New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-03-14
SUNDAY EDITION.
MARCH IA, 1885.
SAINT SAENS AND DAUDET.
A NERVOUS COMPOSER AND AN AUDACIoUs
AUTHOR.

The retiring habits OF NJ. CahlIe ram
Sa9ns have always prevented him from beng
socially known by the public. Like N. Paul
Raudry. the painter. who has inst died. he never
encouraged intervlewers nor DrOmiscnoas callers
He has a Imi ed number Of stanch and tried
friends whose companiOnship fills the rare leisure
moments which intervene between his long hours
of work Camille Saint Saeas Is thorough
Parisian, born of French parents; aud like
Mozart he was a musical prodigy. He played
and composed long before he WAS IN bis
teens. and at the age OF twelve he found
publisher for his works Recently at musical
soree a clever dilettaute sang a baritone song. IL
Pas a. Armcs da Ro jean, OF Saint saens with muca
success. Yes, 1t Is very fine thing. almost good
enough to be numbered among the III pderl classic&
1t is OF his recent songs think responded the
singer to an enthusiastic remark. 81 beg your par
dom" interposed NJ e aoine the rector OF the IA
nous Trompette, "Sant Sasns wrote that piece
when he was fourteen years old. IL is one Of his
oldest"
Saint Sasns's physiognOmy Is rather insignificant.
With tile exception Of his nose which is prominent
and of Roman bend, his fea: ures are small and ir-
regular crown OF straight blonde hair Unite q
premature badness He is of small stature and his
figure is nervous and why. At the first glance You
deect certain stiffness Of gait and movement
which you attribute to awkwardness; his friends
say il is nervousness. At the piano 10
has almost the ngiIIty Of autonatOn
In SOC .ty he is either very sulen ami tacItura or
very lively aud laxative; he is either In the ono
or the Other extreme according 70 the yDpathetio
OF repe.I lent quality of ms Surroundings He never
forces himself into polite sociability when his
moods prompt him to d. otherwise. According 20
his fr ends his nervous temperament is the reason
that a separation from his wife deemed
sary. Two children were born 10 them; they arc
both dead. One killed Itself by acclientilly fall
ing ont of the window, and the other infant Of q
few months followed few weeks after.
SAINT Saens has very original way Of compOs-
ing His study is q small, square room; it il full Of
books but no music whatever can be found in 1t
He never uses piano therefore, has none in his
workroom. He writes standing, and on ahigh, un-
painted writing desk, and never putB down nots
until the whole piece Is entirely completed in
his mind. 1t Is then clearly conceived hat n0ta-
ing can disturb MS writing when be has once
begun. IL have sat in his study" SAID VI. le Nome
to ME. talking to him by the hour. testing him by
thruwIng a vOlley OF atroeious puns at him. asking
ham q Thousand questions, which he would rpa lily
answer | have forced hIm TO speak on subjects
tirey foreign TO music and the poser. If Gu
trey separated from his other self, would p aeidy
90 on writing without moment OF hesItancy or
the necessity of an erasure.'
Whoever heard of instituting a stock company,
buyiag and selling shares and expecting dividends
on the sale IF bOokl The thing is being done here
for Alphonse Daudet's next work. CHe haPtaTe daas
10 Monde He has sold 1t To number OF mon who
will make a financial enterprise IF it. IL has been
said that we live in a bOoklsh age; but few, even
in these times of financial inventions, could have
suspected that \ book wDud one dlv be liable ID
quoiation IN rhe money market at the Exchange,
like so many hams many sacks of grain. Tie
only point Of wOndernent titt the daa g1nated
m a French brain m; her than in American ono.
The char cters Of this story belOag to tue
arts. ucratIc and Imperial circles OF the lass Empire.
AphOuse DaudeG rs becoming more and more auda-
elOus IN the cho ce Of his subects Situations are
descrl bed aud actions dopiUtcd "htoh have s~taay
taken place between two women well known IN
what was called the elite of Imperial society. The
book is TO be the "SaDpAO Of le graaa @0ak and
the Rapture will be the outgrowth of scindalOus
ouarrels between two formidable rivals no have
fallen in love with the same AdOnis Auch lai-
morality IL expected from the book, and therefore
also much money
IL is known that the copyright Of AphOase Diu-
diets last book IdrfdrH sy les 4lpes bOugdt by
the Paris FiJarO for tne rou d sum Of $50 900 The
Figaro will m Ike money By the sale Of the book,
however higl the price Of purchase may appear.
| wonder the analogy between this humorous book
OF Daudets and Mark iwans Tramp Abroad"
has not rs yet attracted attent on. the coincidence
of the two books having like Illustrations and bear
ing strong resemblance To each other IN taeir do
scrptiye passages l. r<ing. do not wish 20 IL
innate thar the first has served as model % the
second, for it IS probable tnat Aiphons' Daudet IL
Ignorant Of the existence of A Tramp AbrOal.r
Dandet sometime ago exOGerIted himself frJm tbs
charge that IN the "Naoob" ne had initiated 40 10
of Dckeus's char cters by openly dee arng that 10
had never read Charles D.ckenss work., and did
not know that the BOOK ne was supposed to have
initiated was IN existence This is similar cola
cidcace. =.
date for OF the three vacant chars OF the Aea-
emy lie prefer the Independence Of his pen 70 tls
honOred place with the immortal forty. H5 Wants
10 be his own master ~ The choice II subjects FOX
them. -" could not. free OF hand. have
written lie Aabob. Les Rcts en- Ia!
ana NapaO If had been q member OF The gademy,'
said he recently t. Of his friends. And now
were 70 take the 5ary STEPS 10 become q can
didate, could say and do nothing without s0ins
one coming and whispering N nv ear lOi mGst
not DO that, on account OF the Ac1dsmY or for tns
Acadenyl you mast d. such and UGH thing or
hush think of tie Academy J No want none
of IT. Dr. Charcot has now restored me TO health,
| have years OF work before me, aud want I'd
write my books as conceive them. as uud rstLnd
them. / must be free to work without preOccupS-
ton. | contemplate wiring % book on the yOdn4
men OF the age, which shall call LebiS. Il Barre. /
must also write o history or Napoleon l., . story
after INV own notion, Is |, man OF the South,
understand one who was born under the same hot
sun. But all these are only secondary reaeonsj
the true ones are these, that nave educated my
oldest son | have reviewed all my former
studies with hlm. and | want To do the
same thing with the second, with our httle one.
Then love the country my love for rural sports
amounts 10 a mania The very though; Of a raIubs
IN the woods with wife and children for me cont
pletely oversEadOws the JOY one must leel IN being
n member of any society, however august &c may
prove. No, esteen honor the Academy, but for
on want none Of IT.
II ia announced that Daudets SaphO will DO
followed by piece of more honest intentions 40
the Cymnase He IL dramatIZng Fremont .JeaRe ct
Rislpr aiae Que of his best novels The director Of
the Gymnase takes care 70 announce that this
drama will be entirely revised, all that might pre-
vent II from being called moral show being ex-
plunged. 1t Is.a satisfaction To see that all the