The record-union., 1896-08-30

the display of his many talents.
LAS to my work, l do not believe that
many of my w-playbuilders are
more persistently industrious than L.
Rising at an early hour each day, stroll
over to Central Park, which is but a
little way from my workshop, and spend
an hour or two in walking about its
shady paths and leafy bowers, drinking
in the pure air that is such a blessing
in the heart of this great metropolis of
the pen. The morning hours fly all too
quickly while I write in my study and
a rest at noon is as welcome as it is
needful Another stroll in the after
noon and another spell of work in the
evening follow and, sometimes, if l be-
come deeply interested in the task,
write far on into the night. OF late.
with the pieces already mentioned in
view, it has been necessary that l
should push my pen nowadays bit
harder than usual, and so the late hours
frequently find me at the study desk
toiling away as if life depended upon
it, for it is very hard to tear ones self
from a task that is so pleasant as the
work of playmaking.'
X
The New York "Herald's" dramatic
critic says: Nine. Judic, that charming
French artistic who has long delighted
Paris in comic opera, is coming over
here in November, and is to sing at the
New York Olympia. Think of it, Nine.
Judic at the Olympia. Nine Judic is
no stranger here, but 1t is some years
civ Ia, &C.
a star in the light French operas, when
she sang at Wallack's Theater. She pos
sesses all the finer characteristics of the
French artistic of her class, a pleasing
voice, q ffnesse in her acting, a wonder
fully clever SuggeStfveneSSs of look and
gesture, always eloquent yet never
over done, and the inimitable French
faculty of singing the most outrageous
ly risque verses in the blandest and
most childishly innocent manner, as
though she had not an idea of their real
meaning. But she makes you under
stand them all the same. Her position
on the light opera stage has always
been an excellent one, and While new
cOmers have often claimed the moment
airy attention of Paris, Nine. Judic has
never lost her hold upon her many ad-
mirers in the French Capital In Amer
lea she has been heard only as star at
the head of an excellent company, and
her appearance on such a stage as that
of the Olympia, in rather broad chan
sonettes. is a new departure for her, at
least, so far as this country is con-
cerned. 1t only shows how the rivalry
among the music halls of to-day is driv-
iOc MT al ri a {
bidders, determined at any cost to get
the leading dramatic or operate stars,
if money will induce them to abandon
the legitimate stage for the more remu-
nerative one of the music hall. 1t is
goes on as it has been progressing of
late, We may expect some of these days
to see Sir Henry Irving and Nine. Melba
doing their turns" with the rest of
them at an enormous salary at some
popular music halls, while the regular
theaters are turned into historical mu-
seums where are displayed interesting
collections of old scenery and costumes,
used at period when stock companies
were known and the actor of the legit-
innate" was still in existence.
The greatest difficulty, says the New
York Evening Post" which confronts
authors at the present day is the enor-
nous number of new books. No mat
ter how good a book may be, unless
accident makes it conspicuous above
thousands of competitors, it's chances
of winning more than a success d'estime
are very small. The same difficulty
exists in regard to composers. In Ger
many alone, according to the report of
the Verein der Deutschen Musikalien-
handler, the number of new musical
compositions published last year was
10.623, of which 6S67 were for instru-
mcnts, 3. 1876 for voice. In 1894 the total
number of new pieces was 1888. Apart
from topical popular songs, which are
almost always trashy, what chance has
a composer to make himself heard with
a new piece or song against 10000 COM
petitors in one country alone? He has
not even the satisfaction of a review,
as even the musical papers seldom take
notice of new pieces. The thought oc-
ours that if all the rubbish could be
eliminated-say $500 pieces out of the
annual 10 000-the saving remnant
might have a chance of gradually win
ming appreciation. But how about such
a case as that of Robert Franz? Did he
not write over two hundred immortal
songs, to which Liszt and Schumann
called attention half a century ago in
rapturous terms-yet even to-day not a
dozen of them are widely known? The
contemplation of a fact like that is
about the only consolation that remains
to a neglected composer. The circum
stance that amid all these discourage
ments so much new music is composed
and published seems to indicate, how
ever that it must be great fun to write
music. and that this, like virtue, must be
it's own reward.
When Bob" Hilliard got off the
steamer st. Louis last week he carried
very carefully in his arms a small earth
en- flower pot containing a geranium
plant. While he hustled about with his
baggage he dropped other articles which
he carried, but held on tightly to his
little flower pot. 1t was a chapter in a
pretty little story of brotherly love and
sentiment. 1t was memento of his
brother Harry. who died in England
about a year ago. He is doubtless still
Well remembered as a manly looking,
handsome man, with n fine baritone
voice. whose services were highly val
ued in opera. He was a big hearted,
good natured fellow. He went to Eng
land to change his fortunes. but it was
orly to die in a strange land. Since
his burial his good old mother has been
sending money regularly to England
to have his grave carefully looked after
When Bob" was about to sail for Eu-
rope early in the summer his mother
asked him, above all things, to visit
Harry's burial place and see to it that
it was carefully attended to. So Bob
visited the grave in Hygate Cemetery.