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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (May 12, 1900)
THE COURIER. 11 v f r x I it Mil MM HIM : the passing show: WILLASIBERTCATHER MOtMOMIMOOtOeOOOOHOMMMMOMM The Pittsburg opera season opened brilliantly this year. A splendid and enthusiastic audience contributed much to the general spectacular effect, and Mme. Sembrich, Mile. Calve, Campari ari, and Edward de Reszke were greet ed with ovations. The first perform ance was "The Barber of Seville," and "CavaleriaRu9ticana," and was notable not only for such singers as Calve and Sembrfch in their strongest roles, but in the opportunity of comparison between two of the leading Italian operas of divergent schools. The Barbei of Seville" has held its own longer than any of Rossini e operas and, indeed, has outlived all the comp:s lions of its day and style. Its vivacity and gaity, its naive artifice of melody, and its three excellent comedy roles have prolonged its popularity among singers and with the public. Spirited and gay "The Barber" certainly is, ornate and decorative after the manner of the Italian school of half a century ago, but showy as it is, it is never truly brilliant, and its floridity is without richness. Entertaining as the opera is to the general public, and interesting as it is to students of musical history, it ia a composition that can never be -taken very seriously. Had operatic composition never advanced beyond the frank artifice and blythe triviality of Rossini, opera going would scarcely have become a serious avocation. Comparisons are usually unfair but anyone who has heard both Mme. Mel ba and Mme. Sembrich as "Rosina" must reflect somewhat upon the many things which distinguish an artist from a singer. After the finesse and be witching comedy of Mme. Sembrich, the endeavors of Mme. Melba, seem not a little clumsy, and her comedy savors of the kittenish maid servant. Only an artist so resourceful in pantomine as Marcella Sembrich and so gifted in delicacy of comic suggestion can make the vapid "Rosina" at all attractive to opera goers of this generation. When Wagner called his goddess wo men down out of Walhalla they relegat ed the fragile heroines of the old Italian operas to oblivion of antiquated dolls on the shelves of a toy shop, and only a true artist can endow them with any vitality whatsoever. Mme. Sembrich is perhaps the prima donna with a natural aptitude for comedy, and cer tainly she is one of the most intellec tual of singers, and her wide culture and thorough musicianship is manifest in every part phe sings. She sings with euperb beauty of style and perhaps her exquisite vocalization is responsible for her freshness of voice at the end of a long and trying season. In speaking off her voice in itself, of its richness and mellowness and that haunting beauty of pure tone, I believe it was Charles Henry Meltzer who said, "It is a Sla vonic voice, with all the sentiment of the Slav in it." In the lesson scene Mme. Sembrich sang a Strauss waltz song "Voce di Prima Vera," and for an encore a song of Chopin's "The Maid en's Wish,'' I believe it waB called. Certainly Sig. Campanari shared "the honors very evenly with Mme. Sem brich. Only bis inimitable vivacity and grace kept the opera from dragging at times. The esprit and picturesque nesa of that admirable baritone give all his works a potent dramatic force, but his "Figaro" is absolutely unique. It is seldom that one sees such absolute identification with a part, and as an actor he greately surpassed most actors who do not sing. I remember in the Melba production he absolutely carried the whole opera through on bis sturdy shoulders. Edward de Reszke was greeted with wild applause, and an "Basilio" gave an admirable comic im personation, his generous proportions adding much comedy to the timid priest. After a short but torrid intermission, the curtain rose again on "Cavaleria Rusticana." Prom old to new Italy, what a leap! From the rondos and cadenzas and quaint elaboration and foolish -ornamentations of Rossini, to the intensity and passionate abruptness of Mascagni. Here is music that means something more than pleasing 6ound, here is music that becomes a notable emotional language, the speech of the soul. Surely Emma Calve is the singer of singers to epeak this lofty language, the greatest singing actress of her time, whose inimitable art so far subordin ates its medium that the mere beauty of her voice is well nigb. forgotten. Yet what a splendid organ it if, what rich ness and color and throbbing vitality in her every tone! But after all, it is Calve the actress, it is "Santuzza' that transfixes one. Someone has said that Calve is the greatest of Wagnerian sing ers though she has never sung a Wag nerian role. She is the exponent of Wagner's message