The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-11

by the correspondents. 1t takes up an
preceded the Emperor's return from the.
island of Elba- Roquebrune himself
| is a fictitious parsonage, drawn from
| that group Of lions which included
| Marbet and Oudinot, who served the
Corsican faithfully and gayly. The
story of the piece may be briefly de-
scribed as the unfolding of the plots
which drove Louis XVIII. from the
throne, and in which the gold of the
Due dOrleans, who intended to make
| Oudinot Northumberland, was di-
verified to the service of the empire OF
a hundred days. The police and counter
| police of Fouche and his competitors
| take up the whole of the second act.
Napoleon himself is felt to be at hand.
Constant Coquelin, as Colonel Rogue
| bruno, is said to present to the life the
typical Napoleonic soldier, and his act
ing helps the play greatly.
Prominent managers and players hav-
| ing been recently asked the question,
DO married or engaged couples play
| ing opposite parts disturb the illusions
of the stage?" it is worth knowing that
a majority of the people who have an
swered the question fail to see any rea-
| son why married or engaged couples
should not be as good in lovers roles
as any others. There has been a COM
mon belief that. managers object to
married couples; but here are the opin-
| ions of some of the best:
| Charles Frohman said: Il would new
| er refuse to engage an actor and an
actress simply because they were man
and wife, if I thought they would play
| the parts for which I wanted them. AS
to discipline, l have never known of a
husband and wife causing any trouble
in one of my companies. Other man
| ayers may have had a different eX-
perience. 1 can only speak for my
SELF
| e. A. Sothern says: ut would be a
sad thing for the stage if any rule We're
| adopted forbidding people who are
| married to any take parts for which
they are otherwise fitted. The stage is
| full Of instances where man and wife
| have succeeded in parts requiring love-
making; and Henry Millers opinion
is thus expressed: L think that the
| deadly crime of matrimOny may be
pardoned among professional people.
OF course l assume that the married
couple in question are actors of ability.
| The public are concerned with them
| as artists, and so long as they play
| their parts we'll l cannot see that mar
riage should be held against them"
| Frank Mckee. who has had enough
| experience to give good opinion, says:
| Some people will always make trouble
| in a company, and l don't. know that
| marriage makes much difference in
| their disposition. OF course, if two
troublesome people should get married
and secure an engagement in the same
company the manager might look out
| for squalls l don't think, myself, that
| having married or engaged couples
play lovers parts on the stage detracts
any from the illusion"
Liege, France has a grand opera, Of
which a correspondent of the Musical
Courier gives this amusing account:
The prices are low, ranging from 81 %
down to 10 cents. On Mondays per-
formances are given at half price
which brings the cheapest seats down
to ) cents. What would the boxhold-
ers of the Metropolitan Opera-house
two operas at that for they like to give
you your moneys worth here. will
liam Tell and Faust are ON tonight,
Carmen and '.Trovatore' tomorrow.
Wagner is not given at ALL and other
German composers very seldom. French
or Italian. opera is the rule. Massenet
and Saint-Saens are great favorites.
The opera-house is a large old building,
want to know what stale air is-guar-
anteed genuine-sit through perform
ance here 1t is the self-same air that
the grandparents of the present opera
goers breathed fifty years ago. 1t is
there to stay; it can't get out, as there
is no outlet for it.
Londoners are delighted with the
knowledge that they are at last to hear
| the real and not the Italianized Wag-
ner. The Daily News" says: Herr
| Carl Pohiig of Bayreuth has, on the
| recommendation of Frau Cosima Wag-
ner, been engaged to superintend the
stage production of Wagner's operas at
| Covent Garden during the coming sea-
son. The representations will be con-
Quoted by Herr Seidl, and thus per-
haps for the first time since Richter di-
| rected PCllini's troupe at Drury Lane
| fifteen years ago, we are likely to see
and hear these works according to the
best German traditions"
| One of the idiosyncrasies of Wagner's
genius was that he disliked Jews,
| though some of his best friends be-
| longed to that race. One of these
| friends, George Davidoff, died in Ber-
lin two weeks ago He was editor of
| the Berlin "Boersen Courier" which
was an ardent Wagner organ at a time
when all the other Berlin papers We're
hostile. For many years he wrote the
musical criticisms for his paper. was
| the founder of the Berlin Wagner Soci-
ETY., and worked like beaver to make
| the Bayreuth festivals financially sue
| cessful Wagner cordially appreciated
| his efforts; and among other eminent
musicians who We're friends of Davidoff
may be named List, Tausig and Blu
! low
| M. Paderewski, who during the last
eight or nine months has been living in
| temporary retirement, was lately at
| Monte Carlo, where a few weeks ago
| he appeared at an orchestral concert
| under the direction of NJ. Jehin. The
! great pianist effectually silenced the re-
ports which have been prevalent of his
| suffering from nervous exhaustion bv
playing at his very best Chopin's F
/ nt-f ~r,.t<x i