Scan 37
Musical Courier 1905-11-29: Vol 51 Iss 1340, 1905
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1There will be an exodus of comic operas from Broadway within the coming fortnight. Edna May, with "The Catch of the Season," was the first to "fold her tents and silently steal away" this week. Marie Cahill, in "Moonshine," will leave the Liberty next week. "Happyland" has but a fortnight longer at the Lyric, and "The White Cat" will follow suit. "Little Johnny Jones," "Babes in Toyland" and Willard Holcomb's "Tom, Dick and Harry" will also bid New York a fond adieu. Richard Carle, in "Mayor of Tokio," will be in the vanguard of the newcomers with comic operas, Blauvelt and Barnabee being listed to follow later.
3This evening Peter F. Dailey will present a new musical comedy by Mark Swan and William Loraine at the Fields' Theatre. Loraine is said to have provided better music for this production than he did for his "Peggy from Paris."
5Musical attractions continued indefinitely at the theatres are as follows: "Wonderland," at the Majestic; "Veronique," at the Broadway; "The Earl and the Girl," at the Casino.
7Florence Easton, recently arrived from Europe, where she sang two seasons at Covent Garden, is a new coloraturist soprano with the Savage English Grand Opera Company. She will be heard this season in the role of the beautiful Gilda, daughter of the humpbacked jester in "Rigoletto."
9John E. Henshaw, of "The Sho-Gun" Company, is a noted linguist. He has for a companion a sagacious looking bull terrier. While greeting an orchestra in several languages, which by the way had a polyglot composition, several stage hands who were lounging about became interested. At the end of a rather forceful exclamation in Magyar, his dog began suddenly to bark. "Gee," spoke up a stage hand, suddenly agape at the wonderful linguistic accomplishments of the comedian, "say, dat fellow's been talking Chinese, and I do believe the dog understands him. Hully Gee!"
11The original "Prince of Pilsen" Company touring the Pacific Slope is rapidly returning for its Eastern dates. Jess Dandy, the Hans Wagner in this melodious comic opera, describes an experience with a feminine admirer who wished to learn the secret of his humor. Asking Mr. Dandy how many kinds of comedians there were and how they got their material, he explained: "There are three kinds, makers, takers and fakirs. The first kind originate the joke, the second print them in theatre programs, the third supply the stage with them." Replied the lady, sweetly: "I suppose you come in the entire category, do you not?"
13"Princess Beggar" is the name of the new comic opera which Fred Robyn, who wrote the music of "The Yankee Consul," and Henry Paulton, the librettist of "Erminie," have just completed for Paula Edwardes.
15Good reports have emanated from the New England town where Henry Clay Barnabee, formerly of the Bostonians, who has recently been off the stage because of illness, appeared last Thursday in the first performance on any stage of the new musical satire, "Cloverdell," "a truly rural opera."
17The libretto is by Tilton Richardson and the music by George Lowell Tracy, both of Boston. The lyrics are by D. K. Stevens.
19Mr. Barnabee played the Hon. Jefferson Jackson Clover, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. The plot is a satire on national political life, scientific farming and rural simplicity.
21The public man as a respite from official cares takes a large retinue to his rural boyhood home, where complications arise between the secretary's society daughter and a farm hand of doubtful antecedents. The piece is said to be strong lyrically and musically with its nineteen numbers, the best of which are: "The Budding Rose," a story song, sung by Virginia; "The Veteran," sung by Solon Shaw and chorus; "The Indiscreet Parakeet," by Jane, and "The Balmy By and By," by Clover.
23Virginia Clover is played by Mary S. Sherwood, Solon Shaw by Victor Delancey, and Jane by Edith Hendee.
25Marjorie Dawson has just finished a composition dedicated to Maud Adams, and which has been introduced as incidental music in "Peter Pan" at the Empire Theatre.
27WITHERSPOON'S NEW YORK RECITAL.