indeed, and no singer has been so permeated by the modern doctrine of music for art's sake. Hav ing Btu'died peasant life in Italy among the very people out of whose lives thi9 opera grew, and having studied, too, under Duse until she assimilated much of ner method, it was as "Santuzza" that Calve first took her place among the world's greatest singers. When you have seen her, you have seen but a flat footed peasant woman in, a shawl, with a great passion and a great dispair. Mile. Calve handles the score freely, subordinating it completely to the tempestuous emotion it conveys. Her impersonation is as great for what she omits to do as for what she does. She has followed Duse in the study of "what ought not to be done," and she omits as superfluous more than most singers ever master. That Easter morn ing in a peasant woman's life she has made tense with all the oldest and most perpetual tragedies of living, and seeing how much is concentrated into that half hour, one recalls again the frequent words of Henry James, "How much of life it takes to make a little art!" The mixed chorus work was excellent, and the fact that the male voices pre dominated was not a disadvantage in the matter of effect. The orchestra of course found its best opportunity in the intermezzo. From the enthusiasm of the audi ence and the frequent recalls I am led to believe that Mozart's Don Giovanni waB more pleasing to the people than any other opera given here. Now this is a trifle perplexing as Mozart is sup posed to ba the musician's composer, just as Keats is the poet's poet. It would be interesting to know whether it was the limpid melody or the touch of opera buffe that delighted the general public. Wagnerian enthusiasts of course find that uninterrupted flow of pure melody monotonous and almost exasperating. Having become acclim ated to the wild gorges of the "Val kyrie" and the storm-swept sea of the "Flying Dutchman," they soon weary of this Mozart who is forever leading them among the same green fields and by identical still waters. Not that there is anything similar in the melodies them selves, certainly, but the pitch, the in tensity, is always the same, and all these entrancing arias, duos, trios, quar tets, quintets, sextets, in which every body sings different words to the same air, totally destroying the possibility of any dramatic significance, what of it all, Pourquoi? say the Wagnerista. What are all these airs about, where is the dramatic coherency, who cares about the woes of weeping ladies who trail about the country roads in party dresses and about the soprano who sings trills over nor murdered father's body ? Why is all this melody wasted upon a plot incincere, grotesque and trivial, why is it not given direction and purpose and made to tell something of human experience and human passion ? This is all because that maljcious man Wagner has stung the palate so that all other styles seem insipid, and it recalls the story of the South Sea islanders who, having tasted the champagne in tho hold of a wreck, throw their whole some native drinks into the sea and proceeded to abuse 'heir godB because the rivers did not run champagne. It is simply a question of whether the in comparable melody of Mozart does, or does not compensate you for the naive artifice of his plots. It is undignified to find fault with bo great a Finger as Sembrich for trivial matters, but when she appeared as "Zerlina," the peasant girl, in the aamo elaborate satin costume which she had worn as "Rosina" Monday night, and when through all of '"Zerlina'a" varied experiences, as (be bride of a country bumpkin, as the sweetheart of tho count, and as a fugitive, she unblush ingly appeared in tho same gown, there is really cause for complaint. ig People Havte No Trouble In getting- what they want at the Good Luck Grocery, OTVW CITlr HOT O Htreet. J&M.0 t9IVX JL TelephoneOICO :ssiis First Pub. May S". Master's Sale. Phoenix Mutual Life Insur- f anee Company. I Doc. "S," No. 291. John R. Conkiin, et ah, ( IX CHANCERY. Respondents. FORECLOSURE OP MORTGAGE. Public notice Is hereby ghen that In pursu ance and by virtue of a decree entered In the above-cause on the.thirtlthulay of .December. 1K, I. Samuel S. Curtis. Master In Chancery of the circuit court of the United States, for the district of Nebraska, will on the fifth day of June. 1900. at the hourof ten o'clock In the fore noon of said day. at the east door of the Lancas ter county court bouse building. In the city of Lincoln. Lancaster county, state and district of Nebraska, sell at auction, for cash, the follow ing described property, to-wlt: The undivided half iij) Interest of all of sec tion numbered t wenty-set en ( 27 ) and the north west quarter (n. w. !) of section numbered thirty-four (31 ), and the west half ( w. H) of the northeast quarter (n. e. l)of section numbered thirty-four (34 ); and-the west half ( w. ) of the east half (e. ! j ) of the northeast quarter ( n. e. 