The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-03-30
Random Notes OF
Life in London.
Another Half Day i'm the British Museum.
Some Notable Concerts.

! on Monday we donned our white
dresses and crimson sashes and went
down to St. James's Hall to the Acad-
emy chamber concert of this term
Our Scotch girl had her songs done, by
| order of Sir Alexander Mackenzie, and
their reception by the audience and crit
| les was all that could be desired and we
We're all very proud of her. The next
| day our land ladies gave an AT Home"
and the Scotch lassie and | We're invited
to the affair. greatly to our self con-
graduation. on Wednesday | went to
see Oscar Wilde's play at the Haymar-
ket Theatre-"An Ideal HUSBAND
and enjoyed it very, very much indeed
! AS a play | really think ii is fine The
dialogue is undoubtedly clever. charm
| ingly So in fact, and the costumes of
the ladies of the company are nothing
short of works of art. Such beautiful
dresses | never saw before and |
| looked at them long and longingly. The
play is good one: in fact | liked th5
idea of it very much indeed. Best of
ALL ii is good and wholesome and pure
| and will, as u fine play should. do a
vast amount of good, / should think. |
have not seen his last play THE I'M
| portance of Being Earnest" which is Il
| farce, or intended for one at least and
| am told it is very weak, so do not
know whether | shall waste time on 1t
or not. Oscar Wilde's full name has
| just been recited to me by one of the
| young ladies of the house. Here ii is
Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wilde. Ques-
| ton: What's in a name?'
Thursday afternoon we went to Stein
way Hall to hear Senior Rubio, the ia
nous violincellst to her majesty, the
queen of Spain. He gave one hour
recital which was very enjoyable In
deed. and | suppose he will soon be-
if he is not now. in great demand. as
never heard more interesting pro-
gramme of cello before. He played
several things of his own composition
which Were very Spanish and gypsy
like, besides giving us "A varied number
of other COMPOSERS. He took beauti-
fully, as he deserved to, for his work
was almost faultless. The man is very
handsome too, and has the most beauti-
full hands | ever saw using cello, small
white, beautifully formed and as strong
as steel.
The First Philharmonic.
We went from this concert to the
first Philharmonic of the season,
down at Queens Hall, where the big
orchestral things take place. Our Sir
Alexander himself is the conductor of
their famous orchestra, most of the
members Of which have played under
his baton for years and years. There
are seven concerts in the Philharmonic
series and we have tickets for them ALL
as they are among the best that can be
listened to here. The soloists of the
evening were Herr Emil Sauer, the
new pianist, and Clementine De
We're Sapio. soprano. Not having
heard either, I was very keen about it.
you see, and settled myself to listen
with both ears. The success of Saucr
in London this season is wonderful
and must be very gratifying to that
gentleman himself. as it was only a
year ago that he wrote from Germany
to the Philharmonic directors Offering
to play for nothing at one of their con-
ceuts if they would only give him the
opportunity of appearing under their
auspices. His letter was not even an
swered and he came on this autumn
and made such a success during his
eight recitals in London that he played
the other evening for the Philharmonic
men a cost to them ofabOut four hun
dred dollars. His success is what you
might call popular one. He pleases the
large majority of those easily pleased
and a few of the critical, but the best
critics of London miss a great deal in
him that is much to be desired in a
, really great pianist. His execution Is
almost perfect, but they say his tone is
hard and noisy, and locate his feeling
In every other part of his anatomy
than his fingers, where it should be
He is not, and never can be, as great a
player as Paderewski on that account
our seats are very fine ones and
could see him beautifully, especially
during his entrances and exits, and he
looks very like a Jap, not at all like a
| German. His pictures flatter him dread
fully
The greatest thing is his bow, which
strictly carries out the Jap idea, as he
bows, not slowly as men usually do,
but with two of the funniest little
jerks imaginable. He made a tremen-
dOus success the other night, having to
respond to recall after recall, and must
have bowed until he ached. liked him
myself; but / do not know very much
about piano and my taste may not be Of
the most critical variety in that direc-
tion. / dare say / am one OF the easily
pleased" as the critics say.
A Human Canary.
Clementine De We're Sapio had been
described to me long ago by one of my
friends who had heard her, as a human
canary. She failed to carry out the
idea, however. for me. at which / was
much disappointed, and fancy the rest
of the audience shared my feelings. for
she was very coldly received indeed,
none of her work being able to draw
forth wild enthusiasm from even the
most generous and easily pleased" /
was sorry for | have always under
stood her to be quite a pet In New York
| and | always like to see America com
ing out ahead.
on Friday afternoon had the pleas
ure of listening to another of the ia
nous pupils of that gifted woman,
Nine. Klara Schumann. Fraulein Ilona
IIibenschutZ gave very long and very
| trying recital. through which she came
triumphantly. / was charmed with her
and | like her better than | do Sauer,
perhaps because she Is such a brainy
little woman-she is only twenty-and
does Chopin so well, which love. She
had bouquet after bouquet, and was, in
deed, at the last. literally overshowered
| by her lovely flowers. | saw Berwick,