New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-14
THE IMPROVED CLAQUER.
"pPAvOs" AND "BRAvAs" ON A NEW PLAN
AT THE PARIS OPERA.


ITS FEEBLE HOLD UPON NETWORK AcroNS
AND MANAGERs-rHE CHEF DE cLAouE
AND HIS RESPONSIBLE POSITION.
Soma nsrsons who have attended the PERFORM
o,oas AZ The METROPOLITAN Opera Houee Win
regularity for the last season or two nave no'''o.
,or, ,,,a 20 time a sort OF applause that did not
saArn u be natural or appropriate in that csssio
temple This applause full OF zeal anu IA,
cIudcd stormy he -capping and SHOUTS VI
"pravo, T,-avo," and now and then shous Vi
! "Hrava," or OF "Braviv' such as are supposed "
proclaim a superior operate educatioh' D"' -
the men who became so heated In the pAss'o" 4o'
art were carefully looked for. 1t was roufo INA.
they did not look like persons VINO hau p"'u go
! each TO sit In their seats. and " was hoteu w.
that their appla,se was more likely to follow
particularly high and successful squall from an
Italian singer than anything more ninety anu
purelv artistic 1t even happened sometimes 'ha'
these noises occurred just when the more SELL
contained members Of the audience "an'eo u
hear the continuance Of the music.
Such incidents az these often lead persons who
are ANNOYED by them to grumble "caque" and
that. in this country is REGARDED as a serious term
/ - renroach II is not the intention here TO in
eruoto that there WAS p cleQue or 10 assert That
/ there was not but merely 10 remark that they
/ order this matter better in France" In Paris
the people who pay the full prices OF the seats
are not expected 10 know what Is good on the
stage but 1t IL set before them by the manage
| ment and certain PERSONS who II not actually
! endowed by the manageme are at least licensed
by IT, inform them by their applause wrat Is TO
b. regarded as exceptionally fine. Thus, while
/ the performance is actually In progress the mana
! gers and the artists are their own critics
And art in Paris. while It may look tr'1e slow
n: times 70 American eyes. Is progressive too'
ana - there is on Improvement TO be made In an
Prrangemcnt already excellent as this, II Is
mere matter II certainty that 1t Will be made IN
process 81 time s. the announcement IL no"
made In "FIgaro' that the claque at mo opera IL
:, be y, longer a matter Of commercial opecula-
ton bat IS - be controlled directly by the man
or.,ront and that the cause q good music and
dancing will pr0h' greatly thereby. the con-
clu-on seems reasonable for. T. the entire control
/ %, the APPLAUSE by the managcmcnt-for the APP
rl,use I'm Paris theatre which docs not proceed
from, the clapuc Is tr'ning-i n dangerous coni.-
ton II must 10 much worse u have II all under
/ tho direction ~ ticket epeculai r
THE OLD SYSTEM.
| And that. according t. "Flgaro.' II what the
T cr.t H. claque IT, II, receives every day from
~ scYis. and It l. Understood that he shall soc
that the Play and tho actors get all tho applause
they ourn, - hrvc AMI that il comes ~ the righ'
places These seats b. pr,cecl Ia u scll a. price
lower than that charged at the box Office e the
theatre but high enough 20 give the chef de
clalue Ntlc income Then The authors u the
! plays brig him tac seats to which they are en-
| t!,lci So q - be sure that good point tn the
! work has b,cn over, 'kcl by the manager ana
| the chef In their consideration 90 tho play. The
! chl,lng chef takes thNsc tickets. acslres the
author that his play viii not perish through the
/ neglect ~ tho applaudng forces. and sells the
! tickets Then core the leading actors with
/ tickets . give away They wish II be assured by
/ the man who controls all such thlngs that they
VIII meet with proper appreciation when they
/ come on the stage that the good ana worthy
things which they 10 Will be recognized FOR their
merit ana that they viii BE called before the cur
! tain Ne many times IS their talents Justly entlte
thcr. Tho chcf DC raquc promises thcm all this.
J taxi their tickets anl soils them.
~ course everybody who buys a tt 'ket from
! tho Chef il claque promises In confederation II
the reduced prIc. az which he obtains H. - watch
| the Jealer and bcsiow his favorable julgmen: on
such portions Of tho performance "A are indicated
| - him. In this WAY II VIII readily be that
! 1hc means ~ making money AZ the disposal %.
! the contractor wcr. considerable. For Instance.
! the chez de- caque az the opera before the recent
reform. urcl 10 have my seats In the par,erre
| f1r every performance. The regular price %; such
seats as these. when bought at the b0N office.
nine francs each AMI tho chef lie claque sold them
usually flr five francs each. - here was a In
come oi 30 francs or about $50. less expenses II
! course assured 10 him f0r every performance OF
opera. But ON the opening nights OF operas
| and IN other special occasions he could readily
! get more for his seats. and sometimes sold them
for-as much ms twenty francs each
\ NEW DEPARTURE
Such a system was Of course open T. abuses
! The people who did not choose l. buy their seats
/ from the chef de claquc, partly for money and
partly for the wear " their hands. discovered
some ~ these abuses and complained of them to
/ the directors The directors saw the point and
decided on the change which has now been made
The chef de claque at the opera is now an employe
OF the management, IA grave man and To- be
trusted. and himself an artist lie does not hu We
! t. govern the applause, which is In his hands by
/ prearcanged programme. but he knows a good
thing when he hears II. and forthwith applauds
and leads others t. applaud intelllgentlv Ue
knows when he hears a singer sing better than he
has ever sung before. and does not need 10 look at
his list Of cues 10 find that the singer was put
down IT, sing better than he had ever sung before
Something Ike TINS. 1t appears was the old
way, and 1t is not hard to see what gain 10 the
! performance the new way must be, II the APP
plause must be all artificial In any case The
new chef de caque has thirty seats at his dis
posal. and he does not sell them. He gives them
away 10 persons who. In his opinion deserve them
and who VIII be able 10 help him intelligenty and
| revcrborantly. They are a good class OF pcople
too, IT is said; fallen In fortune perhaps. but I'm.
Guiding among them doctors. lawyers. engineers
| and old musicians. persons who want To hear
good music and who ought to hear IT, but who
| cannot afford TO pay for 1t. The chef de claaue
himself gets otW francs n month FOR his services
| The change has brought out an amusing but
| not unnatural. complaint. The people who used TO
buy tickets from the old chef de claque and en-
courage art by their greetings to its exponents
| say thut they are -used IN being no longer per