The San Francisco call., 1897-12-23

| dramatiZing 1t, and wrote play in tVe
| acts, of which the first representation
| took place in 1885, with Nine. Jane Had
| ing as Sapho. 1t met with great sue
cess, and later NM. Henri Cain and Ber-
nede determined TO transform it into an
| opera, which they found no easy work.
Jules Emile Frederic Massenet was
born at Montaud. Loire, May II, 1S42.
! From his mother, who was both musi-
| clan and an artist, he inherited his mu-
| steal taste. She was a daughter of the
| Marquis de Nonancourt, and she was
| brought up and educated by the Ouch
esse d'Angouleme Massenet's work is
entirely of a French type, embodying
| charm, grace, melody and brightness.
! His "Manon'' and "Werther' are con-
sidered among his best productions, but
| his "Cid" and Mage and ia Navar-
| raise" are sad examples of hasty work
| and determination to keep himself be-
! fore the public, written without inspira-
ton, and in their nature forced and un-
finished. Massenet is a man Of indom-
| liable energy and industry. Up at break
| of day. he works the whole morning
! through, and in the afternoon resorts to
| his EDITORS office, receives visitors gives
| rehearsals and has a kind word for every
| one. In the evening, as a man of the
| world, he frequents the fashionable draw
| ing-roomS. He is a man of medium
|
! highly nervous temperament. His head
| is particularly worth study, and his
eyes are wonderful In their constantly
| changing expression. He is considered
| to share with Saint-Saens the foremost
place among modern French composers
The London Telegraphs criticism on
the playing of Grieg, the Norwegian pi-
anist, may be a useful hint to those
! Titans of the instrument who appear to
! think noise and brilliancy the great
! desiderata, and TO whom no one would
| think of offering the old Irish salutation,
! more power to your elbow Grieg is
| a delightful exponent of his own works;
| exaggeration of tone and expression
have no allurements for him. But though
| his style is Violently opposed to that
! of some of the giants of the pianoforte
| who flourish to-day, he leaves nothing
undone that ought to be done. AS a pi-
! anist Edward Grieg shines by his quiet
insistence upon the more delicate points
! of the matter in hand. When he attacks
| strenuous passage he does so with
| firmnesS. but with no intention to let
mere force play an important part In
| the criSpness of his touch lies this pian-
! lists chief strength, but this quality is
| almost equaled by his rare command
over all the more delicate gradations of
| tone. After the peaceful simplicity of
minor Sonata ran course as exhilarat-
| ing as carriole drive through a keen
and frosty atmosphere. In Praeludium
| Sarabande, avote, Air and Rigaudon
| the Norwegian master has his say
| after the manner of a bygone genera
! ton. All were played with rare minute
ness and point, the dainty gavotte and
! the exquisite cir making perhaps the
! deepest impression. Finally he played
his Sonata in minor for violin and
! piano with Johannes Wolff in a manner
that worthily crowned the afternoons
! music.
Another California prima donna bids
| fair to make her mark in opera. Maude
| Berry of this city and of Fresno hasl
| made very successful debut with the
! Madison-Square Opera Company at the
! Garden Theater, New York, under the
management of Charles Frohman. I'm
like most other California prima donnas,
! Miss Berry does not base her claims for
recognition on phenomenal notes in alt
| She is a mezzo soprano. and her debut
| was made as Siebel in Gounod's Faust"
| 1t was hard to believe that she had had
| little or no stage experience, for she act
ed with perfect ease and expression and
sang the Flower Song brilliantly. Miss
| Berry is a handsome, imposing-looking
| young woman of the aSh-blonde type
and the dashing boys dress of Siebel
suited her to perfection Nearly all the
| soloists in the Madison-Square company
were unknown to New Workers. The
| only people who made much impression
on the opening night were Miss Berry
and an excellent English basso named
Cell.
| A comic opera of the well-known Smith
and De Koven brand was put on at the
! Broadway (New York; Theater last
week, and was greeted by an audience
which crowned the house from door to
! dome (there is fine box-office allitera-
tion in that phrase), and met with a
! good reception, although some of the
scenes are disappointing, and in no par
ticular was it up to the Gilbert & Sulu-
van standard. 1.-THE Highwayman' deals
with the preposterous adventures of one
Dick Fitzgerald an Irish soldier of for
tune, who has taken to the road after
being ruined at cards. In the first scene
! he appears as a peddler in the inn yard
of the Cat and Fiddle and sings an ex-
! cellent song. Lady Constance Sinclair.
! a court belle. who is in love with Fitz-