Evening star., 1927-12-10
BAKLANOFF STARS
IN FOURTH OPERA
Dorothy Speare Is Admirable
as Marguerite to Capt.
taine's Faust.

Enthusiastically received, Faust"
was sung by the Washington Opera
Co. at Polls Theater last night as the
: fourth presentation in the festival
week of grand opera. A colorful ana
fashionable, though smaller. audience
than those which have greeted the
three previous operas was in attend
ance. but what may have been lacking
in numbers was made up IN demon
strativeneSS.
Protracted applause followed the
singing, in many instances, of the cele.
brated arias. while hearty "bravos'
on several occasions voiced more
emotional expression of approval.
The presentation of Faust IS ever
an event of prime Importance in the
musical world. The ma ieStic beauty
of Gounods music carries its own
merited appeal. 1t is a vocal and IN
strumental Interpretation of serious
theme already great in literature many
years before the composition OF the
opera. and one which presents almost
unlimited dramatic possibilities
Faust" is an opera to test singer and
actor.
BaklanOff Is Star.
The performance of Faust last
evening was featured by the presence
in the cast of three notable singers.
The operas leading role. that of
Mephistopheles. was sung by Georges
Baklanoff. He proved overwhelm-
ingly to be the artistic star of the eve
ming. His brilliant Interpretation of
the role may be termed no less than a
vocal and dramatic triumph. Last eve
ing Baklanoff's presence dominated
the performance from his first appear
ance on the scene to the final lower
ing of the curtain. He possesses a
rich bass voice, which is of superior
quality in its range from the deepest
notes to the mellow sweetness of some
of the higher scales the arias call for.
The applause which followed his
singing of the Calf of Gold" aria. and
his colorful singing of the flendish
"Serenade," in the fourth act, reached
the volume of an ovation, and brought
repeated curtain appearances. Mr..
Baklanoff demonstrated convincingly
that in addition to his vocal attain
ments he is also remarkably gifted in
histronic ability. His stage presence
was ever commanding. A giant in
stature, his towering figure dominat-
ing the scene, Mephisto was, in the
person of Baklanoff, truly the diaboli-
cal sovereign of evil, brilliant in his
Somber raiment.
Miss Dorothy Speare was heard in
the prima donna role of Marguerite
Her soprano voice was in good form
and was heard to fine advantage, while
her appearance in the role of the inno-
cent victim of Mephistopheles and
Faust was beautifully impressive. Her
singing throughout was of uniformly
. high quality, and was rewarded by
hearty applause. Her singing of the
"Jewel Song" was received especially
well.
Rose Polio is Applauded.
Maurice Capitaine, who is here by
special courtesy of the French gov
ernment, made his third appearance
of the week in the role of Faust. His
rich, lyric voice was again in convinc-
ing evidence, while his acting was
smooth and graceful. His singing was
especially commendable in the gar
den and prison scenes, as was also his
dramatic interpretations.
Rose Polio, local singer, sang in
good form her contralto role of Siebel,
the lover of Marguerite. Her Flower
Song" was highly applauded. Ivan
Ivantzoff, who has established himself
as a favorite in local operate presen-
tations, was heard to good advantage
as Valentine. His singing and acting
were outstanding in the death scene
after the fatal duel with Faust.
Mr.. Bimboni again conducted in an
admirable manner, guiding the orches-
ira, principals and chorus through
their blending roles with artistic pre-
cision. Stage settings were excellent
ly mounted, and large choral and
dance groupings were handled with
skillful harmony. The chorus was
especially impressive in the singing, in
English, of the inspiring Soldiers
Chorus"
The ballet numbers were not includ-
ed in last nights performance. How
ever. an instrumental treat was pro-
vided in the playing by the first vio-
linist of the sweet strains Of the grace.
full waltz music of the opera.
The festival week VIII be concluded
with the singing this afternoon of
''Hansel and Gretel" and of Aida
this evening.