Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-15
WHITE ROaERuns

The most fashionable baby now wears white
or cream color from the top of her curly head
to the toe Of her dear little foot Even her sur
roundings are in the same immaculate hue.
Her nurse must have a white dress and jacket,
and her glorified go-cart must be enameled with
white and furnished with white sunshade and
white silken pillows. White attire only - de
rigeur for fashionable baby's nurse.
SUGGESTIONS TO ACCOMPANIES.
How rarely it is that the role Of accompanies
is appreciated. 1t is generally considered an
easy task to accompany song on the piano
compared with solo performance on that in
strument Another popular error is that poor
pianists may accompany very we'll 1t is more
nearly true that many good solo performers are
very poor accompanies, but when we consider
the qualities necessary FOR desirable accom-
panist the task seems stupendous rather than
simple.
The first requisite is a degree Of unselfish-
ness. The woman that accompanies should be
willing to sink her own glory In the success Of
the singer; while she must play correctly and,
at times, brilliantly. it must be with the one
aim OF showing the singer-uot herself-to the
greatest advantage. How often have we in the
audience been tortured with the provoking in
dependence OF action OF an accompanied who
evidently imagines that the attention and inter-
est OF the listeners center upon her. Again,
she should be able to read at sight with ease
and accuracy. She should render all the
sistance and support In her power. She should
not fall into the common mistake of follow
ing the singer, which, literally translated, is
dragging behind. She must not obey the gen.
eral impression that all accomplishments should
be kept down. or subjued in tone: singers with
loud voices require much volume from the
piano, and q weak voice may, at times,
be greatly helped by a full, strong
chord, although it must be admitted
that a voice is much more frequently
sufficiently Sustained sha n should bs able n to
transpose the song from one key to another at
moments notice. One extreme case of this
necessity occurred when an amateur lady singer,
possessed OF very fine voice, but not thorough
musician. was being accompanied by an orches-
ira led by an eminent musician. She COM
menced a rather long cadenza in the proper
key, but wandered from it 80 completely that
the conductor, with quick presence Of mind,
directed his orchestra to play the final chord in
quite different key, and he OWNED correctly
the one in which she would finish.
OF reading at sight the writer remembers an
instance where lady, who was a tolerably good
pianist, but at this time quite out Of practice,
was asked at a dinner party to accompany a
Erenchman and his wife in duet Anticipating
merely some innocent little song, she complied
without making any excuses. The singers were
professionals, but the manwas erratic in his
sat down before an operate selection sixteen
pages long. closely printed. She had never
seen the music, 1t was very rapid, the movement
changed often, and the words being In French
added to her bewilderment When the song
was brought to q close, with flushed cheeks she
turned to the singers and said, with grace that
WAS clever as well as sweet: by sing
ing SO beautifully with my experiment of
an accompaniment you have given the best
possible proof Of your skill, but please consider
that never knew what horrors awaited me in
the way Of rapidity or change Of movement
when the page was turned" She was delight
fully surprised to be told that thew had never
been 30 satisfactorily accompanied. and the me-
lodious acrobat confded to his friends in the
smoking room later that he had never before
had any one play for him who could skip with
him. "Whv." he said. admiringly, ~ would
sometimes jump four bars, aud she would
always jump with me and pick me ", just
where I landed" With her accompanying
Is really gift She always becomes absorbed
in the song, and 40 longs and strives for certain
effects. wishes earnestly that the singer will
take notes or hold 1t thus express the senti-
ment with certain tenderness, that when the
song il finished she feels exhausted with the in
tensity OF her emotions. Those who sing with
her feel that they never sing az we'll with any
one else; they gain from her a magnetic inspira-
ton.
Comparatively few listeners appreciate the
difference between good and poor accompani-
ment, but the grateful thanks OF the singer for
q perfect support should be reward sufficient.
and with love of music fair knowledge of
it, and genuine sympathy with the song and
the singer, these can be gained. SAPPHIRE