New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-22
STAGE-ART.


,hority that Nine Rejaneis going to America, and
is to be- paid for the trip $4,000 and her expenses
I: is not a cent too much As II is not stated
how many nights she is 10 play. or how long
she has to be absent 1t may seem hard to judge
how much she ought tc earn But these are said
70 be her own terms and what | mean is that no
sum can he too large for artist Of Nine re-
james calibre
will venture to hope for your sakes that she
is Ia play something besides Nine Sans-Gene.
Admirable as she is in NJ. Sardou's very effective
piece, she is more admirable In pure comedy;
which Nine. Sans-Gene Is very far from being
However you will remember that not only did the
laundress- Duchess run long time in Paris
but nightly for six weeks IN London; when IS
a record. or would be II there were any other
record to beat 1t is simply unprecedented that
the English public should throng London thea
tire for thirty-six nights in succession-"S sundays
excepted" may be put in for the lteramnded-
to witness the performance Of a single French
play. Even Nine. Sarah Bernhardt never tried
such an experiment as that. She was playing
here at the same time, but in a variety of parts.
Nine Rejane would have liked a little variety
also but was fettered by contract with the
sharp-witted NJ. SardOu prohibiting her from
acting. for certain length Of time. In any play
but his 1t was not fair tC London and 1t would
not be fair to New-York. How are YOU 10 judge
the first OF living commediennes-hrst In her own
iine--if you see her In only one play winch Is
medley of meiodrama OF spectacle and of histori-
cal romance? So. whatever the contract is. let
us hope it includes a few Of those lighter and
more sparkling comedies in which Nine, ReJane
is supreme
Another great artist has more lately come to
London anc gone again. Nine. Ivette GmIoer'
The music hall programmes and some OF 'he
newspapers call her an artistic, but she Is an
artist There was time when the Engnsh puo-
lie would have found it difficult to associate the
idea Of art with the music-hall Art there was
none but the changed condition of things mas
created a demand for art. and limited as Is 'he
domestic supply the law OF political econorn!
holds good or sometimes holds good. ana excel
lent things are now to be seen In some Oh 'he
music halls The glorifed music halls known oy
such fine names as Theatre OF varieties. ana tie
like--the Empire and the Alhamora-oo really
make efforts.
II was at the Empire that Nine fVette 'u-
bert made her appearance. or rather her reap
rs,ra,cs for q fortnight What the McDougall
was doing meanwhile | know not use him as
the incarnation Of the spirit Of prudery which mas
seized upon the London County Council. Inc
Empire is the most conspicuous burnt-oHerihs
upon the altar Of prudery. l told the story OF the
sacriice as il was completed and VIII not repeat
it, The prudes aege l believe. that one erect
OF their crusade has been to encourage the pro-
duct!on Of moralties instead Of those immorah-
toe AZ which the soul Of the McDougall revolted
The true criticism on the music halls was nov 'ha'
:hey we're immoral but that they were vulgar DIS
many of them still are: and some OF the per
formers and performances at all But II they
were immoral we TO understand tha' Mine.
yvette Cubert Is now the accepted exponent Of
what Is strictly correct? Or do the London Couh-
~ Councillors think that violations of their code
do not matter so long as they are in french UT
is there nobody on that immaculate body whose
knowledge OF French is sufficient to enable him
n make out the meaning Of the songs when
this uncomfortable creature sings? Yet heard
,adv saw that what made it so difficult for her
m sit through them was the perfect clearness
OF Nine Guilberts articulation. Every word was
audible and every word told. This lady, TO be
sure. knows French and is not a County Coun-
cillor.
Whatever be the moral defects OF the text
which Nine. Guilbert sings. her art remains pure
art The proposition la not so bold as II may
appear TO be. say it as should say OF SNAKES
peare or the Bible. that nobody Will come 10 har"'
nv reading one the other In an unexpurgated
edition. any than the student OF the mas
arn,eces Of Italian or French art will be the
worse FOR gazing an imaginative treatment
OF the facts % the human form uncio,hed. III
the one case both art and spiritual ana Inter
,ac,ua, Influences are strong enough 10 obliterate
from any healthful mind any evil impressions
due to detached passages. In the other. the art
"a the safeguard. and In different way IL Is
safeguard on the stage as well. Mime. hVe''e
C,,i,hert is artist TO the tips Of her fingers IL
&c an accident that the art Is put at the service
n, VIVA, is trivial or unworthy The art is there.
and what takes possession Of her public. young or
old male or female. is the art and not the oc-
casional indelicacies Of sentiment or expression
in the mere spoken words. II Is the art ana not
the canailleries which attract. OK the latter
there Is an abundance on the stage OF the cares
chantants o. Paris and there are scores OF sing
ers whose stock in trade consists or them ana Oh
nothing else. But there is only one fvette nu'i-
,er, n as some will have 1t. 1t Is the
canaleres and the cochonneries when attract
u,hv do not they and the practitioners OF them
attract by themselves? Until they can make their
theory consistent with the fact that Nine. Gull
bert has no rival. they will convert only those
like themselves.
The English are as little sensitive to art as any
civilized people who exist. and as a rule still less
capable of rendering 10 uhe's'i''' VI ~ ' "
account Of the art which. without their know
ing how or why. does captivate tnem ihefe
come moments, however, when they give them
..,r.s IN ~ the charm One Of them was al the
Ennire Theatre last Saturday evening u was
Nine Yvette Guilberi's last night She sang -FOUR
wsl,known and often-he pieces including IL la
V,ilet:e and the IAnger. Longer. Loo haf III
English and half In French. The audience APP
plauded and cheered and recalled her til she
hardly knew what to make OF it,-partly, per-
haps. because II her last appearance,-hut
as /; wen, on she sang and acted better ana
better Her method. indeed. is always the same;
the mood no, always the same
Nothing so finished as this ever the result