The evening times., 1899-08-01
sARcEY AND YvETTE GUILBERT.
The Critics Passage Mt Arms With
the Cantatrice,
From the San Francisco Argonaut)

it rom the san Francisco argCnaut.)
Another of his recent quarrels was called
the "Affaire Guilbert- Sarcey, which was
started by his declaration that Yvette's
art had retrograded instead of improved.
He wrote:
Il read the other day, in one of the many
articles which burn incense before her al
tar every morning, that il was her ambi-
tion to act in tragedy some day, and that
she would astOnish the world by a new
transformation. l hope that is jest.
What an unbearable manner she has
formed She. -drags on the last syllables
Of the verses with a sort of prolonged
moan which. by dint of endless repetition,
finally irritates the nerves painfully. She
makes pauses; you think she is holding the
word back merely to send it out more
strongly; not at all; she purposely lets the
end of the phrase drop or utters it in
speech so rapid that ii is impossible to un-
derstand anything. In the perpetual Jug
glery there is an enervating affectation.
Affectation she carries into everything.
thought to myself. the saddest thing in all
this business is that at present all foreign
ers passing through our city. enticed by
continuous and noisy advertising, rush to
hear Mile. Yvette Guilbert, listen in
amazement, and go off saying: Can it be
this that they are making such fuss over
in Paris?' And they take US for imbe-
Giles
Yvette maintained, with her feminine
humor, that, as Sarcey bought his seat,
he was no critic, but a mere spectator and
had lost the privilege of public abuse. To
which he replied:
Mile. Yvette Guilbert seems much sur
prised that / should have paid 80 francs to
hear her sing the other day. After hearing
her l understand her astonishment She
may calm herself l shall not get .caugh,
L,,lf
pense. 1t is true that the songs of Mile
Yvette Guilbert are lugubrious and sung
with insupportable affectation, but her let
tiers are joy. Would to God that her
songs were as gay as her letters.
Believe me, mademoiselle, instead of
wasting your time writing letters, useless
at best, you would do better to mediate
upon the advice of critic who may be
right, even though he paid for his seat.
That critic strongly supported and praised
you when you first appeared, because you
then gave new life to the light, popular
song by little grain of originality, because
you had your own manner and talent. 1t is
not he who has changed"
Sarcey went on saying practical and un-
fiattering things about the singer of chan
sons, and at last fvette dropped her role
of witty Indifference and superiority, and
lost her temper. Nothing could satisfy her
1 '"
my Accordingly she sailed forth to No.
SO Rue de Douai, where M. Sarcey lives
How much of the tale which the gossips tell
about that interview is true, one cannot
say, but the story goes that, when the ser
want announced Mile. Yyette Guilbert," NJ
Sarcey pretended not to hear, and went on
with his writing. Yvette waited minute,
coughed, swept across the room to where
| her foe sat, beside his writing desk and
gave the illustrious critic sharp tap, which
| might have been playful or might have been
| insulting. M. Sarcey rose with exaggerated
courtesy and remarked:
Pardon; was so busy with you in mind
| that l had to finish my sentence before
could greet you in person. Can l be OF
use to you? Pray sit down."
Yvette came to the point at once.
IN. Sarcey, you are cadi"
He bowed, with a smile of grateful rec
| ognition.
"a cad, monsieur" said madame in her
| most blood-curdling tones.
| "You have said SO, madame
You are an insolent, who makes cow
ardly attacks upon woman
"Oh, we are coming on, madame. Your
| style improves; but let me state that, as
woman, Mile. Gilbert is nothing to me
| What i may say Of her public character