New-York tribune., 1922-03-11
Ethel Hayden
Proves Delight
In Song Recital
Possesses Voice of Exquisite
Timbre and Purity and
She Uses Ii With Rare
Taste and Intelligence
Miss Otein Heard in Opera
Spanish Debulante Might
BE Designated as the
Most Staccatoed Rosina
By II. +. krehbiel


Two singers, hitherto strangers to
New York audiences, made local debuts
yesterday. Miss Otein made disclosure
OF her quality as an operate vocalist
and actress at the Metropolitan Opera
House in RosSini's Barber" in the
evening. Concerning her something
more presently.
audience, which showed keen apprecia.
tion of the higher type of song. lis
tened to Miss Ethyl Hayden whose
proposed appearance in a recital some
weeks ago was frustrated by domes-
TIC sorrow-the death of sister. Her
Singing provided one of the surprises
and genuine delights of the season.
she is the possessor of soprano voice
OF exquisite timbre and purity. OF its
range the music afforded no oppor-
tunlty for judgment. for she sang moth
ing calling for extra ordinary. flights
INTO the attitudes; but the time has
passed when tones in altissimo were
considered proofs of excellence If
they were Miss Otein would rank
higher than we fancy she will in the
OPINION of the Informed, the knowing
the cognoscenti, to use familiar crit.
cal phrase
Sings With Rare Intelligence
MISS hayden sang as far up the
scale as her songs demanded but sang
lntelllgently, tastefully, as if she knew
and felt the beauty of melody and in
stlnctively knew how to produce it.
Always she disclosed the loveliness of
the line, an artistic virtue of which
the newcomer at the opera seems un-
conscious. Her singing of Una voce
DOCO OT +oN
ism. series of little points of tone,
plped, scarcely sung. She seems en-
titled to be set down as the most STAG
catoed Rosina on record.
Had there not been many things in
Miss Hayden's singing to indicate that
she has been studying the art of sing
ing with Nine. Sembrich her pro-
gram would have betrayed the fact, not
only because it was constructed along
the lines for which Nine. Sembrich
set the fashion--a group of classical
airs to begin with. followed by groups
of French melodies and German ieder,
with songs of lighter order by Eng
hsh and American composers at the
end. But in this Nine Sembrich
was followed by a most of recital
givers. Miss Hayden. however, drew
largely on her teachers repertory In
the first group we heard Spohr's song,
Rose, softly blooming as severe
test in the legato style. as the air
Nozzi di Figaro which followed it,
Three French melodies, which followed,
hizet's "Pastorale.' Debussy's "Yrcen"
ana Dalcroae's "L'Oiseau bleu," were
introduced to our recital rooms by
Nine. Sembrch.
Restores Charpentier Air to Favor
Miss Hayden had the air "Depuis
le Jour- from Charpentfef's "Louise,'
composition which used to oe ap-
pealing enough until we were obliged
to hear it sung in the opera by Miss
Garden and Miss Farrar, since which
time it has been almost bette noir
Miss Haydeu's fine feeling and beau
tful symmetry of phrase almost re
established 1t in our good graces
Then came six songs in the interpreta-
comp panion in, her day-SchubertM
"Frjihlngsg CLAUDE" Die Forelle,"
Schumann's "Dein Bil Mss so wunder-
selig,' "Schneegljjckche and "Fruh-
'ngsnacht," to which She added Schu-
bert's "Hark Hark. the Lark on a
recall.
In all these songs Miss Hayden fol
lowed her eycmplar IN a blending Of
poctical sentiment, with the beauty of
the mclodic line, making the music
eloquent without resort to the
dramatic manner, so often abused,
which seeks to color every word re
gardless of the more essential element
Of oratorical defamation. At the last
she sang songs by Horsman, La Forge,
Harris, Cyril Scott and Wetzel.
But we must not forget the new
coloratura soprano at the opera. Miss
Otein is Spaniard, but we do not
think that her nationality had much to
do with her conception of the char
acter of Rosina. Trying to be arch,
she seemed to be infected with the
buresque humor which possessed her
companions, Messrs. Ruffo. Didur and
Malatesta, who as Figaro, Baslio and
DR.. Bartoo, respectively. did all they
could by estravagant action and conf
cal. boisterous singing to turn the old
comedy into farce.
Carmen" Sung at Matinee
The opera in the afternoon was
Carmen" of which q special perform
ance was given for the benefit of the
Vacation Assoc iation. Miss Farrar.
who displayed as large q variety of
costumes as she did kinds of voice.
was the representative of the gypsy, Of
course, and with her, though not at
ali ike her in song and action, was
Miss Bori, the most winning and SYM
pathetic of the many Micaelas who
have been seen and heard on the stage
Of our opera house. Mr.. Harold, too
frequently choled by emotion to en-
able his admirable voice to sound to
its best advantage, was the representa-
tive of Don Jose and MIR. DeLuca, of
the bull-fghter Mr.. Hasselmans CON
Quoted intelligently and authoritatively