Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-15
MUSIC AND DRAMA.
The Influence Of GXternaIs on The
Work o. The Artist.
BOHEMIAN AEsTHErICIsM PAST.
The Origiu of the American Stage
H. Expansion and Its progrcss-
Ala Rchnn's Acting-stagc Notes
ptavS This Week.

continent teachers as educauonaly well
r.r.nnea for a professional success. ye'
,to mcot with failure upon their debut.
sr. constantly az a mysterious loss where
o. urn They have the hnc voice and
r~e method. or the true feeling and
rri.h.i tcchnic. others with less natural
,.rs and culture are making a sue
r.ss SC what can be the matter2 II oc-
ems 10 them they Will 70 back to
shady for awhile with a new teacher
who. no doubt. finds plenty Of his prede
cessor work 20 unravel They may
Keep This up al minimum. They are look
.r. for Internal causes. when probably
ncir nl-faie lies with eX,ernals.
Alas. we are sadly susceptible 10 sur
face impressions II pleasing, they
cover up many sins; ard. II unpleasins,
.ts iruobls 10 admit H. hut they serve 20
obscure many an art virtue. The effect
of a bae.y trouser leg on sublime
.f.e.c may be destructive. and an ill-
...t gown may so ms far toward dispos-
..ssIrc an audiences suffrage as an lily
f..foned talent We use our eye In har-
ness with our ear. and our Judgment
is sometimes alarmincly swayed through
DIP vision. II half the artists VINO
ind themselves failures were TO turn
g. tha tailor. the modiste, the barber. or
one trained director Of trick and pose,
uey might likely find the key TO the
remedy.
The popular eye is so instantancously
c.,urel for that matter. any eye. eN-
c..t that the music an will not allow the
rIcmcnt Of his ear TO be overborne
ul.r. the general public often VIII, the
eject Of appearances with the majority
rf The public Is FREEDOM nant. ana viii
decide them in advance IN favor or dis
favor OF am artist. "Sle sings so well. the
f.uabl. musician says; she makes such
horrible facesw the public says Its
dreadful 20 look ar her" or. YES; ]
srrr0Se he PLAYS wen. but what dreadful
c.ntortions he goes through doing ~.
or. again How could any man ana
woman come out looking such guys a.
Sca0r and Madame Somebody? / don
care FOR them az all"
Sruor and Madame Somebody may be
excel DO performers but they are pro-
baby living for arts sake alone and
rirk little Of The eNterna.s. WI Oh mighi
prove more quickly potent attractions
tran their talents Say what one VII,
The strongest susceptibility or the gene
ral public Is 70 the outward seem ng nor
40 The most cultivated escape from the
influence. however they may reason
AGAINST 10. Since the public. not the
critics. are those 20 make or break pro-
fessoral popularity, its claims IN this
regard were prudent 10 consd der, ana
90 viii commonly be- found that its appre-
cation runs IN close proportion to the
effect produced by dress or mannerism
or bearing
When artists have been turned out as
qualified by hrst-rate teachers, yet fan
o. meet success. they might FIRST present
themselves 20 a barber. II they fan 10
detect any drawback, they may then Try
q tailor or dressmaker or Deisarte
tutor, and whoever or whichever points
ont any necessities. Il would be wise 10
commit themselves without question 70
his care such functionaries VIII stand
in lieu Of the public eye. ana 10 VIII De-
good idea TO place themselves unre-
serVedly no their mercy u is a DIS
tressing thing TO think that our musical
loves should bo twisted up IN curl OF
hair. or hang lnseparably by coat-tail,
but they do 10 a large extent, and more
tralesman and less music master Is the
need q a good many unsuccessful artists
There is al present IN view an Ameri-
can singer with a very lair voice. she
deserves much more success than she
has. She is a tall, thin girl, with narrow
facial outline surmCuuted always by ar
elonzated tOp-knot Of hair. which throws
her altogether out Of drawing She needs
a visit 90 AN artist Her aspect is rid!cu'
l1us and 20 the observer tmpresses itse!l
on her singing. Somebody remarked oil
her lately. "She can't sing. she's silly
She U.s. not silly. and she can sing, but sh'
needs exterior harmony, and she nevei
will De "a popular success until she learn.
% nl the public eve more evenly. Ma
turaly she IS taking more lessons. anC
believes that future success Will be th'
result OF more study. What she needs
D. 10 shorten her lines. which at presen
are gaurt and exaggerated. and whici
create around her an atmosphere OF ab
surGity, which the public cannot resist
A good hairdresser. not % say artist
might settle the matter for her at once
hrt she viii not think Of external practi
toners She VIII keep with a singin:
teacher. She Is only one Of many.
Nannerisms kin many artists. They ar
t.Ierahle in giants Of the craft by
species OF supervision may even become
lal but they are death 10 the average
il an else fail concert artists should
present themselves % stage manager
who viii pr baby point out TO then
some demoral.Zlug defect which has beel
working havoc with audiences. and whicl
ilHe more time and attention may cure
Sometimes the public does not stop 4
3eG-e the maunerism which CRATES upo
it but fhe decision that IL docs not car
about an artist IL delDes rapidly enough
and troing and remediab.e cause ma
BE- az the bott- ~ Of IL.
We are p. Wing q reaction against shock
heads rl.ty brOaGclOth and greas
collars Male singers usually dress Wi
Par'sts -e'dom 90. They viii have I
beg 90 pay more attention 10 costume
or they viii get but half a hearing tn
tangled aureOle ana the languid Goa
have had their day with P1de
r.WsN II has held popular enthusiast
ir his right hand. and whatever b
looks. poses. or wears IS right. Their
is r. prediction that after Paderewsl
no other pianist within century ca
create a Juror 10 America. There is
chance for one. however and he viii D
the man who plays well, certainly. bu
above an things. who dresses 20 the las
detail In the smartest prevailing fash
ions Re must b. worth looking at ava
from the keyboard an entirely CONVEX
tlonai Boulevard r. whose clothes an
worth the attention Of the < lded you'
o. copy Such an union Of good groom
ing and good playing should take me-
gcally. II any enierprising artist
astpte enough 70 throw bohemian ae
thetcism overheard. and become I'll
cple % his tailor and outftter
Actors and good dross-a cons deratio
for all externals-a are invariably ass
ciated Musicians never IN the san
way although by all laws Of prophet
and good taste 'hey ought 20 be. TT
pianist Of infalllble grooming would
an unique. but paying feature He ma
take some time 20 come up Meal
while, unsuccessful arts Sta Of all tyne
who are al sea concerning their deiciel
a