Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-26
SA|NT-SAENS OPERA
GIVEN COLORFULLY.
Homer and AIthOuse Score
Success in Samson
and DeIiIah."

The Washington Opera Co.. Edouard
Albion director. deserves sincere COM
mendatiOn for the fine professional
performance Of Saint Saens' opera.
Samson and Delilah." as prese nted
before a large audience that almost
filled the Washington Auditorium last
night. 1t was not only a large. but
discriminating. audience. and showed
marked enthusiasm and unusually
keen attention for an opera audience
during the entire performance. Nine.
TONERS family were among the spec
tators
Louise Homer. In her famous role
of the temptress, Delilah. was the
star Of the evening. and won curtain
call after curtain call in the ovation
at the end of the second act, In which
she sang and acted her difficult role
extremely effectively, including the
famous Mon Concur SQUIRE a ia
VoiX," which she gave with dramatic
power. Her voice was in fine condi-
ton. with its wide range of tone well
controlled and each note round and
co,orful. Her love and appreciation
of the role were evident. 1t is to be
hoped She Will sing in more opera
productions here. The cast last night
was all-American in character.
AIthouse Vivid Samson.
Paul Althouse. tenor, brought force
full acting and vivid vocal interpre-
tation to the role of Samson. He was
equally satisfactory to both the eye
and ear in his Characterization. His
first aria. Pause and Stand" was
we'll sung, and his part in the second
act was convincingly done. the duet
with Delilah being especially good,
but his. supreme moment came in the
aria of the third act, Sore My Dis.
treSS."
Fred Patton. baritone. as the high
priest of Dagon. completed a trio Of
fine singers in the leading roles. He
was most effective in his aria In the
second act, in which he urges Delilah
to help the Philistines
Charles Trowbridge Tittman. Wash
ington basso. lent august presence to
the role of Abimelech, satrap Of GAIA,
and sang with professional ease and
clear phrasing. AS Abimelech has an
untimely death about the middle Of
the first act. Mr.. Tittmann was able
old Hebrew. in which he was equally
satisfactory.
Orchestra In Good Form.
Albert Almoney. Baltimore tenor.
and Henry Allen, bass, sang the few
lines of the first and second Philis-
tines successfully. The chorus. under
Noes Zlatine seems to be constantly
improving and the orchestra, as d.
rected last night by Jacques Samos-
soud. was the best this wear. Bernard
Cantor. stage director, deserves men
tion for the Sc tings.
Elizabeth Gardiner and Paul Tcher-
nikoff brought the ballet Of the COM
pany into prominence last night, espe-
cially in the brilliant music of the
bacchanale. Although the two lead
ers were themselves striking In the
featured part Of the dance. the entire
group showed good training. The
dance Of the priestesses also was we'll
done. 1t would add to the productions
Of this company to have more ballet in
the operas. for Mr.. Tchernikoff seems
we'll equipped to produce worthy num-
bers.
An undercurrent of dramatic feeling
seemed present in the house last night.
Samson and Delilah" may not be a
great opera unsteady, but is certainly
one Of the most engrossing dramati-
cally. with a small cast and a clear.
simple story. With as fine a presenta-
ton as 1t had last night. this opera
makes an excellent evenings enter
tainment. II. T.