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THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 1905. - A fe Planers and theMisic rrives here this week at Bayreuth as it is | to get. We | iled this winter, | he gods have reserved | The production of ¢ the splendors o £ ed season. One s not 1 know that it is the test whether it is or is not, t of the mu dramas to be € the Wagner trust at oduction outside of one of the is to hose pr record of = of the centur: ‘nre actually to hawy “®ie Fleder-] maus!” . . . I dare not even whisper it, hak i€ the choice were given me of “Parsi- | le at RP\rsu h, and Rooy and Goritz, the Amfortas Klir of the cast, are famous r r for nterpretations y t strangest of feminine ten be sung at the first Nordica, and at the E ding perform the cast < Reiss and G simple “esqu ¥ N . d 1 the it sung this 3 . There ica, whose | the s Adorna, and singer, 1 somewhat a ungodly s er to our de Mac- G acclaims E st S ot except- appeare A lump and E e 1 sK— zi will have essc 1, t \mm Alten, + oned, sings Evas and t sides, Adele in “Die Die Fledermaus,” we | of | tenors. fal” Fledermaus” I should take They say it made the laughter of New York for day, this delightsome Strauss opera. They — that Sembrich, Alten, Dippel, Goritz | and the rest of the brilliant lot sim- ply doffed all their grand opera airs | and reveled with the audience in the | fun. One knows Sembrich as a come- | dian, the rest take their cue from her. Goritz as Frank is said to be simply | irresistible. Dippel, they say, forgets | that he has ever been Siegfried as | Gabriel von Eisenstein. Another ot‘ the Americans that Conried is delight- | ing to honor from his impresarial seat | is the Prince Orlowski, that will be | sung by Miss Marion Weed. Reiss is | in at the fun as Alfred, and one knows that the fine David of “Die Meister- singer” will be at no loss here. than Franko will conduct this branc distinguished infants, and there is arge joy coming! . . . Signor Caruso is the chief con- cession of Herr Conried this season to the “vicious” star system. Whisper or *“Die luma and New York to know, but had to hear Signor Caruso. | pure,_: Na- | it not in Gath—we don’t want Peta- | this week is not the first chance we | have of Mr. C. H. Meltser, ecritic, play- wright—Mansfleld owes to him his fasorite play of “Rodeo, the Student” —and litterateur generally, and for the nonce of the Conried suite. I had half an hour with him the other morning, part of it spent in gathering the critic’'s impressions of Caruso. A delightfully graceful and fluent gos-| sip, Mr. Meltzer confessed himself quite helpless to give any adequate impression of the Caruso organ. That it pours out lke Patti’s, that in “L’Blisir ’Amore” it is like a human nightingale’s, that it is absolutely sweet, absolutely round, absolutely absolutely_flexible, so much I gathered. The “singer, too, as the critic put it, was “taught mostly of God.” It was here that Mario’s name was mentioned. Mr. Meltzer would be likely to mention it, for it is part of an unforgettable experience. Bald- | 1y, the experience was this: Happen- ing to be in Rome at the time of | Mario’s death, Mr. Meltzer went to follow the one-time idol to his grave. A pitifully few stragglers accompanied the modest cortege to a little church on the bank of the Tiber. Here a scant service +was held, and then, | one by one, the mourners crept away, until the poor remains of him who | had thrilled the heart of all Europe were left alone—alone but for an ment of one week. He claimed that the city of the Golden Gate had paid more money than any city of the world of its size—aye, or of twice its size—to see the greatest of grand opera organiza- tions beforetimes, and that one week was not enough. Said Mr. Conried in reply: “I only gave Boston one week, Phxladelphln, one week and Chicago one week. Why should I give a city of less than one- half their size twice as much opera?” “Well,” said Mr. Strine, “they will give you twice as much money and greet you with twice as much enthu- siasm. The records will show, and San Francisco will not be satisfied with one week."” Mr. g Conried’s final decision in the |American newspaper man. And by T — > | GREAT SINGER WHO IS COMING TO SAN FRANCISCO WITH THE CONRIED COMPANY