OCR Text |
Show ! Mary Garden Charms! Dramatic and Intense . i AJvTIST to her linger lips, susceptibly sus-ceptibly sunsutivo to the degree that belongs onlj' to genius, dramatic dra-matic in spile of herself, possessed pos-sessed of a personality so magnetic that it holds and charms even those who do not understand, "with a magnificent stage presence an?i a welcome absence of stilted affectation, entering instantly instant-ly into the spirit and, mood of every selection she rendered, with a voice of great beauty, although not of phenomenal phenom-enal capacity this is Mary Garden, the famous mezzo-soprano who delighted de-lighted a big audience al the Salt Lake theater hist night. j In her song programme last night Miss Garden ran the gamut of human passion, ecstacy, louging and pain and with one exception was superb throughout. through-out. Her "Annie Laurie" was not up to the high standard that she set in her other numbers. But this could easily be forgiven one who so ubly interpreted in-terpreted the intensely dramatic selections se-lections of the classical composers. .Miss Garden is actress as well as songstress. Ilcr voice, her facial expression, ex-pression, her very posture arc deeply significant and much of her phrasing is so exquisito that one loses sight of the technical beauties in revelling over the finer shades of meaning which she reads into the melody. And she had able support. Howard Brock way, her accompanist and piano soloist, is both a composer and a pianist of national reputation. Arturo 'I ibaldl. violinist, never before heard in Salt Lake, is a master of his chosen instrument' instru-ment' who richly deserved the warm applause that he received for his excellent ex-cellent work. Mr. Tilialdi 'opened the recital with a masterly rendition of the last two movements of the great Vieuxtemns concerto for violin and piano and his first phrase stamped him as a genuine artist. His modulation is almost flawless, flaw-less, his bowing splendid and his lone coloring exceptionally good. Miss Garden's first appearance was in the aria from Massenet's "Hero-diiide" "Hero-diiide" and she lived the part as well as voicing it in a manner that held her listeners Hpellbound until the Last note-had note-had died into silence. After this powerful pow-erful number with coiijunim.ite skill she turned lo "Comin' Thro' the Kyc." Her rendition of tho arias from "La Tosca" was a revelation for its intensity in-tensity without destroying the beauty of the melody, and hero she responded respond-ed to a double- encore, singing first "The Sweetest Flower That Blows" anil George Hue's "Cherry Blossoms," the latter with particularly fine effect. Her third aria from "Thais" called for another change of mood, but she was equal to the occasion. The best encore of the evening was her interpretation of '"L'horc, Little Girl, Don't Cry." The pathos which she threw into flic last stauza, with its theme of "they have broken your heart, I know, " brought tears to many eyes. Aliss Garden's final number, the Bach-Gounod "Ave Marin." with violin vio-lin obligate by Mr. Tibaldi and Mr. Brock way at the piano, was a masterpiece master-piece of musical expression. The audi once would not let the artists go and the number was repeated as a fitting close of a great rcciliil, not a tingle auditor leaving his seal. Uf the instrumental numbers that filled the intervals between Miss Garden Gar-den 's songs all were excellent, but special spe-cial menfiou is due Mr. Brockway's playing of his own beautiful "Dance of the Sylphs," the big Schubert-Tausig Schubert-Tausig "Ma re he Militaire" and the delicate Grieg nocturne that he played in response to an encore. Mr. Tibaldi 's skill and his ability to express the finer shades of emotion were Avonderfully demonstrated in his interpretation of the Robert Stearns nocturne and an old Danish folk song. His rendition of the Wicniawski polonaise polon-aise was brilliant throughout. I u a short talk behind the scenes Miss Garden said: "1 nm going back into L'rand opera in the fall, but I like (hi, concert work, for I am making it an opportu nity of seeintr every part of the United States. I love it. all. from east to west, from north to south. Everywhere 1 have been received .just as 1 have to night, with enthusiasm and appreciation, apprecia-tion, and it is my greatest pleasure to feel that I am able to do a little toward bringing homo lo the hearts of others the beaut v of .somr." |