The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-04-18
SARAH BRRNHARpT AND VERDI.
Donn SOD y East GIory-ItumbIc origin
ana Early Struggles of the Divine
sarah-Guiscppe vcrdt's Views About
Apnrn

VVcrN.
Paris Iettcr.
The company Of the Theatre Francois have
holiday in the Ioy Week, by virtue of old tradl-
tion. They generally take advantage OF II to go and
play In BRUSSELS where there is aweii-appointed play
french This season. S sSTa crnSardt who
not grcgarous In her Instincts, has deserted her
rades, aud gone to star 1t In Holland. sho left
Tuesday, Travelled contract In saloon carriage
with her boy Maurice, and was met in BRUSSELS by
her Dutch nprssario schunann, who negotiated With
her the conditions OF her engagement with the Theatre
o. Amsterdam. This gifted daughter OF Judah, who
has special talent for getting herself pulled, insisted
on high pay and public honors. was set down In
the agreement that she would not he obliged to play
less received at the railway terminus by the burgcses
and burgomasier, and escorted as she rode 10 her
hotel In carriage drawn by four white horses by the
Royal Guard, and the students of the University In
their caps and gowns IT any other members OF the
Com6do Franchise were with her, they were to ride
In carriages drawn by two horses only. After play
Ing " Phedre " on Holy Thursday, II was moreover,
stipulated that she TO be conducted from the play
house by fonr notables OF the city, and that retrufe
fombeaur was to pass beneath the balcony OF her
apartments. This spectacle was to be followed by q
scrcnadc given by 2oomuscans of the Royal Academy
OF Music. on good Friday she acts according to her
engagement, ths part Of Mrs. Clarkson In L' Etran
gore and Saturday she rccitcs the TRADE Of Dona
Sol and other Of Victor Hugo for the deiccta
ton of the young Queen, before the Court. NJ.
Schumann also stipulated to pay Sarah Bernhard
H. 900 francs for each representations and the Cham
her Rotations In the Palace. It was judged
sary to Induce some members OF the Francals to
accompany Mile. Sarah Bernhardt IN Dutch
Several refused. They thought 1t beneath their
dignity To play second fiddle to her. am told that,
to avoid woundng the pride Of those who consented
to go, II has been arranged that Sarah should he
especially honorcd MS daughter OF Amsterdam who
had conquered high place on the stage Of the frst
theatre In Paris
Bernhardt's birthplace but II does not. The Dutch
Legation here has asceraned that the gifted actress
was born in Paris Of Dutch mother who at one time
wss Rachel's dresser. This woman married Havrns
attorney Of her own faith Sarah was sent to Catholic
Church to be christencd, and transported to Amser
dam In her Infancy to DO reared by her maternal
grandmother. She was, as she was getting Into her
teens, brought back to Paris and taken to live in
wrctced set OF In the top story of an old house
In the Rue st. Honore, and had for nelghbors the
family OF q customer and scene decorator OF the
Francois. In tho dull season they often gave her and
her sister, Jeanne tickets for the play She discovered
IN herself vocation for the stage, and her mother
noticing something In her eye which reminded her of
Rachel decided upon placing her at the
to dressniaker. Her early theatrical career very
unsuccessful. She failed wretchedly at the Francas
to which she was admitted as pensfonaire, and was
thinking OF committing suicide, when she fell In with
George Sand at the Odeon. That great woman had
an exquisite ear She was entranced with the musical
voice Of Sarah Bernhard, and tried to interest the
manager in her favor He objected that her protege
was sticky and Affected George Sand met the first
sticky at all In her dressing gown and In lank
petticoats. 1t was entirely the fault OF the
crlnone she wore in bourgeois roles II she resembled
suit hcr slender FORM nor lend itself to the serpentine
grace OF her movements But the lustrious novelist
particularly dwelt tho mcliuous voice and the ex-
prossivo character of the eyes There was SONS talk
OF play of Victor Hugo, "Hcrnani " being brought
out at the odeon. Madame Sand went to that alter
ego OF Victor Hugo, Paul Meurce to advise him to
| conhde tho role OF Dona Sol to her young protcge.
Eventually, when after more than eighteen years
Sarah Bernhardt was engaged according to the adj
vice OF George Sand, at the odeon. A reaction in
her favor set in. Her merits were overrated and NJ
Perrin, the manager Of the Francois, declared him
self her humble and obedieut 9ervant. Emile de
Grardn took her up, and mover lost an opportunity
had an interest. It was to her advantage that her
name was associated with the dramatic triumphs of
Victor Hugo, who hast been since his return from
literary and artistic world Paris Sarah Bernhardt
had also the luck to fall in with costumer who.un-
derstood how to dress her-Felix, the of one of
her old neighbors OF the Rue st. Honore 1t was In
black costume made by him that she sat to Carolus
Duran for the portrait serving as pendant to that
Il aS Becky sn Ss
al Etrangere, and the other as ''PhGdre - are
on each side of the door through which NJ de Girar-
the other end of drawing room long enough to
AFFORD space Tor twp immense fre-places there is
bust Of the first Madame de GlTayd Rachel earliest
In sympathy with Heine, wroiea play-"Judith ~
In which she gprifed the race from which Lord
Beaconsleld sprung, and asked Mile. Felix to accept
her for tho occasion from Elizabeth to the one
she was destined to lmmortalize
Verdi Is not pleased at the expense to which the
manager Of the opera house has gone In producing his
Egyptian opern OF Aida" The Avenue Of sphInxes
theemple Of Vulcan the Palace Of Pharaoh the apart.