AND WHO WILL INTERCHANGE WITH MME. NORDICA IN ROLE OF KUNDRY. S AR i SBRR A S aB § — We are not particularly proud of it. In fa Mr. or “Doc.” Leahy is tell- her ruefully these days that uld have had Caruso eight years ago for the Tivoli at $150 a week! But not think too hardly of Mr. Ny His own Italy at the same time hissed Caruso off the stage. Of the other forgotten tenor that was chosen for the Tivoli history hath not record. As to Caruso, we will hope that he does not know what he missed. Ac- report, that first of all a “royal good fel- the tenor is not of the gloating If he were, the sweetest of re- venge awaits him in this week’s tri- ph. There can be no possible ow of a doubt that he is the most wonderfully voiced of known The impression he creates everywhere, on critics and populace is too profound, too unique, to anything but an absolute sov- ereignty. It is not to the throne of Jean de Reszke that Caruso suc- ceeds, for his metier is purely Italian opera. Rather, say those with long enough memories, the singer Is the direct successor of Mario. Which reminds. Of the interesting gossip of which the air is full none is more piquantly charming than that to cording sets him down as Ry spe the famous dead the American watched in the gloom until Prince Odeschalchi came, and he, one other friend, and the American newspaper man were the only people that saw Mario laid in his grave. - . i Mr. Conried has been generous with his “Caruso nights” here. Six times the tenor will be heard, on the open- ing night in ‘“Rigoletto,” at the Sat- urday matinee and on the Friday fol- lowing in ‘“Pagliacci.” Mr. Meltzer proclaims his Canio an “unforgettable thrill” On Monday evening in “Lu- cia,” and on Wednesday and the final Saturday evening in “La Gioconda.” Among the beauties of the season one must not forget the ballets, and in par- ticular the ballet the “Dance of the Hours” in “La Giaconda.” It is the usual symbolic dance, the triumph of light over darkne: and is said to be enchantingly beautiful as presented by the Conried ballerinas. It is not uninteresting to know that Mr. Conried believes he is giving,us a good deal in giving twelve perform- ances. Boston, Philadelphia and Chi- cago had only one week apiece. This is the way it came about as Mr. Strine tells it: When the opera season was first planned for San Francisco Mr. Strine refused to be satisfied with an allot- Brave S kowmg 0/ Western Artists —BY LAURA BRIDE POWERS g exhibition is on at the Art - alicit ng much few villainies to me good men and tized by the Apostle of ad rejected over one- tures offered. If that than the impos asphait of Piazzono, thanked for the dis- he jury. That picture has ee come that true show Take such an atrocity his pastoral pictu should e, 1 Here's a canvas verg- g the weird, b it po sses atmosphere and many of value, and stops on ight side of the thin line of carica- e. In logical sequence comes that gray study on the south wall. This shows a straining after the weird in ert, & sort of faddism, but it is saved by decorative quality, a distance. But this last symp- f impressionist madness possesses 1 this saving quality, and if the e young artist isn’t dissuaded his course, I’d hate to conjure up what he would paint next. Come, come, Piazzoni, put away your jism, and bring out the normal qualities in you. . . One of the best things in the exhi- bitior the work of Isabel Hunter, whose picture of Monterey Bay shows & subtiety of understanding, and of mechanism. In tone and treatment. the picture bears a suggestion of Mathews’ influence, but the work Is stamped when seen | | high class | In- | with an individuality wholly the artist’s own. A little poem, this! iy Another Montereyan's work that stands out is Evelyn McCormick’s. And it stands wholly by itself, in that it is gay and glad in its tone, radiating a feeling of joyousness and warmth in every stroke of the brush—wholly flout- | ing the old-time cry that worthy work a man as capable as Piaz- | | | | | | of high tone is not looked upon with favor by the high priests of the insti- tute. Of Msiss McCormick's pictures I personally prefer “The Old Theater,” hung high upon the east wall. This is a charming little bit. e Wiilis Davis shows a prolific brush, exhibiting several small