The record-union., 1897-08-08


ers waiting several months before they
see her much -talked-of representation
of Clorinda in Mrs. Frances Hodgson
Burnetts A Lady of Quality. Miss
Arthurs debut as a star viii be made in
Detroit on October 4th, when "A Lady
of Quality will be produced for the first
time in America During the interven-
ing weeks Miss Arthur's time will be
Well filed. She is first to visit Mrs. Bur-
nett, who has rewritten a dramatization
of the book purposely for her. The in
terpretation Of the part will be discuss
ed in detail by author and actress. Miss
Arthur will then go to the country for
q month to study Clorinda and to get
what rest she can.
During Miss Arthur's two years con-
nection with the Irvin-Terry Company
where she had been leading woman and
on many occasions Miss Terry's substi-
tute, the fact has perhaps been lost sight
of that she is an American actress. Pre-
vious to her work in London she has
always played in America, her last ap-
pearance here having been in the role
of the Queen of Naples in Nine. Sans
Gene, at the Lyceum Theater. It has
for some time been her ambition to re-
turn as a star, but none of the plays Of
fered her seemed satisfactory. Mrs
Burnett's play, however, viii afford her
All excellent opportunity to give her in
telligence, magnetism and romantic ten
dencies full scope. Physically, Miss Ar
thur will be a magnificent imperSOnation
of Clorinda
While with the Irwin Terry Company
Miss Arthur has been especially success
ful in the role of Imogen in "Cymbe-
line" and Lady Anne in Richard III" 3"
1t is a favOrite conviction of Miss Ar
thur that a woman to achieve success on
the stage must begin her work early in
life rather than wait until she has lost
her youthful adaptability of mind and
neXibility of body. Her own stage ca
reer began at the age of eleven.
An attempt has been made recently to
convince the Germans that Signor Ia
magno is a wonderfully great tenor. The
machinery of putting was used more
skiIfully than ever before, and he de-
manded a higher sum than any tenor
ever had received in Germany. His tour
has, however, not come up to the eX
pectations aroused, and the German crit
iCisms coincide with those expressed in
New York papers at the time when Ia
magno was a member of the Metropoli-
tan Opera Company. The tNeue
Zeitschrift fur Musik,' e. G., says: The
Italian tenor did not even meet reason
able demands as to vocal art and con-
ception; he sang nearly everything forte
and fortissimo; in vain did one expect
to hear in the lyric passages a beautiful
meZza vocc or a sweet piano for a
change; no enchanting accent of deep
er sentiment interrupted the monotony
OF his tonal explosiveness." In several
cases he was even hissed-an unusual
thing in a German opera house.
Brahms anecdotes still come in like
late strawberries. Here is a juicy one:
While always willing to assist and ad
wise talented musicians, Brahms was
less amiable and willing to be bored by
mediocritieS than List used to be
Whenever one of these imaginary gen
fuses called on Brahms, the visitor would
begin by showing the esteemed master
some new composition, and beg permis-
sion to play it on his piano. But Brahms
was too smart for him. Il am very sOr-
ry," he would say, but my piano is
badly out of tune" "Oh, but that won t
bother met the visitor would exclaim
But it will bother me-" said Brahms,
and that settled the matter.
Some fuss has been made in Rome
about a new play by Signora Gemma
Ferruggia, which has been acted at the
Manzoni Theater. It is called "Amata
Desclee," and it's heroine is that charm
inc nd criftn.d French actress f1o 5ia6
young. Aimee herself is not the reason
of the fuss, but the dramatist has intro
duced personages who have been on
this earth and of it more recently, and
at least one who is still very much
alive. Baron Roberto. Amata's favored
lover, called "Fan-Fan," is identified
with Baron Francesca de Renzis, now
Italian Minister to Madrid.
At the time referred to in this play
he was Captain of Engineers and aide
de-camp to King Victor Emanuel. Sig
nora Ferruggia makes him the object
of the one serious passion in the life
of Desclee. Alexandra Dumas fills takes
Desclee to the Gymnase. where in the
third act, she has become the idol of
Paris. She is, however, sad and dis
couraged, as Fan-Fan is far away, and
Dumas ''Visite de Noces,'' the author
is not satisfied with the effect of a
scene in which the actress should pOr-
tray a sense of repulsion at the break
ing off a love affair AT this moment
a letter arrives from Amata announc-
ing Fan-Fan's marriage, and in her
first bitter resentment she triumph
antIy carries out the idea of the au-
4 lfoys+
my life" exclaims Desclee. What mat
ter" Dumas selfshly replies, If the
play succeeds?"
Schubert's friend Godefroi Preyer, one
of the most celebrated of Austrian
theoretical musicians celebrated his
ninetieth birthday at Vienna recently.
He was a youth of 16 when. in 1921.
he came to Vienna to study under
Sechter and to make Schubert's ac-
ouaintance. He was for some years a
professor of harmony at the Vienna
Conservatory. and in 1872 became its
director. Two years later he was ap-
pointed organist at ST. Stephens Ca
thedral. but the Chapter refused to in
stan him in the post unless he mar
ried. on the ground that as bachelor
he was too young for the office. Some
years afterwards when he was 10, the
Chapter, however. relented. Herr Prey
er, who is Kapellmeister to the I'M
perial Court, is now living in retire
ment. He has a wonderfully fine col
lection of paintings, particularly OF
Reubens, Van Dyck, and Macs, besides
Of some of the modern Frenchartists
from 1880 downwards