'of section numbered thirty-four (34)- and the west half (w. H) of the east half (e. H)of the east half (e. 54) of the northeast quarter (n. e. 1-1) of section numbered thirty-four (311 all In township numbered nine 19 , north of range numbered Ue (5 1. east of the Sixth Principal Meridian, all in Lancaster county, Nebraska, subject to prior lien under abote mentioned de cree. If above mentioned undivided half Inter terest does not sell for enough to pay the Hen thereon. I will sell at the hourof eleven o'clock, nil of lot numbered three ( 3) and the west half ( w. H) of lot numbered two (2lall In block num bered two hundred and elght(208) according to the recorded plat of the city of Lincoln. Lan caster county, Nebraska. At the hour of eleven o'clock I will also sell all of section numbered twenty-seven (27) and the northwest quarter In. w. 1-1) of section num bered thirty-four (3D; and the west half tw 1-2) of the northeast quarter (n.e. l-4)ot sec tion numbered thirty-four (3D; and the west half ( w. 1-2) of the east half I e. 1-2) of the north east quarter in. e. 1-1) of section numbered thlrty.foun3();and the west half (w. 1-2) of the east half (e. 1-2) of the east half le. 1-2) of the northeast quarter Cn. e. 1-4 ) of section num bered thirty-four 1 31 ).all in township numbered nine (9), north, range numbered Hve (5). cast of the Sixth Principal Meridian, all in Lancaster county, Nebraska. Above land will be offered in two parcels: sec tion twenty-seven 1 27 las one parcel and the three hundred (3U0) acres in section thirty-four 1 34 ) as another. Samuel S. Crans Master In Chancery. First Pub. May 5,-3. Notice of Probate of WilL In the county court of Lancaster county Ne braska E 1161. The state of Nebraska to Maud Arnold. Mark Twain Arnold. William II. Arnold and to any other persons interested in said matter. Take notice that there Is on Hie In said court. a petition signed by William II. Arnold praying for the probate of the last will and testiment of Lois 1L Arnold deceased, and for the appoint ment of himself as executor. That on May2Mh 1900. at ten o'clock A. M.. said petition will be heard at the county court room in Lin coln, in said county, and that If you do not then appear and contest, said court may probate and record said will and grant administration of the said estate to said William B Arnold as executor. Notice of this proceeding has been ordered published for three weeks successively prior to said hearing In The Courier of Lincoln, Ne braska. Witness my hand and seal of said court this 30th day of April, 1900. IseaiJ Frank R. Waters. County Judge. By W alter A. Leese, Clerk County Court. Notice to Creditors. First Pub April 2S I In the county court of Lancaster county, Ne braska: In the matter of the estate of James Wanipler deceased. To the creditors of said estate You are hereby notitled. that the County Judge will sit at the county court room in Lin coln, in said county, on the 1st day of Septem ber. 1900, and attain on the 1st day of Decem ber. 1900. to receive and examine ull claims against said estate, with a view to their ad justment and allowance. The time limited for the presentation of claims against said estate is six months from the 1st day of June. 1900, and the time limited for the payment of debts Is one year from the 1st day of June. 1900. Notice of this proceeding has been ordered published for three weeks successively in The Courier a weekly newspaper published in thN State. Witness my hand and the seal of said court this 21th day of April, I90O. SEAi-1 Fkank R. V ateks. County Judge. By Walter A. Leese, Clerk County Court. Notice to Creditors. E J449. (First publication April 2S-4 In the county court of Lancaster county, Ne braska. In the matter of tho estate of Joseph West fahl. deceased. To the creditors of said estate: You are hereby notified, that the conntjr judge will sit at the county court room in Lin coln, in raid county, on the 1st day of Septem ber 19I0, and again on the 1st day of December 1900, to receive and examine all claims against said estate, with a view to their ad justment and allowance. The time limited for the presentation of claims against said estate Is six monthsrom the lstjlay of June.190O.-and the time limitmi for the payment of debts is one year from the 1st day of June 1900. Notice of this proceeding is ordered publish ed four weeks successively ia The Courier of Lincoln. Nebraska, a weekly nowspaper pub lished in this state. Witness my hand and the seal of said county court, at Lincoln, this llth day of April 1900. (seal.) Fkank R. Waters. County Judge. By Waltek A, Leese, Clerk County Court. 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