The Damnation Of Faust

The crowd tliat gained entrance to Uuiversity hall on Saturday evening to witness the performance of "ïhe Damnation of Faust" was uuprecedented. The hall was eomfortably filled at 6:15, long before time for the begipning of the concert. Alter every ayáilable inch of standing room witliin the hall was taken the crowd continued to fill lip the halls outside. Tlie sale of tickets stopped early in the day and probably hundreds of people who would have gone were forced to remain at home. Hundreds Btood up in the hall throughout the entire evening. Chairs sold as high as one dollar, while ticket speculators are said to have sold tickets for sums as high as $5.00. The evening was a inagnificent success so far as audience wa.s concerned. The rendering of "The Damnation of Faust" was bettei than three years ago in every respect. The Choral TJnion sang every cliorus without a break, although their rehearsal with the orchestra had necessarily been limited. The student songs were sung with just enough carelessness to make the in nattural. One of the prettiest chorases of the piece is the "Ave Maria" chorus of the peasants. The three hundred voices responded to the demands of Prof. Stanley's baton as a single voice. The work of the soloists is the best judged by the applause that each received. Mme. Nórdica, as Marguerite was accorded an ovation when she appeared on the platform, the gingers arising and waving their handkerchiefs, while the members of the chorus exploded a vigorous U. of M. yell. Mr. Rieger, as Faust, had the most work to do and the natural and artistic manner in which he took his part increased the good opinión of hiui that the audience had previously formed. Max Heinrich was a model Mephisto. He was spirited and natural and he delighted the whole audience. His recitative parts were especially well rendered. In musical expression he is beyond criticism. Although Mr. Clark, as Brander, had little to do he was given liberal applause after bis part. The work of the Festival orchestraean notbe criticised. After the "Hungarian March" there wastremendous applause: The afternoon matinee drew out the usual large crowd and the program was thoroughly enjoyed. Altogether the second annual May Musical Festival has been a tremendous and alunost unexpected success. FESTIVAL NOTES. "Do you kmow tuow much Xordica costs ?" asBed a statistically inclined gentlemain. Tfoe writer answerOd $750 hO eupposed. "No, I mean how much does each note that Nórdica utters met lier ?" "We gave it up. "TVell," replied the figurative gentleman, "s.hO sang just 150 notes in tlie Damaatioai of Faust, and reoeived $750 for it. Tlmt niakos $5 per mote, 'do&sn't it ? A flve dollar bank note rolls into lier pocket every time slie opeins (her Bweet inouth on the Stage. "Wouldto't j-ou Jiko to have somie öf her aiotes ?" and we confessd "yes." Mr 'Kiegei', tlie temoir, was the very best Anii Ai-bor bas ever heard. His voice is Bweet ama clear, and there is melody ie iall liis woi-k. He lias made a wam place for hlmself in the hearts of tho pcople liere, asad lus ñamo would bo ia strong one on nny pi-osram 1hat miglit .be given. He was a siiccess. "I wo'uld ratlier lo-so five years of my life tliain to liaviO this íes ti val a failure," remarked Stanley to "hl chorus a day or two before the great Ovent. 'Well, the Prof. will not to lose thosO trears. In fact the ITostival was noli 'a success ttoat it O'Ugiht to add twieO tltóvfc number to Uia liie, if iue "wants tliem added. Nórdica was am lexpensive luxui"y furud a groat disappointanent. The reasoe pirobably lay in thO part Bhe liad to takO ratner tliaja In. her ability or her indifíerence. Upon farmer is its diere kIh: has prov.u her ability i aind tlie occasion ousylit to have been ,-m incentive ío do her hen. The selectíoin tlrit Miss Slein reto dered om Frlday was iiot os pieasing to the public as was the one givèn on Saturday aítenioon. Vs a -on.-e:jii"nc(! she waa iiot c il e buk ;n fhe íitsi insinv;c, and as a lecond eoasequeoice slie would not be gracious onough to irespoad tn c-a. enoore i:i the secouJ ínstanos. Never-tliclcs.- Miss Steln ii a favorite Jiere, an;l everj-lwtly likes her. "If Nórdica íiad remained on llie stage uatil the concert was fchrough, she wcm'.d liavc solved over our so:e (!i-ai)poái!ment tiomewhat," remark■! a lady '-If we could not hear her siiiLf, .she imigiit hav leen gracious enouigii to Jiave allowed xis io loóte at lier." "Little Miss Stewarf is the darling,'' was heard 0.11 all sides. Sorae oí the ladies criticised her millinery Priday aftennoon, but wlicn she openOil her mouth and began to warble and trill those bird-liko notes, ihey neer pald any fartlier attention to the hat i-;lie wore. Tlie bass 01' Mr. Clark was excelldnt. The audience did not hear much of him, but. what they did liear irapressed them íavorably. Max Heinrich did aot wear off any of the grood inipiressions Iris former visite 'had g-iven Jiim. HO sang as if ]iis w hole soul was in the part, unid gave tilie best expressioa of any of tlhe soloists. Oarenee Eddy safcisfied the auuience that lie knew how to handle nn organ. The only eriticism was that Ms p'i'Ograim was itoo long. One liour would have been a sufíicieivt time to have listened to one sort of mmsic alone, and the people got lired, and inany of ,thein, especially those ■who were entertaining guests, were ob'.iged to leave foefore the