29SOME additional criticisms of Herbert Witherspoon's New York recital are here reproduced:
31Herbert Witherspoon's artistic standing, like the finesse and resonance of a college graduated bass voice, grows steadily from year to year, and is so acknowledged at annual recitals. He sang yesterday afternoon to a polite assembly. His well arranged program, grouped in several tongues, quite justified intelligent applause. And he finished off with a touch of grim humor new to him, in rolling old Irish tunes. The third stanza added to one of these by "a later writer" was uncommonly un-Irish. Mr. Witherspoon's own translation of his French and German songs was a musically bit of work which that arch program maker, Sembrich, would not have blushed to own.—The Evening Sun.
33Seldom has an American singer been acclaimed with such a chorus of praise in England as was Mr. Witherspoon a few months ago. That he is not without honor in his own country, too, was shown by the large audience which heard and applauded him at Mendelssohn Hall yesterday afternoon. He had a formidable program, divided into four sections: (1) Old airs and songs; (2) classical and modern songs in German; (3) old and modern French songs; (4) modern songs in English, to which was added a few traditional Irish melodies. In all these spheres he moved with almost equal ease.
35"How much he looks like his picture," said one matinee girl to another. His looks are, indeed, part of this singer's capital; yet he would be able to "bank" on his voice alone and his vocal art, which betrays much taste and intelligence. He sang particularly well Schubert's "Gruppe aus dem Tartarus," and "Helle Nacht," a charming song by Hans Hermann. The audience was also greatly pleased with Sinding's "Licht," which suggests Valkyrian influence.—Evening Post.
37Herbert Witherspoon is fast becoming a concert singer of rank and authority; that he is an American has nothing to do with his musical ability, but it gives pleasure to those watching the development of this country as a creator of art in the broad sense.
39Mr. Witherspoon sang a score of songs yesterday afternoon at Mendelssohn Hall, and sang them with unfailing intelligence and a considerable technical skill.
41His voice has strength throughout its range, and beauty in at least a part of its gamut. That is saying a great deal.—Evening Mail.
43The program yesterday was varied, and in general well chosen. A delicate song by Hans Hermann, "Helle Nacht," most sympathetically sung, had to be repeated. Mr. Witherspoon was also particularly successful in the unaffected sincerity of Tours' "Mother o' Mine," and the grim power of Schubert's "Gruppe aus dem Tartarus."—Globe.
45Herbert Witherspoon gave a song recital yesterday afternoon at Mendelssohn Hall, Manhattan, before a large and appreciative audience. He sang in a pleasing and easy manner a group of old airs and songs, classical and modern, in German, French, English and traditional Irish melodies. Mr. Witherspoon responded to but one encore, although the audience was enthusiastic in the applause in nearly all of his selections. He was accompanied at the piano by Victor Harris; and one selection which called forth hearty applause was a song from Omar Khayyam, the music being written by Mr. Harris. Encores to this brought Mr. Harris, as well as Mr. Witherspoon, bowing to the front of the rostrum. Another song finding great favor was "Mother o' Mine," the words by Rudyard Kipling. This was sung with so much expression and feeling as to bring tears to the eyes of many auditors. Mr. Witherspoon's program was diversified in its selections, changing from the classical and pathetic melodies to the lively and vivacious French and Irish airs, thus showing to good advantage his strong, expressive and well trained baritone voice.—Brooklyn Eagle.
47THE OPERA REPERTORY.
49"La Gioconda," Monday, November 20.
50La Gioconda ………………………………………….. Nordics
51Laura Adorno ………………………………………….. Homer
52La Cieca …………………………………………………. Jacoby
53Enzo Grimaldo ………………………………………….. Caruso
54Barnaba …………………………………………………. Scotti
55Alvien Badoero ………………………………………….. Plancon
56Zuanz ……………………………………………………. Begue
57Un Cantore …………………………………………….. Dufriche
58Isepo ……………………………………………………. Paroli
59Conductor …………………………………………….. Vigna
61"Queen of Sheba," Wednesday, November 22.
