The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-27

and heart smoking with love. He met not one
but three, and the laughter must have been
| tantalizingy superb. Maurel took the joke
good-naturedly and gave luncheon that was
delight. But he trod on more serious ground
with Nine. Saville, who happened to be i'm
presslonab.e, and whose husband, Max Rawn.
happened to be jealous. Frances sought for
divorce from Max in Paris, and he has insti-
tuted counter-sut, so Victor Maurel is apt to
have a lively time, for divorce in Paris is
serious matter.
The new Zola-Bruneau opera, "Messidor,"
which tells an almost brutality reals tic story
OF the lives OF the poor, was little short OF
fiasco when produced three months ago before
a rich and fashionable crowd at the Paris
Grand Opera. But lola has had his revenge,
and this is how 1t came about: The Grand
Opera is a Government theater and twice
year it gives gratuitous performance to the
people of Paris who cannot afford to pay On
the last occasion the Opera kept open house
the management decided to produce "Messi-
dor" sit was very interesting" says LIE FL
caro-, "to see how the great anonymous public,
made up OF noboGies received this much-iis-
cussed work, the action of which passes
| among humble people, and which sings the
song OF the triumph OF labor. The perform
ance was a long success. We all know the
packed houses of gIatuitous nights, the de.
light of the poor at finding themselves in
luxurious boxes, the freshness of impressions,
which takes the form Of intense attention. or
loud applause. Never was work followed with
a more touchingly naive interest than Messi-
dor last night, for the masses recognized in it
their own heart and soul. The legend of the
| gold, the song of the reaper and the shep-
herds adieu aroused a storm OF applause and
| 1t must be added that the artists sang as If
| they had been performing before parterre of
| kings. Messidor' has received the baptism of
| the masses"
| The Jubilee" prima donna is expected to
do as she IS told at least that is the news that
comes from London. where the newly opened
opera season promises to be brilliant one.
The opera syndicate, OF which Lady de Gray is
the power behind the throne, is managing
rything, and neither Maurice Grau nor
any other manager is now master of Covent
Garden. Grau is only one, though the chief
| and mos trusted, who will work under the
general control of the committee. The broad
outlines OF the enterprise, the choice OF novel
ties and the selection and salaries of the
operate company were settled before Grau ar
rived on the scene at all. The yto-day de-
tails behind the curtain are left to be worked
GU, by him, with the committee to turn to for
advice, If requisite, and without unne cessary
interference on their part. The committee of
| the syndicate has decided not to grant lex
| elusive" or first appearance" rights to any
| prima donna, and in short, the discipline es-
| tablished is such that the committee expects
| to have free hand. A little of that sort Of
| thing on this side of the Atlantic would have
| saved an immense amount OF wrangling at the
Metropolitan Opera-house last winter.
| Paderewski, in spite of his averred horror Of
women's society, has announced mis- intention
of accept ting engagements for private parties
in London this season. Enormous sums of
money are made by artists who for consider
alton accept the invitations of wealthy
hostesses, particularly by those artists who
seldom appear in society, and whose presence
brings reclame to the Junction. Paderswski,
who always has keen eye to dollars and
cents, has no doubt realized that many million
ARE hostesses struggling into London society
will be willing to load him down with
/ guineas in order to have their parties talked
about. AS much as thousand guineas Is given
to lions OF aderewski's standing for playing
in private London drawing room and on ac-
count of his aversion to society the Polish
] pianist may possibly ask and receive more.
| Pianoforte duet playing, so fashionable q
generation ago, shows signs of becoming pop
uiar again. The Misses Sutro. two American
pianisfs have done much to revive interest in
London and Paris in pianotorte duet playing,
/
who studied together for eight years under
Professor oskar Raif OF Berlin, are said to have
achieved such remarkable unanimity OF pur.
pose that their ensemble playing Is practically
perfect. They have toured Germany and Rus
STA successfully, and are now creating consd-
cradle interest in London The great draw.
back to pianoforte duet playing is that the
modern repertory in that line is not large.
Apropos OF new method of electricity for
treating throat diseases, known as the Crank
| linizat1on, Emily Crawford, the Partisan ccr-
respondent, remarks: 1.-THE people with good
ears are more common in picturesque districts
| like Thuringia. the hill district of Swabia nd
Wales, than in fl It, rich coun tries. Is this
because nature often 'Franklinizes' the former?
A hillside is like STATIC electrical machine.
wooded hillside that faces south is rich in
electricity and ozone. The best voices are