A GREAT SINGER.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 194, 11 May 1908, Page 8

A GREAT SINGER.

TETRAZZINI'S DEBUT IN-. NEW YORK. Since the day or the evening when Mr. Oscar Hanimerstcin threw, open the doors of his Manhattan Opera ,House to the public he lias been longing for-a sensational singer. Of the artistic,' greatness of many of . his singers there liever was . a doubt in tho minds ofvtho unprejudiced. To_.mention but a few, there. were Renaudj, Sainmarco, ' Dalmores,. and Bonci, all of whom .(says a Nefir York paper) v/o'ro adjudged to be -important 'importations to the roster "of'operatic artists singing, in. this country; but tho.longed-for sensatioi} did not materialise, not even—let us be. quite frank—when. Miss : Mary Garden appeared in all her glory and sang.-Thais. Gradually Mary Gardens yogue has spreadj but she did-not upset "the equilibrium of the public at' first. , " ' •*:•. 'v---.-But now, peace to his longings, Hammer'stein has a - sensation,- arid her naine is • Luisa Tetrazzini. She is .a sister of Madame Cleofonte 'iCampanini,' and : she - has sung ill San Francisco— so she is no.'stranger to'this - country. '.But it', was London - that " discovered 11 her, and it was London that throw its .opera hat high m the air, . and ' t-lieu sho.uted , loudly in its glee..; London's shouting was so loud ithat its echo' camo guilder the water," superheating the' .cables'; which then steamed forth the. information that Tetrazzini .was a. " second Patti "/ and a,'' few things'more:'" ««. -aniMi/iow, So .the New York operagoers- were",-quite' prepared for her wlien she appeared at the' Manhattan; Opera House ;/and that temple 6f enthusiasm was 1 scarcely big 'enough to coh-. t?in tho plaudits of: the hugo crowd that. has assembled to hear h'er; So far'as'popular approval goes Madame' Tetrazzini was- a huge success. She was feasted with applause, without, end by an audience was huge in numbers'and noise,, and thus , Mr. Hammerstein's longed-for sensation -had really hap- • . .' ' The opera chosen,by Madame Tetrazzini for. debut was "La Traviata," arid in this,'very .near/the- beginning,:did"she.have an, opportunity- to; display just . those qualities for which sheis famous —namely, height, bril'liancy; and agility. The voice, if one eßooses to analyse it,' is: a remarkable'one in the upper register. Its height is surprising, and it grows in volume instead of getting smaller. If tho first evening". needed' any particular moment,- tounleash the : enthusiasm of -the multitude, '.then the 'singer • furnished this by reaching up vocally and taking the higii E-flat,' and then-stooping'down and picking up; her train; she walked off tho stage'. That was too; much - for the/shouters of" " bis " and ' "brava." It' was a'signal for an explosion—and by it' Tetrazzini. was acclaimed a favourite. ; . ' "' '■ She was heard ..to still bettor advantage a few days_. afterwards,: when' she sang in " Lucia di Lammermoor." 1 In the mad scene sho gayo-an exhibition of pyrotechniqub that was startling in'all its dari'iig; but.;Ks'Gilda in "Rigoletti" sho proved disappointing. In tho lower register this voice is small and uneven—at times it is'little more than an infantile voico of a quality v that is riot, in any -way pleasing; but her. vocal stamping ground is up among tho dizzy''heights, and here sho possesses brilliancy, of a. raro degree; . Is Tetrazzini a "second -Patti " after all rWhat nonsense |to pose such'"-a - question! What; is more .'treacherous .than! the human ear as reflected ; in the human memory? But' if both are'to lie trusted to a limited extentthey'remind the ruminator that Patti's voice Was a very smooth - , ; even one—Tetrazziiii's is assuredly not that But, -then, Tetrazzini lives and sings-rand Patti does not any more —at least, npt here... So • why this futilo . speculation'about Tetrazzini being a " second Tatti"? 'Leave, tlia.t': for' the, sensation mongers... To. us .slid is simply;Tetrazzini, a : singer with a remarkably nigh.-"and brilliant .voice. Sho has!not'tho finesse of some, other voices, nor has she. the: luscious beauty of still some others ; but sho is- a surprising singer, and she has, caught .'the ear and the fancy of her-New York audience.. And that is what Oscar. Hammerstein imported, her for! It, is also not. to be disputed that our. public' has , welcomed , her in no' uncertain fashion. It is doubtless true, that the, boxoffice. has nothing to do witli art—but art has something to do with.the box-office. So. those who wish well to the. Manhattan Opera H6uso..havo been delighted at; the crwdcd houses which Madame "Tetrazzini, is drawing to that institution.; "Sho- is duplicating- tho financial success.which iMadaine Melba reaped for this manager list year.. Also have: the drawing powers of "Thais'.-, and Louise" increased * so, that full houscs : greet these operas now. Perhaps'the tide turned of its own accord, perhaps- it i followed as a result of Oscar , Hamniorstein's," ultimatum [to his subscribers in particular, and; to the i public in general, in which lie set forth' that unless novelties, were, appreciated here he would riot continue to produce opera -in this city oxcept to a limited extent., At all events, matters are prospering at the -newer emporium-of New York's opera,-and the.flow of. novelties goes ou uninterruptedly. . ,