Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-03-01
CONCERT Of PAUL
Al THOUSE CALLS
FORTH APPLAUSE
Metropolitan Opera Tenor
Reveals Voice of Great
Beauty; Pianist Shares
HOnorS.

Before a fairly we'll filled house
last night Paul Althouse, tenor, as
sisted by Rudolph Gruen. pianist,
presented q program Of songs and
piano solos which won the most
hearty ovation accorded an artist
so far this season
The program, which reached It's
dramatic climax in the depth and
power Of Take All of Me-" by
Stickles, and the appealing gentle
ness OF The Brown Eyes of My
Dushka,' by Lohr, was very well
balanced and gave evidence of
Iskillful selection.
Mr. Althouse's first group of
songs was composed Of French
airs, of which the most vigorously
Iapplauded was lie Chevelier Belle
Etoille' Of Holmes, This Mr.. Att
house sang in truly masterful
style. calling into play the brilliant
notes Of his top voice as well as
well delivered phrases in a lower
register. His singing of the aria,
Celeste Aida" from Nerdi's
Aida was magnificent all the
way through to the end. which was
marked by q perfectly placed high
note Of great volume. To this and
the preceding group Mr. Althouse
was forced to add encores.
OF the remaining songs on the
program, the most distinctive were
THE Phantom Ships" composed
by Mr.. Gruen; "a Pages Road
Song" by Novello; Take All Of
Me- by Stickles, which Mr., Alt
house delivered with the utmost of
dramatic power and opulence of
tone; and 1.-THE Great Awakening"
by Kramer. which was, in fact, the
anti-climaX of the concert. The
applause at the end of the final
group was voCiferous, and, after
being recalled several times. MIR.
Althouse sang an encore, La Donna
Z Mobile" from Rigoletto. which
he sang with appropriate lightness
and perception Of feeling. culmi-
mated in another high note which
easily overcame the poor acoustics
Of the auditorium sufficiently to
extract great enthusiasm from the
audience. This last number was
truly the big moment of the even
ing.
Mr.. Althouse is possessed Of a
voice Of really extraordinary
beauty. His vocal methods are
such as place at his disposal any
style Of singing, from sauvity of
phrasing to the most tremendous
of rohusto passages lie sings with
the ease that invariably bespeaks
the musical intelligence OF artists
of the highest rank.
There were moments of q Sug-
sested huskiness or hoarseness OF
tone, which were for the most part
confined exclusively to pianiSsimo
passages. Mr.. Althouse achieved
his most powerful tones without
apparent effort. He has none OF
the prey ling tendency to heaVe
in producing a fortissimo passage
The work of Rudolph Gruen al
the piano was no less praiseworthy
Mr.. Gruen, in his accompaniments
nIayed with n sympathetic percep-
ton which permitted him to pro-
duce most artistic settings for the
singers airs. In his solo selections
Mr.. Gruen was revealed as planis'
of large proportions artistically
His readings of Chopin's "B Fla'
scherzo" and LISTS sixth Hun
garian Rhapsody" were marked by
nice intelligence. His encore
was Percy Grainger's Country
Gardens" in which he differed
somewhat from the COMPOSERS IN
terpretation, playing it faster ana
with more sauvity. His beautlfu
touch was revealed at its best IN
this number,
The members of the Apollo ciup'
with George Geake conducting
sang two songs in which their
familiar faults were betrayed
again. There is. apparently, little
effort to retain the pitch, and most
apparent discrepancies in tempo
were noticed. Mrs. D, w. Faw
provided excellent ACCOMPANY
ments.