The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-04-17
lsneclal Cnrrcanondnnce l

lcSSionalil, ana we have been saving good
by both 30 the worlds favorite vocalist and
to style of lyric entertainment in which
the personality and talent OF the singer
were everything and the composer and his
work nothing.
Patti Is the last Of the great prima don
mas who dared 10 Obtrude her personal
claims at all times She did il more de
bantiy than amy Of her predecessors and
more acceptably than any Of her cOntem-
poraries
She had become a worlds wonder and
the consciousness that tho public went to
see and hear her and not TO see or hear the
work TO which she was critically related
made her imperiOus, Independent and de
faut.
! never heard so perfect a vocalist
never saw so careless an impersonatOr She
seemed to have given all her life and facul-
ties 10 the preservation of her voice and ap-
pearance. She never grew careless IN her
singing But she Outgrew all desire TO be
the person represented. Time never sue
ceeded in betraying the worn timber of her
upper notes. She bad acquired the art OF
concealment and lost the art Of portrayal.
There was not feminine grace or pretty
giriish device Of manner that was not worn
rs cogently at fifty rs at fifteen, and she
has been content 10 remain TO the last the
regnant Patti. while all the characters. of
the old Italian opera that she impers0nated
have passed into oblivion.
/ saw her at the finish Of the season in
Donizetti's Lucia" once favorite opera
no less on account Of its delicious melodies
and its magnificent sextet than on account
Of its simple, Ineligible and touching love
story. / never anywhere saw a perform
nnce in which the composer and his work
were so inimitably showed into the back
ground by the personality Of a singer.
She treated the story with delicious con-
tempt, and il was accepted only as an ex-
cuse for Mime. Patti 10 come on at inter
walls and sing for the audience at the
footlights and cOQuette with them in her
own unapproachable style
The integrity and illusion of the opera
were broken into by regulation way Of
skipping down at the proper times to do
her arias and then skipping off. The rest
Of the company trying TO fill IN the inter
regnUms as best they might.
The audience treated the affair as a re-
ception Of PATHS. 1t used every plaudi-
tory device known 10 an audience to keep
her at the footights, where 1t could carry
on the filtration regardless of the story or
the ensemble. 1t asked her TO sing "HOme,
Sweet Home" while Edgardo was waiting
to break his heart, and she sang it, al
though it has no more place in the opera
than "The Star Spangled Banner"
II passed flowers up TO her continually,
intoxicated with delight at her girlish as
constituent and spontaneous JOY at receiv-
ing them. Patti must have accepted flow
ers enough in her lifetime 10 make an ordi-
nary career one perpetual decoration day.
IL is a striking evidence of her unimpaired
faculties that she still claps her hands and
sheds tears and has heavenly little thrill
at the sight of a bunch of roses, and al
though her room at the hotel may be stored
70 the ceiling with bouquets, she goes
through the same gamut Of spontaneity at
every additional bud.
Some variation was made on this occa-
sion, however, for a live puppy was handed
over the fOOtlights with other things This
episode was Of more interest than anything
In the opera. and il furnished little com
edy scene Of more spontaneity and kisses.
Viewed from any composers standpoint
Patti is q divine impertinence, and none
OF them, with the single exception of Ros-
SIM. lies quiet in his grave when she is
singing hts opera. Rossini alone is coll
tent. for the Rosina Of his Barber" is 50
conceived that she appears to be only
gathering bouquets.
A very significant incident occurred here
last week Comic opera managers are
now put 20 their wits end 70 devise new
and startling costumes for the chorus,
which is always the important thing in
comic opera. No one any longer goes TO
hear music in this form of entertainment.
lie goes to see what the manager will do
with the girls
Somebody struck new idea in the
"Child Of Fortune, " and it was to dress the
girls as Scotch laddies, a proceeding which
implied in its correctness some small por-
ton Of an absolutely bare leg.
The opera is TO be produced at the Casino,
and it evidently occurred TO the manage
ment to make the most of the Scotch cos
tune feature, so to begin with the papers
broke out the other day with the announce
mont that the girls at the Casino were in
state Of revolt al the proposition TO exhibit
two inches of bare leg, but that, so far as
could be learned from the management
they would have TO succumb TO the Scotch
regulations.
This was ingenious. 1t excited public
attention, aroused curiosity and awakened
interest. But the fact is the girls had no
more idea Of rebelling than they had OK
piring. was talking with one Of ITEM
shortly after, and she hadn't heard any
body object. She didn't clearly know what
a scotch laddie's costume was, but whatever
il was she guessed the girls could stand 1t
II the manager could.
Mr.. William H. Crane has produced an
other play al the Star theater. 1t is called
.aThe American Minister" and is laid in
Italy. II is an attempt, and not altogether
an unsuccessful one TO place an eccentric
American in foreign surroundings, with
the one idea Of making the contrast IN
character and environment humorous. The
play is farcical, and Mr.. Crane is farce
actor. lie has not got "a serious turn III
him. he handles the somewhat trivial IN
cidents OF this comedy with his usual
sprightliness and manages 20 make people
laugh, but the work itself is defective III
its bathos; il makes important things trlv-
ial. deQrades responsible personages to n
dicuious conditions, and generally views
diplomacy and United States officials as
idiocy and end men.
The piece can never take rank among
worthy dramas. for its theme or its htera-
ture. It can only prove successful as a
new medium for Mr.. Cranes personality