canvases and one large picture of the Sierras—a thing that challenges a moving eye. It is apparent from the treatment that Mr. Davis knows his Sierras rath- | er thoroughly, with their abrupt gorges, rugged and pine-clad, their trees en- wrapt in the hazes of the heights. In this picture a bluish light has fallen over the canyon—a light that strikes me just a trifie too blue. But there are strange atmospheric conditions up in the Sierras, and it is not an improb- able thing that Mr. Davis has seen just that sorf of haze. If so, he did the right thing to paint it that way. Near | this big canvas is a delicious bit of a spring landscape—a little sonnet to the glad things of nature. . . Among the portraitists Sandona, Greenbaum, Ada Romer Shawhan, Madame Junocsza and Evelyn Almond ‘Withrow are showing some interesting things. Greenbaum's portrait (242) is @ matter is the best proof that Mr. Strine’s insistence had its reward, but the impresario of the Metropolitan Opera-house said laconically when he agreed to give:San Francisco a season of twelve performances: “Now it is up to you and your wonderful public to Justify me in this matter.” Mr. Strine said the results would justify any and all claim made in the name of San| Francisco, and when I last saw him it looked that way. There was not much of Mr. Strine’s eyes to be seen after the two nights and days he had been up with Mr. Campbell filling out mail or- ders, but that much looked enfirely satisfled. And on Thursday we begin. WEEK’S OFFERINGS AT THE THEATERS To-morrow evening at the Columbla | the third of the famous Barrymore ‘“children,” Lionel, will make his ap- pearance in Augustus Thomas' latest | comedy, “The Other Girl.” The comedy is said to be lavishly amusing; Barry- more fitted into an excellent part, and the supporting company fully ade- quate. At the California it has been wisely particularly fascinating study, worked out in the dull, rich tones of the old masters. But why glaze so heavily, Mr. Greenbaum? Miss Withrow’s portrait of Walter Crane“the English artist, fs a wonder- ful likeness, not, however, so dramatlc as her portraits of women. Ada Romer Shawhan's “Moments | Musical” is a strong bit of character study, quite up to the conscientious work being done by this clever little woman, Sandona’s best work is No. 265—a de- licious bit of mother love and baby confidence, backed by a glad green meadow. This is as sweet and pure a thing as has graced the gallery in many moons—and it shows work, earn- est work. Sandona’s pictures this year show more purpose, more study, more definiteness than before, and, conse- quently, less of faddism. Progressing on these lines, this interesting young fellow has a big career ahead of him— if he works. R John M. Gamble shows some alluring conceptions of the desert, with the far-off hills hung with a violet haze, cool peols shimmering in the after- glow. Along the same lines Elmer ‘Wachtel is working, and right cleverly, only methinks I see a little more poetry in the Gamble treatment. Wachtel shows a stunning bit of spring land- scape, asplash with eschscholtzias, Iy By all means seek out Theodore ‘Wores' “Scene in- the Alhambra,” with its splendid court, a-glitter with the gladness of & Spanish garden—its hol- 1 lyhocks of a hundred hues, its stretch of water 'twixt flowering walls. « s e Among the other notable pictures are William Keith's, Mathews’, will Sparks’, Gordon Coutts’, Eugen Neu- haug’, J. H. Breuner's, Chapel Jud- son’s, J. N. Griffin’s, L. P. Latimer’s, Charles Rollo Peters’, H. W. Seawell's, Mrs. Chittenden’s, Granville Red- mond's, H. R. Bloomer's and a few others eminently worthy, to be dis- cussed some future day. Taken all in all, the show is really of high standard, and indicates a for- ward movement for most of the exhib- itors. That picture of Thad Welch’s, “Spring Morning in Marin,” discussed last Sunday, is here reproduced. Rhe exquisite beauty of a luscious spring morning is portrayed as we rarely see it—it is felt, éven as did the painter when he conceived it and laid it upon the dead canvas. The picture is still at 119 Geary street. F ot A note to local picture-buyers!