The record-union., 1898-08-07

Boheme" She was in Delaunay's class
at the Conservatoire, and made her test
appearances at the Coincide Francaise
| as Lisette in the "Jeu de PAmour ct
du Hasard'' and as Agathe in the
'Folies Amoureuses." She became a
| Societaire of the Theater Francais in
1893.
Samuel Rousseau, composer of the
| "Cloche du Rhin,'' the latest novelty
produced at the Paris Opera, won near
ly all the prizes for which French
musical students can compete. AT the
age of "a he got the first organ p1ize
| at the Conservatory. In 1878 he re-
| ceived the prix crescent for one-act
| opera: in 1891, the cantata prize Of
! fered by the city of Paris, and finally
! the grand priX de Rome, the highest
| of all honors. To judge by French
| criticisms, the "Cloche du Rhin" can
hardly be called masterwork. The
composer tried to please both the con-
servatives and the moderns, and there
fore failed to please either. His method
| is described by himself in the "Eclalr,
of which he is the musical critic. He
| there explains that he has used seven
leading motives to form the general
| texture of the opera, but has intro
| duced also a number of araS, duets
and ensembles, as oases in the desert.
| Some of the critics seem to think that
the GASES are the least refreshing parts
| of the desert.
The London Daily News declares
| that THE Star-Spangled Banner" is
said to be identical with the melody of
4 A x-,o;f lNly
| John Stafford Smith, organist of the
| Chapel Royal. 1t was first performed
| to Ralph Tomlinsons words about
1713, at the Crown and Anchor, better
known in the younger days of the pres
| ent generation as the Wilmington
| Club.
| Musical criticism is not without its
dangers in Paris One of the papers
there accused a certain singer of cheat
| ing the public by producing her top
| notes. not with the voice, but by
means Of a sort of popgun concealed IN
| the bosom of her dress. The singer
| brought suit against the paper, and
got a verdict in her favor.
Eleonora Duse will not play in Paris
| this summer. No available theater
was to be had for the time that noted
| Italian actress desired for her Paris
season Sarah Bernhardt had entered
| into q contract with Novelli, the Ital-
ian actor, for the Renaissance; the
| Porte St Martin is to be devoted TO
Cyrano de Bergerac until the end Of
| June. and the other theaters of the
boulevards did not seem to meet with
Duse's favor. However, she has not
recanted her promise to play at the
| benefit of the Dumas monument, and
so Parisians will have the opportunity
of seeing the Italian actress at least
| once this season..
They know how to honor artists Of
| the stage at Lisbon Enthusiastic ad-
mirers of Eleanora Duse in that city
have just set up a memorial stone to
commemorate the actress triumphs in
| Princess of Bagdad," "Hedda Cab
bier" The Second Mrs. Tanqueray, "
and Nora At the last performance
Of La Dame aux Camellias" floral ar
rangements containing not less than
10000 camellias were presented to
| Nine. Duse.
r. A. Roberts as Captain Heartsease
and Miss Nannette Comstock as the
charming Jenny Buckthorn in Mr..
Lifts revival of Shenandoah" al Nc
| Vicker's, Chicago, not long ago. had
several very pretty scenes which found
much favor with the audience. There
/ is one in particular in the last act
which is exceedingly well done by these
| two clever players. Captain Hearts
| ease has returned from the war, as
II 1Ix- In ac q
another brave man, afraid to pop the
momentous question. He has told
everybody of his love but the girl Of
/ his choice Gruff old General Buck
thorn advises his daughter to help the
Captain a bit The Captain gets half
through his proposal several times, but
swings off embarrassed each time into
some inconsequental and wholly irrel-
| evant subject Jenny, who is ready
! and anxious to say Yes" is in de-
| spair at the procrastination OF her
lover. The other night when Jenny
had reached the point in the scene
where she determines to force the diff
fident Captain to declare himself an
unexpected interruption came from the
gallery. Marching boldly and deter
minedly up to Heartsease she said:
Have you anything in particular to
say to me, Captain Heartsease?''
| "Ye-s-s" stammered the Captain.
completely taken aback.
Then say it," replied Miss Jenny.
The Captain, thrown off his guard,
hesitated and stammered, and, as called
for in the playing of the part, remained
speechless for few moments. The
| house was perfectly quiet, when out
from the stiffness came a hoarse voice
from the gallery:
"Ah, get together there"
The audience, realizing the i'm
patience of the speaker, burst into a
roar of laughter. Mr.. Roberts and Miss
Comstock were knocked OUT by the
interruption and Joined heartily in the
laugh which folowed-but the scene
was spoiled for the actors just the
| same.
Drury Lane Theater has the largest
/ fire-proof curtain in the world. II is
~ feet by 30la feet. made of iron and
| asbestos, and. in case of fire can lower
itself automatically in fifteen seconds
|
High-class vaudeville is not as pop
ular as it was, nor does it pay the
once high salaries, still the legitimate
stars are on the downward rush to the
variety stage. many of them never to
! be resurrected again. Among the last
recruits are Robert Downing of Glad
iator'' fame. and Laura Joyce Belle
the wife of Digby Bell, the comedian