The record-union., 1897-05-30

1 -
taught), so that the figures are little
deceptive. Indeed, out of four and a
half million children in English ele-
mentary schools last year, only 634,-
600 were ear taught On the other
hand. the staff notation was used only
| in per cent of the schools, and the
tonic sofia in 6S per cent.
| X
New York Times" dramatic critic:
One difficulty with which the operetta
| composers have to contend is the
wretched singing of most of the persons
engaged in that branch of musical en-
! tertainment. OF course, many OF those
who are popular with the public never
studied singing at all. For instance,
there is Della Fox, who, as l have al
ready had occasion to say, appeals to
people by her 'cuteness." She cannot
sing at all. Yet a composer must sup
ply her with some kind of music. Now,
no matter how simple that music is, she
will spoil it, and hence the auditor can
not do the composer justice of forming
a correct opinion of his work.
| The comedians, of course, are not eX-
pected to know anything about singing
Yet they do undertake to sing, and the
composers have to furnish them with
numbers. How much better it would be
| for all concerned if the comedians would
study singing. Notice how many clever
things De Wolf Hopper does with his
voice, and all because he has learned
i how to use it. On the other hand, Mr..
De Angels has the greatest difficulty in
carrying a tune" as the saying goes.
| rNS
problems to solve in writing THE Wed
ding Day" with two principal person
ages who do not know how to sing.
II
New York Tribune: The great
| trouble with gags" is that they often
make the audience laugh, and the the
| ory of a great many persons who ought
| to know better is that anything that
makes the audience laugh is just the
| thing to say. Therefore many cheap
| writers put things into the original
manuscripts of their plays that are in
| tended to sound like gags" When the
/ stage manager and the actors do not
| find an abundance of such things ready
| for them they put them in themselves
! at the rehearsals. One of the strang
est beliefs of modern operetta manufac-
| turers is that all slang is humor. Some
| of them go so far almost, as to be-
| lieve that all humor is slang, or at
| least that is the impression gained from
| observation of their work. To dress a
| man and woman as if they lived in
| the court of Louis XIV, and then to
make them talk as if they lived in the
Bowery is to the comprehension of
| these gentlemen quite as amusing as
the audience has any right to expect
| a play to be. Incongruity is, to be
| sure, a part of humor, perhaps a large
| part, but the same incongruity for
| breakfast, dinner and supper, year in
| and year out. is as tiresome as a
| steady diety of taffy. There is no need
| to cite instances. There is not one
| operetta in a dozen that has any at
| tempt at humor in its dialogue except
| the constant introduction Of slang
| Operetta companies of the highest
class. in which indiscriminate gag
ging' would not be allowed for an in
slant do not hesitate to accept works
| that are almost literally made up of
| slang. And although to allow gag
1 ging'' would doubtless demoralize a
! company that was trying to do good
| things, yet the deliberation of rehears-
| ing all this terrible vulgarty makes
| the sin all the more deep and reprehen-
sible
If there ever was an actress who
! seemed the embodiment of high health,
| it is Miss May Irwin And yet she has
| had to give up her season in the hight
| of its success. on account of nervous
4g<.,.
| before she closed the doors of the Biiou
| Theater she made little speech to her
audience, in which she said: People
| think 1t easier to play comedy than
| tragedy That's where they are wrong.
| My experience of life has been that you
are usually in the mood for tragedy
| and that, on the stage as elsewhere
you are often making a desperate effort
| to amuse at the expense of your
| nerves"
Katherine Lucille Foote, who is now
| playing in 'Gayest Manhattan" in
| New York. is perhaps the most beauti-
| full woman in that particular section
| of the theatrical field, where she has
won her reputation. Even previous to
| the recent tragic occurrence in which
| her husband took his life Miss Foote
| had certain we'll grounded claims to no.
| toriety. One of these is the fact that
she has a diamond smile. Although
+, nature endowed her with unusually
pretty teeth. it pleased the capricous
| actress not long ago to have her front
| teeth drilled and thickly set with di-
Almonds. Admirers Of her beauty are
said not 10 appreciate the actresses own
addition to it.
Count Geza Zichy, the well-known
| one-armed Dianoforte virtuoso, had an
audience OF the German Emperor re-
| Gently, the director of the opera Count
Hochberg, being likewise present, when
he played extracts from his opera
"Alar." which has been accepted FOR
performance IN Berlin within a few
weeks.
After hearing Nine. Nordica as Elsa at
the Paris opera the other evening the
| opera composer Alfred Bruneau wrote
that she was courteously received.
| Her style" he said, lacks simplicity
and naturalness; her pronunciation is
very defective. and her voice. of agree
| able quality in soft passages, is not al
ways true in passionate moments"
l
The following named officers of the
| American Dramatists' Club for the en-
suing year have been elected: Presi-
Ident Bronson Howard. First Vice-Pre
| ident. J. l. c. Clarke; Second Vice-Pres-
ident, Howard p. Taylor; Corresponding
/ Secretary Charles Barnard: Recording
Secretary, Charles Klein: directors, III.