The San Francisco call., 1897-02-25

Bishops voice is said to be of great range.
power and sweetness. Many of the critics
have compared her to Kellogg and Parepa
Rosa.
Singers of moderate ability are allowed to
join the festival chorus No fees are charged.
Many anecdotes are being revived of poor
Castelmary, who died recently on the stage of
the Metropolitan Opera-house during a per-
formance of Martha" No opera singer was
prouder or more self-respectiug than "Castle,"
as his friends familiarly called him. He had
saved nothing for his old sge, and was In con-
slant dread of being superseded by some
younger singer, but he was too proud to show
his fears and 100 seli-respecting 10 receive
favors from any one. Even in little things
these traits showed themselves. Jean de
ResZKe, who was his frequent companion, says
that he would often offer "Castle" cigars and
other small luxuries. "Thank you," the basso
would reply. ''but have cigars of my own,
and never smoke any other brand" When
quite young he married Marie Sasse, we'll
known opera singer, and before loEg she ran
away with Victor MaureI. Castelmary never
got over ths blow, but he did not let il embitter
his intercourse with the world; he was
genial, good-hear:ed fellow, always willing to
give advice and help to younger artists, espe-
cially on the subject of costume, on which he
was an acknowledged authority. 1t was fad
OF his to sing Mephistopheies in black.
During the last few days Paris has discov-
cred composer of great talent He is named
Emmanuel Chabrier and the papers are full OF
his praises, his music is being played every
where; indeed it will become the proper thing
to play Chabrier, for he has suddenly become
the rage. Unfortunately he is dead. l sup
pose you are surprised at his success, for in
his lifetime poor Chabrier never had quar-
ter of this applause. 1t is not loug since he
joined the great majority. We all knew him,
hopeful, brave and addicted to writing charm
ing things, that no one took any notice of.
His opera "Gwendoline" could not hold the
boards of the Grand Opera, perhaps because
Chabrier made the mistake of not dying be-
fore the first performance. But what is the
use of pointing this out? 1t is the usual thing
In Paris. That which happened to Bizet has
happened to Chabrier; it will happen TO 9TH
ers. The worst o. it is that this time there are
a wife and children to " HON the posthumous
success gives glory, but not money, for Cha
brier left his family in want. Can the state
do nothing in such cases? Reparation is made
10 victims of judicial errors. Is no reparation
due to those ho have been neglected by the
world when the world finds out its error too
late to do anything but pay them in souvenirs
and regrets. the false money OF human ingreti-
tude?-Notes dun Partisan in Le Figaro.
Sousa gives the following wise advice to
composers of light operas:
''There is such thing as overdressing a
score, just as woman is guilty of the same
offense to good taste in regard to her toilet
Every part of her attire may be of the richest
material but the crowding together of incon-
gruous colors and ultra effects may spoil the
beauty of the subject
'In my exp arience I have usually found
that the man whose education has been fur
thest removed from the knowledge of or
chestral ins nstrumentS-that is, who has made
his compositions through the aid of piano
or organ, and has not conceived through the
channel of orchestral effects-tries to keen
everybody in the orchestra busy, from the
bass drummer up to the piccolo. He usually
succeeds in keeping his audience buster than
all in trying TO decipher what he is getting at
A man not knowing how 10 create orchestral
effects is apt to become initiative and tries to
reproduce those orchestral nuances appealing
most powerfully to him. This is one of the
reasons why we have had an undue QUALITY
of Wagnerian orchestrauon in many of the
modern comic operas. Wagner appeals to
these musicians on account of the greatness
of his orchestrat,on; he strikes these nom
creative composers as the proper man to imi-
tate, and the sad spectacle is witnessed of
some poor little emaciated sopranos voice
loaded down with an orchestration fitted for
Lehman or a Materna, or some little topical
song, enunciated by voiceless comedian,
builded on solid brass chords, filagreed wood
and arpeggioized strings
The Partisan papers are complaining TINT
the cafe concert is rapidly vitiating the pub
lie taste for nythiug more refined in the way
OF music and drama. The cafe concerts are a
combination OF music hall and restaurant
where the entertainment is very often of any,
thing but an elevating character. They are to
be found in all quarters of Paris and range
from costly and luxurious halls to cnesp beer
saloons, with rough wooden stage The tne-
aters and opera-houses are complaining bit
terly OF the ompetition of these rivals, which
they say create taste for what is vulgar and
obscene. Speaking editorially on the sub
lect LIE Figaro says: People get the cafe-con-
cert habit; they go there every night with
their families. Poor people and people of
moderate means can eujoy warm tn and light
there, they can smoke and eat and drink, hear
vulgar songs, and see horse play, and women
dressed in spangles, all at popular prices.
Iney nno II less austere than staying at home
and less dear. The !aborer can get an illusion