Brooklyn Life from Brooklyn, New York • Page 10

BROOKLYN LIFE. 10 is again in fine voice. Later in January Melba will be the Helene in the American premiere of the new one act opera by Saint Saens, "Helene et Paris." CONCERNING "Aida" on Wednesday night, only a hurried mention of one of Mr. Hammerstein's most creditable achievements can be made now. The production was distinguished by rare orchestral and choral beauty and a general infusion of vigor that was downright refreshing.

The stage pictures are the most elaborate thus far offered at this house and as a rule are highly artistic as well as gorgeous. At times the enthusiasm of the audience developed into a veritable uproar; so it seems likely that "Aida" will be among the most popular bills of the season. The National Golf Course. LAST week the dream that Mr. Charles Blair Macdonald, the first amateur golf champion of the United States, has been dreaming for the past four years, became a practical reality through the closing of a contract for two hundred acres of land on Peconic Bay.

The dream was of a golf course that should combine in one eighteen-hole round the best features of the most celebrated courses in the world; in other words a course that should be the best in the world. That such a course will soon be created on the land acquired is beyond peradventure. Nowhere else in this country do the natural conditions of soil, contour and vegetation if 4 all en nsorlv rAcmnMA tlire nf the rlnssir IllUlV UVHIlJf The New Opera House. ONLY three weeks ago Mr. Oscar Hammerstein was generally regarded as a rash invader in a field already well filled.

To-day he is a hero of the town and he still has one of his biggest cards to play the great Melba. In short, Mr. Ham-merstein's accomplishments so far are hardly less than miraculous. His second week brought forth performances of "Don Giovanni" and "Carmen" that made the critics all sit up and take notice, while this week he has added a spirited "Aida" to his laurels, with "Lucia di Lammermoor" still to be heard from. Fashion, though permanently domiciled at the other house, is even looking in upon him to see for itself what all this talk is about, and with the fame of the admirable Bonci and Renaud being spread far and wide it is only a matter of time when every one will have dropped into the Manhattan.

The audiences have not always been as large as the fine performances deserved, but there has been a steady increase in size and the real music-lovers are delighted with the no-encore rule and other endeavors to suppress the unduly enthusiastic. Mr. and Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt, Mr.

and Mrs. Robert Goelet, Mrs. Gwendolen Burden, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Ast'or Bristed, Dr.

and Mrs. William T. Bull, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Thaw, Mr.

and Mrs. Frederick G. Bourne, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Spies Kip, Mr.

and Mrs. Edwin H. Witherbee, Mr. Hicks Arnold With-erbee, Dr. H.

Holbrook Curtis, Mr. G. Creighton Webb, Mr. and Mrs. Hugo Baring, Mr.

and Mrs. Arthur Curtis James, Dr. Clarence C. Rice, Mrs. Arthur Sherwood, Lieut Lewis Morris, Mrs.

William A. Perry, Mrs. Albert Bierstadt and Dr. Louis Livingston Seaman are some of those who have been there during the past week. GENERAL excellence was the distinguishing feature of the performance of "Carmen" at the Manhattan last week, Friday that everybody is now talking about.

The playing of the orchestra was refreshingly vigorous and really interpretative the chorus was full of voice and enthusiasm the stage picture were bright and pleasing, and finally the leading roles were all more than capably handled. Bressler-Gianoli, who made her reappearance in the title role, has a somewhat meager vocal equipment, but she uses it all to the best advantage. Moreover, she got under the skin of the character, as the French say, and fairly gripped the audience just as Renaud had done in "Rig-oletto." In short she is the Carmen of Prosper Merimee's book, and, except for her dress of other days, very like some of the women that you see working in the very same tobacco factory in Seville to-day. A notably fine artist this. Dalmores, the new Don Jose, is uncommonly good vocally, and in the last act he has the dramatic fire that Campanini used to display in this opera years ago.

In this act alone was the staging of the opera unsatisfactory, and in the ballet the dancing was not so inspired as the playing of Mr. Campanini's orchestra. Donalda was a charming Michaela, both as to voice and manner; Ancona was an adequate Escamillo, though seeming to be restrained by the necessity of singing in French, and Gilibert developed his Dancairo into a work of art. The repetition of "Don Giovanni" on Saturday was one of those occasions that confirmed opera-goers remember with particular joy. Its merits were many; its defects few.

Renaud' Don Giovanni, then seen for the first time, took immediate rank as one of the very greatest of operatic portraits. When he made his appearance he seemed to have stepped down from a Van Dyck canvas. In his second costume of pale mauve with a gold-spangled cloak, he was an even finer picture. Renaud is still not quite at his best vocally, but any little deficiencies are readily excusable in the face of acting that makes the character live. The Zerlina of Donalda is one of the most enjoyable features of this performance she seems to have taken a leaf out of Sembrich's book.

