repeated the exquisite IN
dian Love Song" by Leurance,
frruing the second time to sing II
10 the people behind her on the
stage. For, this number there was
> beautiful violin obligato played by
Miss Rardeman. 1t is TO be regret
ted that the program was not OH
ginaily arranged TO include~a group
of solos by the yiofinist: NO one
hut Schumann Heink could give 70
Ward Stephens Have You, seer
Him in France?" and LaForge.s
aFasnders REQUIEM" the heartfelt
,.y,,rIssion that makes her the idol
of the exseryice men wherever she
gees. , A.,
program in detail-no one VINO
heard il can ever forget it. To say
mat no one can sing the "Erl King
as she sings it is only TO repeat
what everyone knows. 1t was
"Eaidenroeslein" was exquisite
the lullaby Pirate Dreams" deb
eious and the Ardit "Bolero," q
tour de force OF coloratura singing
with a thrill that would make many
a youthful soprano green with envy
By request she sang the much ioy;
ed "Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht ano
the sRosary." To many these above
were worth a long journey To near
II seems almost impossible to be,
Heye that Schumann Heink is no.
twenty years younger than she say:
she is-she looks 1t In spite OF mel
gray hair, which, by the Nay,.
very beautiful She was magnih
cent picture in gray and silver lace
with all her jewelled medals and
orders on her breast. But 1t was
her singing, her youthful voice ano
the uneuuelled control OF II tha'
most made one forget her years
She says she will sing her artist:
5ubilee-ceiebrate her fftieth an
/. niyersary as a singer in hve years
more and it is easy to believe thal
she will then be as glorious as now
Recipient of Beautiful Flowers.
She was the recipient OF a wealth
of beautiful flowers. Among other:
there were immense bouquets from
the Lorentz Post Of the American
Legion, the Orpheus club and the
Mankato Music club. Each SEN
beautiful roses in generous quaint
ties. Madame received everyone
who came UP after the program witt
a warm shake of her hand and Z
pleasant smile and many a witty
remark. She had much to say u
the ex- service men, of her love fol
-
have their colors on the stage, bu
chided them for spending money OF
flowers for her, when so much i:
needed for their own disabled com
rades.
Arthur Loesser, was an incompar
able accompanist and was received
in his solo numbers as warmly a
Madame He is a pianist OF bril-
liant attachments and as accompan
fst gave the singer the most sym
pathetic support. After two Chopin
numbers he played a Chopin Valse
and his last solo the LisZt arrange
ment OF the Rakoczy March wal
followed by the Scherzo in e Mino
by Mendelssohn as an extra.
II was a concert that will long b
remembered by all who heard he
whether connoiseurs in music d
not -Schumann Heink is absolutel.
unique She is the last ,-of gen
Grafton of singers unequalled any
where today. They were singers o
the grand manner of unequalle'
vocalism with all that the tradition
of grand opera could bestow. Schu
mann Heink has sung all the con
tralto and many of the 6opran'
roles In the French and ltaliai
schools and has made many grea
Wagnerian characters so absolutel.
Der own that others can only striv'
&C follow in her foot steps. AS
singer of songs she surely has n,
equal among opera singers and ]
is to be hoped that she will reviy'
the interest IN the classical song
of Schubert and Schumann whicl
have been so long neglected.