The May Festival

Gadski and Mis. Walker, sopranos. (Miss Stein anti .Miss Spencer, eonraltos. Jlr. Rteger, tenor. Mr. Kispham and Mr. Oampanail, tritones. Mtr. Howland, bass. The success achïered iy fonu r Festivals made it very ditticult iudejd o arrange a FesüvaJ whic-h slni!l )e a worthy successoT to sxxh a i ■ics. As a resúlt of negwtiations whlch invc bi'cn in progresa slnc ■ the last May Festival, the fölkwiBg prográai s offered, as including everytJüng in tle way oL arösts and work iii-ïi au be expected n a festival oí flrst■lass iuiportanee. Although the two primcipal works ïbosen, the "Manzani Requiem" i' Verdi and the "Flying Dutchnian" r Hiehard Wagner, ,h. aoi preseñi uc.i iiiarlícil differemces in conception as oxist between the Germán sc-lwol oí' rratorioiand the great dramatic wörks, still it vvill be seen that the policy inaii.mirared of presenting works oí eontraating ehoola lias beea ulhered i". r['h" 'enli Requiem, although ostensi'bly a rëligkous work. treats the Bubjeci ia a somewhai dramatic oiarit.er, aml contalns fche essential char■i' i i siics of lin' Iraliaii school oí WTíling, fluent melody, syminetrical form, foteresting harmony, and t mos1 rcmiarkable use of purely vocal ífrc( ts. 'í'iu' soccess oí' i lic pi i anee of the flrsi ael oí "Lohemgrin," two years ago, has led to (lio belief ihiit tlic performance Ín coucti form of Wagner's "Fl.vin.í _Dutchnun" wculil prove aceeptable, especialjy fco those vvho have had no opporttmity of leelng this representatlve work of the erman Dramatic school au the siap'. [t is better adapted for sm-ii a pivrpose th.-iu any other work, of the great rnaster. Having the performance of the 'Flying Dutchman" in view, Uie 'tiuen-t of groal Wagnerian siiigers beeame a neeessity. The engagemeni ■ !' CJatlski. fhe greatest Wagnerian soprano, u the estimatlon of maiiy reliabh- eritics the greatest Wagnerian soprano on the stage, now that Klafsky is gone,- insures a remarkable performance of the pari of Senta, one of greatest roles. David Bispham, vho by the way, is au American, is [■ousiileiv.l one of the greatest living barlbones. Ili.s suceess in England and on tlie continent in tiie grea( Wagnerian roles is weil kncwu to niasicians; whlle hia no less remarcable achievenieiiis last season as ;i nio-nber of the Metropolitan Opera eo.-npany in New York, has firroly estallisiied his reptUation on this side of the Atlantic. Tlie part of the "Flying Dutehnïan" is one of the most intensely dramatic paris ever eoneeived and yet, because Wagner was at the time of tlie eomjiositiou of the "Flying Dutchnian" in u iiat is callcd his flrsr iK-riod. lxitli tiie part of the Dutelnnau .md Senta are Cali of the broadest and inosl charnxing melody. Hotli these artists have proved themfseives oqually great on concert platform and in oratorio, a statemeïii wbich is made merelj as a proof of tl.eir vereatiHty and artistic resources :;: -Jf "Gádski as Ellzalbeth shone refulgently a-s a star in the east: next to her in efficiency coming Bisphaxn in the role of Wolfram. Gadslci's Elizabeth was very ti.ie -to piek flaws in her Impersonaition would be to show onrselves cavlllers. She is m admirable artist. and s'nines ',n wiiatever part. she assumes." - Ohánntng Eílery in THe Coiu-rt Goer, E!hlladilliiii:. "Mrs. .Iolianii:i Cailski. a womin vho disdains' self-adverüsoineni ani needs 110 passionate press a reut or indefatigab-le 'manager to boost hei claims as a singer, shone by tlie dis play of gèoniné ari and nol by the ex Uibition of diainoiuls or raimen', li the and'ience cares for dramatic sing ing, was Hiere anything last year that surpassed or equalled the duet t .Mrs. G-adski and Mr. Bispham Thurs i'.ay nlght?" (The duet in secoud act of "Flying Dutchman").