THE COURIER. - 000MMMM0000080MMOtOO I THE PASSING SHOW I f W I LLA GATHER f 00PC00000000)000000Oi Tho Pittsburg Grand Opora BeaBon, tho last engagement of tho Metropolitan opera company before it disbanded nnd severally departed for Europe, wbb something loLg to be remembered. It was tho cloBing of tho most gloriouB opera season America has ovor scon, and this dirty, gloomy, city arrayed itself in dreBB coats and imported toil ottoB and ju9t got up and did itself proud in honor of tho event. Pittsburg !b noted for taking itself BoriouBly, and it is frantically busy seven daya out of tho week tho whole year round, but when it decides to take a holiday, it does it with a vengeance, as tho great financial succobb of tho opera season hore proved to Mr. Maurico Grau, to whose stony heart only dollars speak. Lohengrin, with the following cast, waH th3 opera selected for the opening night: El sa von Brabant Mme. Nordica Ortrud, Mme. Schumann-Heink Deinriub, duetecher M. Edouard do Reszko Friedrich von Tolramund, Mr. David Bispham Der Heeiufer doa Koenigs, Mr. Lempriore Pringlo und Lohengrin, M. Jean de Reezko Conductor, Herr Schalk. Certainly all the living talent of the world could not furnish a bettor cast. It was Jean do Rezke'e sole appearance and it took much tact and more gold to woo that haughty tonor so far from the coast. Ae for the performance, no com pany can uniformly give performances of such merit, it was one of those for tunate things that happens only oc casionally. Madame Nordica told me in tho afternoon when 6ho was run ning ovor the score at hor hotel that she had a premonition that tho night would bo a triumphant ono. Perhaps she thought so because she found her self in unusually good voice, but she was cot mistaken. It was not the first time I bad bad the pleasure of hearing her Elsa, but it was tho first time I ever heard her sing it bo well. She is less attractive physically this season than I have ever seen her, for she happens to be unpardonably stout. She has the most mercurial averdupois j know of, one winter she is almost slender, the next, she is like a matronly dowager. As G Bernard Shaw says, "you never can toll." But after all she is a mere sylph besido Schumann. I never saw her give herself out to her audience as sho did that night. She is becoming a proficient actress, that determined wo man from Maine with tho strong chin and big, firm hands, like a man's. It is difficult for her to act, but her whole life has boon one long, laborious van quishing of difficulties. Her very en trance in the first act gives you con fidence in hor. This is no timid, sim pering Elea. She comes in regally, con fident, fearlessly, unstained by that serene hope in a mystic deliverance. Whon tho herald calls for her defender, she awaits him with perfect assurance Not until the call has been given tho third time does the begin to doubt, and oven then, when she rises from her knees at tho cIobo of her prayer, hor fi.ee ia shining with the fullnosB of her faith. And then ho camo, tho groat Jean, the deliverer, tho greatest tenor and ono of tho great&st actors of his time. Ho was past fifty when I beard him in Chicago four years ago, yot he stood thoro in tho Bwun-boat tbe radi ant incarnation of youth and chivalry, tho dream-knight of all dreams. And his entrance dooB what the entranco o a great artist always doeB, it imparted convincing roality to ovorythlng and completed tho illusion of tho theatre. Tho Bwan which drow this splondld flguro in silvor armour wub a roal swan, tho painted river flowed along liko any other river, thero waB a wind playing in tho rushes, und thoro was a real Mount Monsalvat eomowhoro in tno world, for this man could only have come from thot placo "which is bright forever." At tho first note of tho Bong to tho Bwan, onofolt that it was Joan indeed, and at tho cIobo of hia long and arduous season his voico was fresh, unworn, exquisitely foxiblo, and his manner of using it ia as wonderful as ovor, whon all is said, it is in his vocal ization that do RoEzko is unparalleled. Had ho noxt to no voico at all, liko the superb Maurol who can sing with u complotely worn-out organ, ho would still bo a consummate artist. His voico is indeed a thing of beauty, but his method of using it is a joy forever. It in the mothod that makes tho artist. The organ itself is purely accidental, and like most of tho gifts of God is frequently ill