ments Of Phai aohs daughter, the procession Of the
god Apis, OF the victorious Egyptian Captain, are all
superb In the superlaive degree-hut for that reason
have been better satisfied II NJ vaucorbeli had had
more faith In the power of music to charm and en-
chant and attached less Importance to stage accesso-
ies The great italian composer Is altogether hostile
to the Partisan fashion Of above all things, minister
ing, on the stage to the lust of the eyes. His ex-
perlehtes during the wearisome rehearsais of
:" Aida" have set him more than ever against what
| he stigmati=es as un luxe effiene de decors. The
French system that he condemns is followed at dis
asrous expense and loss OF time, and let stage
gers and decorators do what they WILL they can never
render theatrical Illusion perfect If an opera Is
| not masterpiece, three or four hundred thousand
francs are cast away upon 1t. The holiness and the
| initiative of manager checked by material
considerations. lie hardly dares to trust his owl
TO reduce rlsk toa minimum, he only employs com.
posers OF renown, to whom he gives though the,
| Young composers are not allowed an opportunit,
to come before the public and are condemned t
silence and sterllity. Too much is sacrificed on til,
corps de ballet and their costumes. Verdi is by M
means indifferent to the spectacular effect of we'll
drilled and brilliantly equipped corps do ballet. Blu
the minute, the hypercritical attention to them, I'll,
hdgetty OF which thoy the object at tho oper,
house. almost drove him crazy. He very sensbl,
represented to NJ Vaucorbe that the public only saw
from afar and that II 1t part of the system I,
enable dancers to appear to advantage to heavy swell
coming DellDd the scenes to adore them stop should
he put to It, II takes at least SIX months bring ou
an opera In Paris. Six weeks is thought enough n
the Scala, In Milan: and the chorises there are inf
nitely better than any in the employment OF NJ Van
corbell. Singers, musicians and cheristers are no
weary there OF opera against the first rising Of tn
curtain ''
cess0res 1t Is device 10 avoid bankruptcy. Singers
who II well paid would be excellent stock artists, ar
to death and Kept . to
often undeservedy praised stars" Verdi Opinion
Is that managers should not take Into account the i'm
preston dancers habited with view to distan
effect make on the patrons Of the opera behind tn
scenes that to have troupe of vocasts well drlle,
all round should be the principal aim of the operat
manager, and that when lie atains this object lie ma
be sure the public Will be satisfied, though stage ac
cessories are eheaply got up. Verdi does not lik
posed to satisfy the within OF baTlarouS senspalist
tho ex-pascha q Egypt, Who DID not uiiderstan,
music. Z AIdarisa sensational work. and Verdi
part In u would not no comprehensive without tn
spectacular effects. The composer was Informed tia
Ismail was going to send an expedition up the Nil
poring territories which his Highness Intended l.
annex. The Pascha was ambitious of revivlng tn
gories OF ancient Egypt and Of being sesostris o
could not flow from such source. "Aida', wa
performed for the first time at Cairo, In 1872.
me rrinee OF Wales u IN faris, making the roun'
Copies iSr has s aha other ladies'
Tho Prince will DO the witness OF Mile Dian
Gallfet at her approaching marriage with Franl
Selliere.
The Baroness Hirsel was unable 10 catch The roya
English lion Tor her sslree Musicale, Tho company
Notwithstanding, was brilliant. The Swedish beauty
Madame Boys wore there In a scarlet foulard ar
ranged as cap Of liberty IN anticipation, she ironi
ealy said. OF the descent OF the republic Into re-
radIcalism. Madame Patti and Nicolini, In stag
costumes sang the third scene In 'Aid,," n 70
nance from "AIignon,' and another melody
Prince Oscar came IN from Victor Hugo's reception
Professor Nordensj6ld partook yesterday of Il fam
lily dinner AZ Victor Hugo's. Tho poet impr0y,se
striking verses, on leaInas ffom the explorer tina
tho brilliant crown OF magnetic light, continual
suspended over the North Pole, Is not so much i
light tho polar region as apparently to arouse III
curiosity OF other planets.
Madame Adams artistic soiree was the creates
social event OF the week. Public men who ha
summed that lady for fear OF compromising these
with Prince Bismarck alleged in excuse when she re
preached them that their wives We're dspleased at tn
exclusively masculine character Of her receptions an
wouldn't Let them attend. MadalQ ADAM accord
ingy issned paris fof tho nrst Wednesday In eac
month % ladies exclusively, to meet her ordinar
visitors. AZ Parlsiennes moi supposed 10 IA
politics, she engaged renowned musicians, vocalist:
and comedians 10 amnse them. Ia the worlds won
der, distinguished and honorable ladies' conneote
With artistic aud literary society were present, PreS