The record-union., 1898-03-20

lents and becomes the main factor in
the escape. IN the last scene the little
dauphin is found on the sunlit banks
of the Seine surrounded by his friends.
The acting of Rejane is highly com
mended.
The London Daily News" has the fol-
lowing remarks as to the fees of sing
els: At the Leeds Festival the chief
vocalists alone now receive nearly
II ,5C0 Forty years ago the Singers were
more moderate. In 1858 al Leeds, Al
b0ni, it is true, had ESQ for four con-
certs (Madame Albini now receives just
double), but for the whole festival sims
Reeves took only E210 Sainton Dolby
/ El01, Mr. and Mrs. Weiss t130 and MI
SainIley (Who, however, had then been
out less than year,. t42. The highest
/ fees now paid TO a vocalist fall TO
! Madame Patti who receives from
| Messrs. Harrison $500 for eacl. orovn-
cial and 500 guneas for each London
concert, although it is true that, as the
/ late Sir George Masfaren. in pub
Eshed letter, once whimsically urged,
out of this fee she pays fer her own
bouquet
Some months ago Count Franchi
/ Verney was sent by the Italian Gov
ernment to visit England. in order to
| investigate the teaching Of music in
! the elementary schools. His report
appeared in the school Musical Re
view" and the following is a summary
/ of it. The Italian Commissioner was al
most awed by the enormous amount
10
/ few countries in the world where mus
| ic is made the object of such devout
enthusiastic worship. 1t might almost
be said that music is vital and indis-
pensable element of English life" This
activity, however, the Count holds to
! be a matter Of normal routine rather
i than of impulse or enthusiasm, and for
! that reason it is. perhaps, lacking in
any great originality or special genial
/ ity of expression or inspiration. New
ertheless. the substratum Of the coun-
! try is essentially a musical one"
| An attempt to revive Handels ora
! torio 'Ath9liah" in London led one of
/, the critics to remark: That the work
| will ever become really popular again
| is, Of course, unlikely, if only because
| many experiments, from those tried
during the great Handelian revivals of
| some twenty or more years ago by
! Weist Hill at the Alexandra Palace,
! and by Barnby at the Albert Hall,
doWnvards, proved that although the
! public favor for such well-known ora
! torios as Messiah" Judas" and rs
! rael in Egypt" is unabated, yet in Han
| del's less familiar music the interest
| felt IS one of little more than mere
curiosity.
The secret why America produces SO
many good singers is out at last. A
! London paper has the following: THE
| American church choir system has re-
suited in the formation of whole race
/ of opera and concert singers The
! American church is not State endowed,
and in order to attract paying congre-
cations at all good singing is essential.
| Hence, as chors are selected every
May. the singers, from their youngest
days, are subject to constant criticism.
! The best mount upwards TO better
! paid churches. and the best Of all are
sent often cat the expense of wealthy
members of the congregation to study
/ in Europe for the regular profession.
! Many great vocalists. from Nine. AL
! bani and Nine. Nordica downwards.
have started their careers in this way"
Among the latest theatrical Sue
cesses in Paris is piece at the Nou-
veautes, called Madame Jalouette," in
which a mOther-in-law, contrary to the
usual plan, is in mortal terror of her
son-in-law, she having contracted
second marriage without his knowl-
edge or approval
1.-The Dovecote" the English version
of ''Jalouse" with which the Duke of
Yorks Theater has just been opened
in London, is described as technically
innocent but as not altogether free in
suggestion from the taint of the French
original 1t shows how a young wife
makes herself and everybody else
miserable by unfounded jealousy. and
is played in lively fashion by Seymour
Hicks and his associates.
Edward F,vangeline Rice is called
Exalted Ruler of the Chorus Girl and
Prophet of the Utterly Absurd by the
New York World" No such distinc-
ton was ever attained before by an
American manager.
F. II. Cowen has just finished a new
"Concertstuck" for pianoforte and or
chestra. 1t was written at the sugges-
tior of NJ. Paderewski by whom prob
ably it will be played for the first time
in public.
Mancinelli's opera Hero and Le-
ander" was produced in Venice a few
weeks ago. The composer conducted,
and was called before the curtain re-
peatedly One song was encored The
i critics praised the orchestral part Of
! the work, but found the opera lacking
in dramatic power.
| Madame Gerster ana the two Wag-
merriam singers, Franz Betz and Lieban.
have been appointed teachers Of the
new opera class founded at Kind
| wortf's Conservatory in Berlin
| Verdl's new "StaEat Mater and "Te
| Deun," both for chorus and orchestra.
will he produced at the opera concerts.
Paris. on Good Friday. The hope that
| Verdi would he present is now, it is
feared. not likely to be fulfilled.
A. W. Pinero's latest play. "Trelaway
of the Wells is reported to be a bril-
liant success financially at the London
Court Theater.
Detroit Free Press: We may accept
as an axiom the dictun that the fac.
that play prospers is no guarantee Of
its merits and the fact that a play loses
money is no proof of its dement's. Pub
liz faSfa iS a oIlec1. tSch