bestowed, but tho use of uh that is whoro the cerebral Ubbuo comes in, and energy and tusto and ambition and suporhuman industry and all that makes a man. Hore is a bary tone who haB mado himself the princo of tonore. who arranges every phruBo as a painter lays on bis colors, who pro duces every tone in his brain as woll aa in hiB throat, who makes tono but the garment of tho mind as flesh is tho garment of the soul, who makes of hiB voice bd instrument under porfoct con trol and plays upon it what ho wills. The mechanical perfection of the regis tration, the breathing and placing, they are the achievements of a life-time of endeavor and aro the joy of all young artists. But of the emotional resources of this voice, of its perfect adaption to every shade and degree of every pas sion, of its freshness and sweetness and bloom, its poetic quality blended with robust virility, what shall be said? Tho language has been beggared of adjec tives to describe it, yot none of them reach it. Someone has called his sing ing of the Swan song "the milk and honey of music." Certainly he i9 tho only tenor we have today whose ten derness is wholly without effeminacy, or whoso voico can riso clear, melodious and true, to the full measure of tragedy, and then there is, undeniably, a deep sentimental quality, that baffling minor tinge that is in the acting of Modjeska and the music of Chopin. Perhaps it is only the cry of unhappy Poland, for which we have no name, a sort of echo that Polish mothers sang. When the swan had gone and Lohen grin turned to Elsa thore seemed noth ing abrupt or hasty about bis wooing. It was the day of the Arthurian legends come back again, when the knight camo with hiB nobility stamped upon his face, and the maiden's helplessness was her strength. And this Elsa and this Lohengrin have Bunj that duet so often that their vory voices soom to woo each other. When De Reezke sings "On tho king of kings I call," he looks King Arthur indeed, and ono can well beliovo that in the dnys of knight-hood thoro was a Grail indeed. It ia that wonderful artist Mme. Schumann-Heink who dominates the second act. Biapham's Frederick is wonderfully dramatic, but this ortrude was liko nono ever seen before. This Schumann-Heink, with her peasant faco and hor absurd dumpy littlo figure and short arms simply has unlimited power. She sins down everything before hor. She mikes you forgot that she is not beautiful, and Heavens! what a triumph a woman achieves whon sho does that. Hor scornful daunts at her lover's cowardice and weakness, hor impassioned appeal to Elsa, hor insatiable hatred, hor crafty poisoning of that guiloes maidon'n mind, aro all vory triumphs of art. Sho bo complotely subordinates Nordica in that act that thoro can bo no quoBtion that, within hor limitations, alio in tho groator artist of tho two. Tho second act was not, on this occasion, Nordica's best. In hor eolo "Yo wandering breeze" on tho lmlcony, ono noticed that old in flexibility, that hardnoes of tono Hut in her youngor days usod bo ofton to dotract from tho ofToctivnnosa of hor singing. Tho third act, whon do ReBzko sings Lohengrin, ie something novor to bo for gotten. Tho music of that nuptual duot Ib probably tho most pootic Wag nor ovor wioto, and certainly tho man who sang it has a poot'B bouI shut up in his throat. Whon ho led Elsa to tho window, I nssuro you ho brought tho stillness and boauty of tho summer night into tho hot air of tho play houso. I wish that ovory analytical Btudont of litoraturo, ovory misguided person who counts tho falso rhymes in Sponcor and exultantly toars Browning's liguros to pieces, or kills a flowor to find its name, could have hoard him sing that tondor romouE trance: ''Dost thou breathe the incense of the flowers, Bearing a tide of deep, mysterious joy? And would'st know whence this rapture showers? Ask not, O love, lest thou the charm destroy!" It was liko Bomo divine, compas sionate wisdom pleading with the nar row vision and petty prido of fretful pedantry. But poor, dull Elsa wbb a German lady of a philosophical bent of mind and she wanted a name for every thing and could not believo in a joy which sho could not analyse. So gontly ho entreated her, eo fair tho moonlight wap, so sweot tho night, so lovely all the world, yot poor practical Elsa could only cry "Tho namo, givo mo tho namel" Woll, sho got it, and bo do tho people who construct systems for