—one of your number, and one who discerns in matters of art—has just bought Amedee Joullin’s “Death Watch.” Jo- seph D. Grant was the discerning pur- chaser. Fellow citizens, the example is good! Where there is so much worthy work here at home, why go a-rummag- ing around for Furopean potboilers, with high-sounding names? If you only knew a few of the tricks of this European trade there would be wailing where there now is joy—and more pictures bought from our San Fran- cisco studios. decided to continue “Zira" for another week, Miss Anglin’s success in the title role being the extraordinary feature of the season. There will be a special matinee of “Frou Frou” next Wednes- day afternoon. . The Alcazar management continues the excelient production of “Old Hei- delberg” this week. . ““The Burgomaster” is still running to good houses at the Tivoli. . s e The Central’s new bill should be in- teresting. It is entitled “The Confes-, sions of a Wife.” B . . The Orpheum will have a fascinating novelty this week in a demonstration of some of the wonders of liquid air, ex- hibited by Professor Frederick D. Rugg. George Boniface and Bertha ‘Waltzinger head the other new people, with a light comedy sketch entitled “Two Aches and One Pain.” . . The Mallory Brothers, Mazie Brooks and Grace Halliday, who made such a hit at the Orpheum lately, will migrate to the Chutes this week. GOODWIN TO SPEND SUMMER ON COAST Nat Goodwin intends to spend his vacation in California. The Good- wins have disposed of their summer home in England. Goodwin will come ‘West some time in June. E. H. Sothern and Julia Marlowe will in all probability open their com- ing co-star engagement at the Colum- o bia Theater with the production of “Romeo and Juliet.” Adelaide Prince, who comes here as leading woman of “The Other Girl” company, was for a number of sea- sons the co-star with Creston Clarke, who recently appeared here in “Beau- caire.” The present is the second season of Grace Van Studdiford’s stellar appear- ances in the De Koven opera of “The Red Feather.” The pzima donna ex- pects to use the same production for another season, its popularity having in no wise diminished since it was first brought out. “Mrs. Leffingwell’s Boots™ will trip to the coast during the season. The comedy has sprinted into strong pop- ularity in New York. KREISLER TO PLAY THIS AFTERNOON This afternoon at the Alhambra Kreisler will give his last recital. The engagement has been an extraordinary one. Coming here almost entirely un- known, the violinist is now freely hail- ed as the greatest master of the in- strument that has been heard here. This afternoon he will be heard in the Beethoven concerto, and his Beethoven playing is said to be Beet- hoven playing as the master him- self would have had it. In response to many requests Mr. Kreisler will re- peat the Bach sonata, which he gave at the first concert, and the rest of the programme will be handsomely filled in. No one who has not yet heard Kreisler can afford to miss this great- est of violin players. PRINCE IN OVERALLS WELCOMED TO PARIS Ferdinand of Bulgaria Gratifies Desire to Ride on Locomotive Cab. PARIS, April 1.—Never did scion of royal house come to Parts under such exceptional circumstances as those that characterized the advent here this week of Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria. The Prince often had expressed the wish to take a ride in the cab of a locomotive. The opportunity was af- forded him the other day when he was on his way to the French capital. It was while he was on the train be- tween Calals and Abbeville that he was told the necessary authorization had been obtained and also a complete set of workman'’s overalls. The Prince immediately donned this humble uniform, and when the train reached Abbeville he went forward and took his seat at the side of the engle neer. AWVhen the train arrtved at Paris loungers and travelers about the sta- tion ‘were much surprised to see the Commissaire of Police and other offi- cials gravely salaaming before what looked like an ordinary mechanic, and a very grimy one at that. The Prince declares he never had made so interesting a journey in his life. —_——— Strange it is that our three Presi- dents who were killed while in office were kind men who did not like to have an enemy. i T He SRR Db S S | “SPRING MORNING IN MARIN, " FETCHING PICTURE BY THAD WELCH. |