New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-10
YTEI'TE GUILBERT.
A PARIS MUSIC HALL ARTIST.

Mr.. Arthur Symonds in The 81. Jamess Gazette
She Is tall thin little angular most winninglv and
girshly awkward Us she wanders on 10 the stage with
an mir OF vague distraction. Her shoulders drOop,
her arms hang Imply. She doubles forward In an
automatic bow. In response 10 he thunders OF ap-
plause md that curious smile breaks out along her ps
ana rises ana dance, In her bright lehtblue e.
wide open In sort OF child Ike asOnishment. Her
hair Il bright aGburn. Rises In soft misses above 4
arm, arc covered With long black gloves The an.
plause stops suddenly there is hush OF suspense she
And NTH rle list note you realize the difference
4 recently published some by ~ Mr. Andre RafaiovSh
states Just That difference 50 'n6tiy that must quote
II you want hearty laughter. country mlrth-
Or frantic gestures OF an acrobat.
Heel nSS n ae& %RS hoi r cScsc S hS %orh
And diamonds the gift Of some dull boy
Then when You see her do not wrong fvette,
Because lvctc l. not a clever toy.
a tawdry doll m fairy lmelglt set go.
And should her -ong sound cynical and base
Monotonous- walt listen. watch her face:
, The suicrlngs Of those the World calls vile
You, too viii shver. seeing their despair.
Now TO nae Yvete Guiibert Wa exquisite from the
first moment. "ESQuis.tel7 said under my breath,
by Der personal charm that abe thrills YOU. and ndmi
t6nt her personal charm couh be called I'm question
II must be ssld. TOO. that she can do pure comedy
that she can be merely, deiclously, gay. There Is
trills rapid furry Of broken aud phrases with
the sudden, spon,aneous irresponsible mirh Of a
bind But where she IS most herself Is 10 manner ne.
music hall stag from the beginning. Il Is the pro
foundy sed and essentially serious comedy which one
sees In Foralns marvellous deSigns-those rapid out
Hines which. with the turn OF pencil, give you The
our art In England Is mainly forced to Ignore. People
call the arr Of foran immoral they call Yvettc Gull
berts songs immoral That IS merely the conventional
misuse OF a conventional word. The art az lvette
C;ubert is certainly the art OF realism. she brings
before you the real hfe drama OF the streets. OF the
81. hau fla AZ. ~ I 10 hahip
The scenes she calls things by then right names Bun
there Is not tonch OF sensualiiy about her. she Is
aeDher contaminated nor communicating by what she
sings; she is simply great imperconal. dramatic
artist, who apes realism as others write It.
sents n denizen Of the Quarer ireda praying in
her room ut nightfal TO r0ur Lady Of Cash'-ths
really pow erful the music. sor Of dirge or ltany
is Intensely pathetic. And Yvette Guibert sing,
for effect in the lover notes which becomes a moan
an absolute heart breaking moan In that recurrem cry
that she strikes She literally shook me she made
me SILVER; she Brought tears TO my eyes In "Je
place, dealing with the more obvious comedy of the
woman who has drunk TOO much Mcet ct Chsndon at
something OF that tragic svor which gives art site
SS ~ r sam in u the e'r pnr St com
wide; with infection Of the voice. bend Of that
gesture, she can suggest she can portray HE hunor
that Is dry, lroncal coarse q viii admit. unctuous
~
lit, chuclle, stutteT IL can moan laugh. he tpsy
or dlstln rhshed. Nowhere IS she cOnven onal no
where does she even resemble any other French singer
Voice. face, gestures pantomiine-al are different,
all are purely her own. She is creature OF con
trasts, and suggests at once all that is innocent and
all that Is perveTse She has The pure blue eyes OF "a
child. eyes that are cloudless, that sleam with n
wicked lnsenuousness TINT close In the utter abase
ment Of wenriness, Tint open Wide In all the express
sioncssnoss OF surprise. lor nnyete Is perfect and
perfect too is that stmngc. subtle smile OF compre
hcnslon that closes the period. great impcrsonal
artist, depending MS she docs entirely on her ex
prcssive power. her dramatic capabilities. her gih
for being moved for rendtSlng the emotions OF those
In whom do not lnok for Just thH, hind OF emotion
she Affects one all The time MS leing after all,
moved from what she sings of-an artist whose
sympathy Is an Instinct, divnation. There is some
thing automatic In all fine histrionic genius and
find some Of the charm Of the etomaton In Yvctte
ti,ilbcrt. The real woman, fsnctes Is the slim
bright haired girl. who looks pleased and amused
when you applaud her. and whom L plcases to please
sou Just because II Is amusing. She could not tell
yon how she happens to be a great artist how she
has found voice or the tragic comedy Of cities how
is that she makes YOU when she sings Of sordli
miserIes. That II her secret" accustomed 10
say; and like to imagine that IL Is q secret which
she herself has never fathomed