- Phálip Hale on 'Worcesier Festival, in Música Record. íOritieisihg a recent perfotrmaaice r the Redemption tlie New York Sui says: "Of the individual sittgers, Mr Hispham and Mme. Gadski were ens ily fii'st. Gonnod set few o Hie wonls of Jesus, and the worth of the set ting is in open questiön- when ,-i Ie3 ser artisi than Mr. Blspham attmpts t. In itseli' ït i gently moving. He cruoblril it anl invested it wit] poignant appeal. Mme. Gadaki was In liko ease. Uhe purity of her voice the siii'.pliciry of her style, t-he houesty of her serrtimeari fltted her Eoi the task In hand. and ia ;i conipaw livelj' uew field showed lnr tead ad vanee in her art. There is no eompariaon bestween the G-adski oi' thre( }-ears uso aad the (adski of today Hard, constant and iatelligent work has done wonders for her. and with her youth in her favor she has the widest proraise of any wonian novs singing in this country. Stiange tosay, for a foreign singer, she bas ap paTently maBtered our tongue. Saturday night her eouociatlon was pure and (lisiiin-;. with scareely a trace of accent." Mrs, Jennie Patriek Walker of Boston, is ,i verj broad dramatic singet, who is easlly the leading sapraito ia Xcw Englaitci. IItr work is nor wt'll known in the west as It deseives, bnt those who remember hei' remrkable performance in the "Redemption" Scvci-al years ago, eau readily Miind that she will gire a masterly interpretation of the soprano parts in the Requiem. X singer In America ha made more rapid strides in her proftesiou duiing the !ist two years i Lm Gerrude May Stein ,in:l, her peirfornianee u the last Worcester Festival, to the opiniono f Philip Hale Boston, ni opinión whieh is eadorsed i,v the leadiog Boston and New York ritics, liniily established her positkm is the leading mezzo soprano in the inuitry. It will be otf interest to know tha1 bas }usi entered into a foür years' engagement as leading ilramatk soprkno :ir. Mannheim, Gernuiny. Misa Speneer'a wotk was so vcry saüsfiactory ai the lasl Festival tint all will haiil with delight the anuouncenient that she i.s to appear again. Mr. Wm. II. Bieger, wlio will pasantly remeralbered Lor Uis liTi'nnii;ini e of the part of Faust 11 the "Damnation of Fa-u-st," is to bc the leadtng tenor at the Fesdv:U. Jle wil] sing in both the "Rtquiem" and the "Flying Dutcjjanan." Oáinpaaari is 90 wel] known tlmt il i.s absohitely annecessary to say a word in hls praise. U's eiigageruent mi-ihj.i to le a matter of cours,-. Besides the torce eruinicrared. Mr. Howiand. of SVorcestor, a most exeellenl artist, wiil 1K0 tuke j)art. ::: There will bo, in addftlon to tiie artista already nam.d. a pianist, a 'cellist, another tenor, aal in all probabllity another soprano, whose mames ü s impossfbla to announce ai present moment The ïull Bostou iYMival orehesrra, unter the able ilireetion of Mr. Jlollenheur. 11 ag.iiu t.ikc part. The program will include a great mimber of novelties. Ai the Symphony concert, the Pathetic Syuiihouy of Ts.-iiaikwwsk! will bc given; also excerpts Erom the oew opera, "The Koendg's Kinder," by Humperdinek. 'Ph( :-t is no doubt, wharterev, that tbe cwm'bination of artists tor this Festival, taken all in all, js t!ie strongcsi yct offered, and there eau be 110 '■ abi th.it the Festvial will be a decitlcd adv.-uicc over tlwse of fui years. This will be practically the sa combinaüon which wis hraivl at the last VVorcester Festival, which. in the opinión of competent critics, was the finest festival ever given in iii." city. The followlng. taken froiu the Musical Couricr by special correspondente, will eaiforce this siatemeoit. "All in all. tliis fcsiival v,;is head and shoulders above the preceding festivals tlt I have heard at WwrcesTiic programs were of a hig order, and rhey were better arranged. The ensemble of the singers -vas also better. The whoie thing stood 011 a #].uii' artistlc plane." The patrons of th" coucerts will be interested in the changes which have taken place in Cniversity liall. bolk in the acconunodations for seating aiMl the arrangements for Hghtins;, and 110 doubt these chaivgcs 11 largely eoaduce t the enjoyment of the Festival. It is ncedless to add ti.ai a festival of tliis magnitude involves si'.eh an enormous expense that il is only by a. veiy large ilraft upon the sympathetic support of the public t!::it il can be made posaible. luasluu'ch as there is stiil remaintog tl excellent eoncerts in tli" Ohoxal Union series, besides the five eoncerts of the Festival, it woxrld seeai to be the pari ut' wisdom for thoso inteoding to pin. -liase tickets to 'o so ai once, especially as the interest n the Festival, 011 tiie pari of tliose outside the city, is greater tliau ever lieture. The resorvation of seats for the Festival will begin 011 Saturday, January lö. at ! a. in., ar the Sehowl of Music. Application by mail for tickets and reserved seats for the Festival siiotdd be addressed to Levi 1). Wines. treasir-er Union, Ann Arbor.