measuring tho value of poetry, but at what a cost! They got tho na-ne, and perhaps acquire vast erudition, but they lose tho knight, and Mount Monsalvat, and the bright temple of the Grail and all the rest of it. I have heard a good many argu ments against the methods of the peo pie who count the pontic words in Tennyson, but I never board one eo powerful or bo beautiful as tbat which Jean de Rerzke sang that night. I was talking with Mme. Nordica about Elsa's particular variety of stu pidity after the performance, when she was getting from the airy draperias af fected in Brabant into a Paris street dress. "Yob," she said, "that is in all Wagner, that too much unalysis de stroys; that, and tho opportunity of the moment. For thn gods there ia Wal halla and forevet and a day, but for mortals there is only tho moment, and that is dying oven whilo it Ib being born. Loavo Chicago every Thursday via Colotadu and Scenic Route to San Francisco and Los Angoles. Southern Route leaves Chicago ovory Tuesday via HansaB City, Ft. Worth and El Paso to Loe Angeles. These Excursions Cars are attached to Fast Pas enger trains and their popu- larity is evidence that we offer tho best. Accompany these excursion and save money for tho lowest rate tickets are available in these nonular Pullman Tourist cars. Tiik Coukif.u is for sale at all load ing newsstand. Subscription price for ono year is $1. 'Phone 384' LliBS- j l.OUIHA I, KIOKKTTH. I imhmimhmmmmmmmmmI oo Tho following aro the ofilcors of tho Genoral Federation of Womon's clubs: President Mrs. Robocca D. Lowo Atlanta, Ga. Vico Preflidont Mrs. Sarah S. Piatt, Donvor, Colo. Recording Socrotary Mrs. Emma A. Fox, Dotroit, Mich. Corresponding Socrotary Mrs.Goorgo W. Kondrick, Philadelphia, Pa. Treasurer, Mrs. Phillip N. Mooro, St. Louit, Mo. Auditor Mrs. C. P. Barnes, Louis villo, Ky. State Chairman Mrs. Louisa L. Rick etts, Lincoln, Nobr, Ofllcors of tho State Federation of Women's clubs; President Mrs. 8. 0. Langworthy, Soward. Vico President Mrs. Anna L. Apper Hon, TecuniBoh. Recording Socrotary Mrs F. II. Sack ott, Weoping Wator. Corresponding Socrotary Mra D. G. McKillip, Soward. Troasurdr Mrs. 11. F. Doano, Crote, Librarian Mrs. G. M. Lamberfson, Lincoln. Mrs. A. B. Fuller, Auditor, Ashland. Sd many requeBtB for information of juBt wlrat tho Worcester Club of Massa chusetts did cay, in regard to restrict ing membership in tho General Federa tion have come to this department that we herewith repeat verbatim the action taken by that club. It sent the follow ing suggestions: To the Chairman of Correspondence of Maesachueetts for tho G. F. W.'a Clubs Dear Madame: The Worcester Woman's Club sends greeting and begs leavo to submit tho following sugges tions: In viow of the fact tbat the General Federation of Woman's Clubs, of which our club is an individual member, haB grown to such an immense size aa to make it difficult to conduct business nee cossary to the organization, in a proper manner, under the present system of representation, wo feel tbat a radical change in the wholes stem of federation organization is imperatively demanded, and, to facilitate such change, would suggest First That the chairman of corres pondence for Massachusetts take steps to ascertain the wishes of all of the clubs of the state now belonging to the Gen eral Federation in regard to changing the representation in the General Feder. ation from that of individual clubs to that of representatives from state fed erations. Second That the chairman of car respondonce for Massachusetts commu nicate with the chairman of other states for tho purpose of ascertaining the wishes of the clubs in their respective states upon the same question. Third That the chairman of corres pondence recommend to the General Federation to so change its constitution that the General Federation shall be composed of representatives from state federations only, with the exception of BUCU nauonai 0" foreign organizations,as may D0W bel0DS t0"10 General Fednra- on. and also federated clubs in states horoiD ,no stato federations now existr, 1 whlch ceHe BPeciaI Provision should made. The Worcester Woman's Club hereby "" iw reauinoss to relinquish its individual membership in the General Federation whenever such action shall facilitate the reorganization of that body so that it shall be composed of repiesen tatives from slate federations only." Vory naturally these suggestions have