program was completed, and thua missed the best selectioes on the program. Many people from abroad were disappointed in tJie org-an. It is sa sitaated, that they can mot see ot even imagine lts proportious, and ihey expected too mucli. The organ remalus, liowever, the largest aad best in the world. It is estimated tliat there were np"vards of fifteeti Jimndred strangeis in the city om. Saburday to listen to the last concert especially. Thi9ho usdid excellent work. They dtd aiot have as rnuch to do, and the luusk' was mot las pleasing as it is in lii.' Kiilfinpitioii, btit they made no nüstakt, a.n;l can íe?l very iwroud of tfluemiselves, as Ann Arbor certalnly dioes of tliem. "It you. liape niny more sueh events in Ann Arbor yon will be obliged to einlarge Uinversity Hall or else build au auditorium capable oí lioldinu' the croAvd." remarked one of the visitors. ïhe stage lootoed very ïiue indeed, af! er the members oí the chorus were seated. Tllie ladies witli their light anasees In ii-ont oí tlie rows of gentlenu ;i in black guits, madie a very pretty scène.. Tlie mainy things lost in the hall eliows liow careless people are. üne lady dropped .a beautiíul shawl from her .-liv,il(lcr; and jievcr knew a thing of it ; iseveral lost ians, and iiandkerohiefs and gloves innumerable were picked up by the attondante upon the lial!. Ome penson .was careless einougli to lose nis railroad ticket. It ivas a S'i'eat e vent and a great success. Ifc is doubtful ii it lias ever beon duplicated in tlhe west in either respect. University Hall lias seen' crowds but inever o. bigger crowd thaa Saturday evening. There was no vacant eeats oir vasant standing room and even the vacant places undermeath the stege were filled wlth people. There were Jour (general managers of railroads liere wlth their private cars Saturday. It was a dampmer on the croivd w-hen t-liey stepped out of loo:s afber the concert 8ittim1:iy night. It ti od as if that rain (lid extra service fust at that particular time. "I wotüd like fco have been un athíor about íive minutes this moTiiri mai'keü a lady at the concevt S.-ilurday afternoon. "I wou'd lia-re taught soirae of the youag men wfbh ï'oivdv instiiicts, vvho we: e oro-wdlnig and arualilng the iwople in tlu' eorrldflTB and on the staii-ways a lesso.n in g-ood breedins'. ïhey neededsuclii lessoiu very much." "Why didn't yon give tliem a tongue lashimg ?" was asüsed'. "It woiuld ha6 had no iinpression. Nothing luit brute foroe can reacli a fèllowj, I wlll not say gentleman, wlho is so lost to good breediinig as to needlessly cmywd trtihier, especially ladies, in a place lilke tlwit." And vrho can dispute wtoa-t tlite lady said ? The yo'iting men. wluo arO in the habit of doding; tllvai eort of thing should remember that thy are not only displeasimg and oiten injiuing others, bnt brimgi-ng repro ach upon the entiire student body by such aatics. It is not fuin. It is tooi ishness. Eushing is all right O'U the 1:Ü1 round oi' amoing themselves, but not in the hallways kt a crO'Wd. It might be well to state ttiat not a of tlie atlLletic teams was noticed in amy oí tJieee gangs of rushers. These diques were coniposed ■ of those wtw lo not possess sufficiemt courage to tackle their equals in a test of streoigth, but -who endeavor to "show off" in a cro'wd wliere the weaker ex predo'miuates. Gov. Asliley and party carne up from Toledo Saturday afteraoon. They mot only had diïïiculty !n securimg tickets of admission, bat werO umable to obtain -any seats at all, and werO glad rto get e vea standLng room. Aiter the tickets were all sold, and do more could be obtaiaed, people ■would rusili up a'jid throw thelr money into thO ticket office, and make a dash few "tli hall. There was about $100, Prof. Stamley aays, tliat was tlu-own into tlie officO by people who peceived oo tickets to show for it. The OTcluestra, uawler the directioa of Mr. Jlollenhauti-. deserves praise. Notwithtanding the uukhul words of t.he Detroit Tribtune critic, they did work as near faultlessly, as an orcdiestra could. Asny pei-son who ■oalled playiag "ragged," wal there to iiad iaiuit. Their wort acald jiot 'be Oxcelled by amy orchestra that bas appeared di-ere, ajnd all of the great oa-cliestras have been here exoept Strauss witlx bis dance music. Mt. Mollonliauor as a conductor has ■no (superior. He is graceful, easy, ■amd every niusician under him knows tfliat hte Oa;r is Vjuick to. detect the least íaailt. Ir. Bieveking, flie pianist, domonstrated 'his ability to manipúlate ihe keys. He lias a liand that is peculiarly fitted for this instrument, his Hogere being suíficiently long to euable him (to reach twelw leeys, f rom anUklle C to high G, and tliey could not move more rapidly were Ihey run by electricity. Same people took their lunches Saturday a fus n .ion. smd were m hand for good seatfl lor t(he ereniug's concert. Tliero -wero ma.ny laughable incident . paor fellow lost nis jïirl mul at last a-ccoants had not i'ound lier ye. The lirkct speoiüatora were oiaduty oiiMl made quite a litóle "spec." out of it, selltag snmo as liig'U as $5 a pieoe. It ás said that Nórdica was provokcil al t!ir ananM.n'cmont hcre because öuey could ao próvido a dressing room few lier to primp in, and to gOt jvon wïtti tliean Blie süghted her part. But ie lady hurt lieo-self more than amyoiie tee for of the thousands preson!t, not 0110 would gire a twenty-f iv oeriï piece to ïieav 'her agaia.