The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-10-31
ZEE OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
!. GOSSIP OF THE STAGE. :;


Wv eSeS~RSS$eSNSNS
The street melodies that you hear on
your way down town. the popular airs
that are whistled by the chappies. have
been sung in more classic atmosphere
than that of the streets. The exquisite
intermezzo in Maseagni's "Cavallefia
Rustieana" has been recalled in the re-
frain of Sweet Rosie OGrady" and the
chorus in Paradise Alley is said to be
like a phrase in the overture and in the
duet in the second act of the famous
opera. The strain running through the
familiar Baby Dsar' is strikingly like
Nicolai's overture to THE Merry Wives
of Windsor" from which Wagner has
been accused of borrowing the Nurem
berg motive in his "Meistersinger." and
Nieolai is said to have had for his in
spirafon theme by Beethoven. There
ds a striking resemblance between MY
Johanna" and THE Last Rose of Sum-
mer," which is from an Irish melody.
1.-THE Groves of Barney"
A famous chcrale of Bachs is said
to have furnished the chorus in Annie
Rooney which also bears a resem-
blance to Handel's Angels Evsr Bright
and Fair"
Professor Harry Thurston Peck, of
Columbia University. in his book enti-
tied THE Personal Equation" recently
published by Hsrper's, discusses the an
csstry of songs and in writing of the
ballads that have been popular in the
cafes of Paris he says that the French
people went wild over "Ta-ra-ra Boom
de Ay." Before Lemons version of the
English song had been made Professor
Peck read one day in provincial town
in Normandy an announcement that ON
the following evenig nsw one-act play
would be given at the local theatre, and
that the "celebre chanson Anglaise, Tha-
ra-ra Boum der-e" would be sung. Pro
fessor Peck went to the performance.
The first few lines of the song were
enough to convince him that the chan
teuse instead Of having a nuine Frerch
version had lot of English words put
together something like this:
Ticket. tramway, clergyman,
Bifteck, rumsiteck, rosbif van,
Sandwich, white bats, lady lunch,
Cheri-gober, whiskey-p orche;
Aah, yes all right, shocking stop,
Pel-el why not, moton-chop,
Plum-kek, miousic steamer boxe,
Boule- dogue, high-life, five o'clocks,
Tha-r9-ra- boum-der-e, etc.
1t was an immense success the singer
receiving nine encores. But after all
1t was a harmless Jingle of words and
not risque adaptation that you usu-
ally hear from famous chanteuses 1t
is generally the melody that is taken
from the English songs, and made a set
ting for original French verses
Another air that is mentioned as
favorite in France is Daisy Bell" the
French fines Of which have placed any
stray Englishman at the mercy of the
gamins who greet him with the "all
right of Daisy Bell Some songs
says Professor Peck, endure for gener-
atoms, although they are often of no
more intrinsic merit than those which
are simply whistled for a day.
I'm recent address in Binmingha m.
England. Sir Hsnry irving paid the fol-
lowing tribute to the stage:
Zone thing delights mel am glad to
see you holding fast to the idea that che
theater plays o not unworthy part IN tie
lives of the people. Most of us have in
Obliged in day dr.; ans of the wonders we
should achieve II we were millionaires.
MY OWE ambition in that osi ate of finan-
cial blessedresls would be amply gq'atified
If could take a company of strolling
players through every village and ishten
ths duh round OF uneventful lives with
the lamp Of dramatic irna ginaton. / had
an interesting conversation mo-; long ago
With the haid-worked vicar of two par
fishes In the eastern counties. We sat
DOWN together by the wayside and dis
cussed the entertainments of he English
peasanltry. 1T was a sore trouble to him
THAT he could not raise money enough
to build a suitable hall for the higher re-
creation of his parishioners. / confess
that AZ the moment, refecting how many
practical and broad-minded clergymen
must be in the same case, / wondered
that SO little of the millionaire's benef-
cence flowed in this channel. 1t is a sub
ject well worth the cons Iteration of peo-
pie who suffer the misfortune OF possess
ing more money than they know what TO
do with. They might introduce the stroll
Ding player9-myself, for example, and
MY compa nions-in'to many a hamlet
which is now as unconscious of soli-
tary spark of imagination as its rude
forefatIhers. dare say you would hear
a good deal about s.age-sttuck villagers
and the awful effects of the theatrical
poster, but the world would be widened
for many minds, and the seeds Of whole
son,e fancy yield abundant harvest"
The department of French at Harvard
university, which has done several 10 "a
Ole things in a dramatic way, win give
three performances of Racine's "Atha-
Die. in December. The play has b en- Sc
aected as the most perfect example of
the French classical tragedy of the sev-
enteenth CENTURY, and will be given with
Mendelssohn's music. the vocal parts by
one of the leading societies of Boz.on.
and the orchestral parts by members of
Ehe Boston Symphony Orchestra. The
cast will be large, including thu students,
graduates and instructors OF Harvard