The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-13
A REMiNISCENCE.

The Paris CORES pondent of THE CALL
brings back memories of ancient days by
mentioning the fact that Hortense Schnei-
der has at last got Ter divorce from her hus-
band, Signor Lione of Italy. When she
retired from the stage. opulent, base and
tired, she resolved to marry man of title,
who was in the best European society
her choice fell upon a chevalier d'industrle
whose title was myth and whose init
macy with the great was an imposture.
Schneider left him and procured a separa-
ton under the French law; she has only
just now secured divorce.
The temperance of her name after so
long period of voluntary seclusion recalls
the piDchbeck era of which she and Often
bach were characteristic glories. She
could not sing, and he could not write mu-
sic; yet for many years all Paris was hum
ming airs which he wrote for her and
which she warbled to the intense delight
of royalty, nobility and mmonaity.
Not Adam nor Auber nor Boieldieu ever
won such fame as be achieved with "La
Grande Duchesse" and ola Belle Helene"
and "Perichole." No prima donna of
the Opera Comique ever became such a
world favorlte as Schneider Both
she and Offenbach were types of their
period; smart shams, bright imtators,
dashing copies of real singers and real
composers, as Napoleon Third was clever
imitator of his s0-called uncle. In broad
farce Schneider commanded the applause
of those whose taste was not fastidious.
She was normal emanaion of the
corruption of the Third Empire. Every
in ar hor oil
lures, her business-reeked of Byzantine
decentralization. She was an embodiment,
of the idea that the days of art we're gone.
that truth, virtue, honor. chastity, prlnci-
pie were antiouated decisions to be
laughed at by men who realized the age in
which they lived.
Often bach was companion picture.
ii was Cologne fiddler, who went &c
Paris to play at cafe concerts. His soul
was as rotten as the society into which
he entered. The depravity of Paris lite
harmonized with lis instincts. Ge was
like that Duke of Orleans whose mother
said of him that innocent pleasures bored
him. When he began to compose, real
musicians were amused at his impudence
But he had taken the measure of his
world. BE knew that the great mass OF
the public were not educated to the level
of high art and preferred jingle OF
melodies which could be ratified off on the
piano from memory after a single hearing
he struck the keynote of the decadence in
| art as well as morals. He found a com.
PLEASANT librettist in poor old Scribe, who
wrote a comedy as easily as bookkeeper:
make out balaDce-sheets, and who had No
thought but to swell the fine fortune he
was accumulating. The young fiddler
from Cologne treated the old Partisan
gentleman with contemptuous patronage
made him wait 10 bis antechamber, and
continually reminded him that he was
getting too old for his work 1t was
fitting retribution that, Notwithstanding
the princely royalties he had received
Often bach when he died in 1880 left mex
to nothing to his family.
These bygone celebrities, like others
who could be mentioned. were the fruit oil
the bas empire, which lola has so faith.
fully portrayed in La Curee," and which
Couture painted in LA Decadence The
Emperor was living lie, and his court
and society In general took their cue frou
| him. Paris and the other tow of France
had reached the stage of foul demon aliZa
ton which the trunks of tropical tree.
| exhibit when they begin to produce or