The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
DTHE theaters last week did not
offer anything that would have
tempted the anchorite to break
III his Lenten abstinence from the

pomps and vanities of this wicked
world. Frederick Warde's King Lear, at
the Baldwin Theater, was the only per-
formance that rose above the respectable
mediocrity that prevailed in dramatic cir
cles. Even Warde's Lear did not draw as
it might have done, for the actor-manager
had kept his best till the last, which was a
mistake. If the season had begun with
Lear and ended with The Mounte-
bank" people would probably have seen
less plainly that Warde without James is
really less powerful attraction than
James without Warde.
Local concert-goers will have an oppor-
tunity this week of comparing Marsick
and Ondricek, the two violinists who have
attracted most attention in the East this
winter. They represent such widely diff
ferent styles that they cannot be classed
together. Marsick, although a Belgian,
is thoroughly French in his perfec-
ton of detail and intolerance of rough
ness. He has been most accustomed to
gauging his tone to the tiny hall of the Paris
Conservatory and the almost parlor-Iike
dimensions of the Sale Erard, but, as
Eleanor Hooper very truly says of him,
"Marsick is genuine player, from whom
much can be learned, lacking in power,
verve and surety of technique, but truly
artistic in detail. and not to be bribed by
popularity into any chicanery Of play, as
others have been, who have won greater
fame here"
Ondricek, although Bohemian, belongs
more to the German school as an expo
nent of technique. The claim of greatness
is made for him. Whether this be true or
not he has succeeded in arousing scenes of
enthusiasm which prove that he possesses
the power of swaying the musical multi
tude.
Minnie Maddern Fiske, or her manager,
is responsible for q new AMI appalling de-
parture, which if widely followed would
drive dramatic editors to despair and sui
eide. Every few days the press of this en-
hghtened country is bombarded with let
ters recounting the new and marvellous
triumphs achieved by Minnie. Lately
these precious products of the press agent 8
art have rained in on the papers in such
profusion that the people who handle the
dramatic news quail before opening type
written communication addressed "Dram-
attic Editor" for their prophetic souls tell
them that the contents will be headed,
Fresh Triumphs Achieved by Minnie" "
These tributes do not profess to
be cuttings from the flowers of
press criticism; for the most part they en-
anate uhblushingly from the press agent.
The soul recoi3s with horror at the thought
of the amount of useless correspondence
that would be inflicted on a long suffering
press if other members of "the profession"
took it into their heads to initiate Min
nie's pernicious exam pie. Let the actress
beware, however. Even worm will turn
at last, and the dramatic editors are only
supported in their present visitation by
the comforting knowledge that day will
come when they will have an opportunity
of comparing Minnle's actual work with
the fresh triumphs.' They will speak
quite plainly if they find her press agent
has been dallying with fiction instead OF
fact.