Then there is the Ottavio of Bonci, distinguished by his divine singing of "Dala sua pace" and "II mio tesoro." But even with extraordinary single features, it is the performance of the Mozart masterpiece as a whole that strikes one with wonder and admiration. FOR Christmas week Mr. Hammerstein has arranged an uncommonly attractive schedule of operas. There will be a special performance of Aida" on Christmas night and another repetition of Verdi's opera on Saturday night, the latter at popular prices. "Lucia di Lammermoor'' which was to be sung for the first time this week Friday, with Bonci, Minolfi, Mugnoz and Pinkert, will be repeated with the same cast on -Monday -night.

WThe: Wednesday opera will be "Car-, men," which is also to be sung this week, Saturday afternoon, in place of Aida," Renaud will be the Escamillo on both occasions. The week's addition to the list will be "II Trova-tore," which will be given on Friday evening, with Russ, de Cisneros, Dalmores and Ancona. "Rigoletto," with Bonci, Renaud and Pinkert, will be next week's matinee bill. In "Faust" this week Saturday evening, Donalda, Altchevsky and Dalmores will sing. Melba, who sails for this country on Saturday after being present at the marriage of her son, Mr.

George Armstrong, in London on Tuesday, will make her appearance at the Manhattan in "La Traviata," January second. Reports from London are to the effect that she links of Scotland: data, the result of, the most exhaustive investigations and consultations! with the most distinguished golfing authorities in the world, is in the hands of Mr. Macdonald, while the surest thing of all is the capital essential to carry through the project. In explanation of the assertion that it will be the greatest golf course in the world it may be well to add that anywhere but in the British Isles it would be a practical, impossibility to equal it, and the conservatism of British golfers is such that they would consider it sacrilege to suggest any alteration of their classic greens. At the same time it must be understood' that the reproduction of the best features of those greens does not mean an attempt at an identical copy or duplication of the best holes.

It merely means that the underlying principles which account for their superlative excellence will be brought into effect In short, there will be no suggestion of artificiality about the national golf course but the results will be produced hjr making the most of Nature's gifts. Though the names of the sixty founders of the National: Golf Club might suggest a rigid exclusiveness, based largely on wealth, the course is in reality to be a national one a mecca for the ablest golfers in the world and is to be run on as liberal a basis as circumstances will permit. Wealth or social position without golfing ability will be no recommendation to associate membership, which will call for an entrance fee of one hundred dollars and dues of thirty or forty dollars per annum. The fact that the larger percentage of the founders are New York men does not detract from the national character of the organization since it is merely a natural contingency and nothing has been more remote from the minds of the pro-motors than discrimination on sectional grounds. As an indication of the backing the enterprise enjoys, the following are noted among the sixty founders Mr.

Norman B. Ream, Mr. De Lancey Nicoll, Mr. Winthrop Rutherfurd, Mr. William B.

Leeds, Mr. J. Hobart Moore, Mr. William D. Sloane, Mr.

H. McKay Twombly, Mr. Joseph W. Harri-man, Mr. Oliver Harriman, Mr.

W. K. Vanderbilt, junior, Mr. T. Jefferson Coolidge of Boston, Mr.

Quincy A. Shaw, junior, of Boston, Mr. Clarence Mackay, Mr. Robert S. Mc-Cormick of the American Embassy in Paris, Mr.

H. C. Frick, Dr. Charles McBerney, Mr. Charles F.

McKim, Mr. J. Bowers Lee, Mr. F. Watson, Mr.

Richard Young, and Mr. R. Bage Kerr. (The Brooklyn representation on the founders' list comprises Mr, Daniel Chauncey who is one of the executive committee; Mr. William A.

Putman, Mr. James L. Taylor and. if he may still be called a Brooklyn man, Mr. Alfred L.

Norris. Mr. Macdonald is president, Mr. R. C.

Watson, junior, secretary and Mr. James A. Stillman, junior, treasurer. The committee which will supervise the laying out of the luiusc ts luiupuacu vi xvir. iviacuunaiu, mr.

waller J. iravis, Mr. H. J. Whigham and Mr.

Devereaux Emmet. So far as i accommodation is concerned the club will merely put up locker house but the players and others who will undoubtedly be drawn to the course in large numbers during the spring, summer and autumn will find the best of accommodation at the" new Sebonac Inn, now being built by the Shinnecock Hills and Peconic Bay Realty Company, from which the land for the course was purchased. That the national golf course will not merely add enormously to the attractions of Shinnecock Hills; but to the celebrity of Long Island as a whole, there can be no manner of doubt, and in this respect it will supplement the proposed automobile parkway which will provide a direct route to the course for motorists..