62Queen of Sheba ………………………………………….. Walker
63Sulamith …………………………………………………. Rappold
64Astaroth …………………………………………………. Alten
65Assad ……………………………………………………. Knote
66King Solomon ………………………………………….. Van Rooy
67High Priest …………………………………………….. Blass
68Baal Hanan …………………………………………….. Mühlmann
69Voice of Temple Guardian ……………………………. Bayer
70Conductor …………………………………………….. Hertz
72"Rigoletto," Friday, November 24.
73Gilda ……………………………………………………. Sembrich
74Maddalena …………………………………………….. Jacoby
75Giovanna ………………………………………………. Bauermeister
76La Contessa ………… Miss Lawrence { Pupils of the School of Opera
77Un Paggio ………… Miss Vall { Pupils of the School of Opera
78Il Duca …………………………………………………. Caruso
79Rigoletto ………………………………………………. Scotti
80Sparafucile …………………………………………….. Journet
81Monterone …………………………………………….. Mühlmann
82Marudo …………………………………………………. Bégue
83Borsa ……………………………………………………. Paroli
84Ceprano …………………………………………………. Dufriche
85Usciere …………………………………………………. Foglia
86Conductor …………………………………………….. Vigna
88"Hänsel and Gretel," Saturday (Matinee), November 25.
89Hänsel …………………………………………………. Abarbanell
90Gretel …………………………………………………… Alten
91Gertrud …………………………………………………. Weed
92The Witch …………………………………………….. Homer
93The Little Sand Man …………………………………. Mulford
94The Little Dew Man ………………………………….. Glanville
95Peter ……………………………………………………. Goritz
96Conductor …………………………………………….. Hertz
98"Tannhäuser," Saturday (Evening), November 25.
99Elizabeth ………………………………………………. Jomelli
100Venus …………………………………………………… Fremstad
101Ein Hirt …………………………………………………. Mulford
102Tannhäuser ……………………………………………. Knote
103Wolfram ………………………………………………. Van Rooy
104Landgraf Hermann …………………………………… Blass
105Conductor …………………………………………….. Hertz
107"Queen of Sheba," Monday, November 27.
108(Same cast as Wednesday, November 22.)
110The Home of Our Opera.
111(From the New York Press.)
113THAT part of Broadway between Thirty-fifth street and Forty-second, which is large in the public eye just now, owing to the "season" being on at the Metropolitan Opera House, presents an unusually Cheap John air, considering it is one of the world's most famous thoroughfares. Although it is the heart of the theatre district, there is not one really first class restaurant along these seven blocks, which the theatrical press agents always love to allude to as "The Great White Way." Most of the buildings are tawdry structures one or two stories high, and the wares they display are in the greatest possible contrast to the wealth of the people who come to the street for their pleasure.
115Flashy tailor shops abound here; shoe stores whose limit seems to be "two fifty" are numerous, and the hatters lay the greatest stress on the fact that $2 is the most they want from a man to fit him out with the "latest thing."
117The jewelry shop windows are full of wares of the rankest kinds of imitation, that need electric lights to show them off properly. Along the thoroughfares between those two cross streets are at least half a dozen stores devoted to the sale of souvenir postal cards, and their displays beggar description. That Anthony Comstock found it necessary to raid one of these emporiums of art the other day is a speaking testimonial to the sort of things they keep in stock. Since the exterior of the opera house, which dominates this vista, resembles a brewery more than anything else, it may be that this Cheap John atmosphere of Broadway has taken on that tone from association with that architectural monstrosity.
119Walter H. Robinson, Tenor.
121WALTER H. ROBINSON'S recent dates included recitals at Montclair and Rutherford, N. J.; Greenwich, Conn.; a performance of Barnby's "Rebecca" at Westfield, N. J., and Gounod's "Redemption," at Jamaica, L. I. A recital given by him, assisted by Ernest Bayne Manning, pianist, at his studio in Carnegie Hall, was attended by a large number of music lovers. The program included songs by Strauss, Brahms, Chadwick, Beach, and "Celeste Aida," by Verdi. Comments on the beauty of his voice, maturity of style and his ease of production were universal.
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