New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-10-14

tyranny of the fashion plates viii make brave
SHOW. The Tout BOhsme still keeps I'D Appear
anceS' sartorlally speaking. though it does So.
Whlch the ancestors did not, an excellent
income
This prosperity may not last; there are signs.
indeed that 1t IS drawing TO end. As periods
of vogue go in Paris, the chausOnniers have had
long innings. and il will not be surprising -
Tor a time they are under a cloud. II was early
IN the eighties. with the foundation of the ever
memorable ChaJ NOR, that the new generation
of chansOnniers first made their voices heard
an expression literally correct. as it is char
acterlstlc OF the present day ChansOnni-rS that
they sing their songs well as write them
The Chat NOir was the beginning Of Mont
martre, of the Montmartre of SOnSSterS inuu-.-
cradle and bandbOX cafts-concerts artistic
cdDdIetS ana DoulS-bOulS at every turn AID
corner. The movement deserves an historian.
Tor besides having a far reaching effect ON the
amusemenJS of Parisians. and, perhaps on their
manners and morals. il has left its mark en-
literary and even on political history. What is
known as ''rOSseTie'' in Hterature-th- term
would seem 10 be Observation-Disclosures the i'm
Ventlon of MOntmartre. In the field of politics
the Third Republic has known TO E-r.luagrr
whose influence was so great that it c1uf& be-
SAID OF the Bourbon restoration that it was
monarchy tempered by songs, but Jules Irt..
VINO during the height of the BOuIausiSt move
lnent turned out a new song every day. exert .l
a real influence. The popularity of NJ Felix
Faure. too was To large extent the vyr, &C
the Montmartre chansonneTS. who. thoueE rr.y
chaued him numerically enough. gave him -l-
saving reputation OF a good sort" and coupled
ms name with the Russian alliance
The decadence of MOntmartre has t--u ---
Vealed by the Exhibition. OF all the failures rt
the great show the most gIaring- the most
lamentable. has been the Rue DIS Paris the
cafeS-concertS of which are modelled on those Of
Montmartre- They have had no success. ard
they have deserved none. The sad truth Is that
talent once so prolific on the Butte is for the
moment OF rare growth il. indeed. il be- dis
coVerable at all. OF the men who made the
reputation of MOntmartre. some are d-ad-1IaS-
nab and Jules JOuy. for instance-and others
such as DOnnay. Rollinat and BrUant. have
ceased writing for the Butte Those of the older
SchOOl who remain were never. perhauS. quite
IN the front rank. and would seem To have long
since given their best work The newcomers
are legion but the quantity does not make mp
Ior the almost total absence of quality lu the
Old days interesting debuts occurred at frequent
intervals, that the Partisan who had kept
away from the district for while was sure. ou
ms return, TO hear something fresh and curious.
Times have changed and MOntmartrr invaded
by lmitatorS, impOstOrS. and mOuuteuauks has
come 10 live on its reputation. That the Con
SreSS OF ChanSOnnierS viii mend matters does
not seem likely. MOntmaTtTe can only be- saved
by a fresh etflOrescenCe of talent and to cannot
be expected OF a congress that il Will serve IS
an incubator OF genius.