The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-04
SOCIAL GLORY OF SINGERS.
LITTLE COURTS ABOUr THE STARS
Ar THE OPERA.
Value Of IN Acquaintance, Even Remote,
with AN Opera singer-A Family De-
voted To the DE Rcsakes-Nme Eamss's
circle and Nine. Nordica's Followers.

avn DTehllFr w Hius W 'h'' 'N'''s 's
f,om the old folks a, home, but they receive, never
,bsle... certain care and attention tina, must COM
r,r.s,e IN a way for their exile. Steam hes, and
Ice water In hotels may bs trying enough
and sudden variations in The climate may be OBJ
iec,ionahle in their disa greeable effects on the
op-ra,ic visitors, bu, there are other less displeas
inV features Of life in America. Nearly every
man or woman OF importance who sings al the
METROPOLITAN Opera House Is surrounded by a
rYoup Of admirers, who from a more or less re
%spectful distance do all that is possible TO make
Me pleasant for the particular object OF their
affection.
The relations be, ween the celebrities and their
admirers are brought about IN various ways.
Nearly every woman that lives In a hotel patron
ired by one Of the opera singers thinks she has a
special right To the friendship Of the artist In cues
ton. and the degree Of her interest In him or her
u dependent upon the number OF times they meet
IN the dining room or in the lifts. The most en-
thusiastic admirer. hat a certain baritone had here
last winter was a woman who used 10 sit at the
next Ia bic to his in the hotel dining room and see
him eating breakfast Any such relation as this
Il sufficient to create for he singers warm and en-.
thusiastic friends, whose atten ions will M limited
only by their enthusiasm in accepting them.
Not all the acquaintances between the opera sing.
srs and others begin, however, in this way. Nearly
oil the men and women are frequently asked out
to differen, social affairs. and In this way 1, Is easy
- become acquainted with them, and persevering
admirers find many means Of continuing acquaint-
ances so begun. Other bolder women call on
singers at hotels, without preliminary intro
duction, and take their chances OF being admitted,
Some times they get in under a misa pprehension
a. to their identity, and an acquaintance begun
even under these ina suspicious circumstances
Is sufficient 10 mark the won an as an intimate
friend OF the particular singer in the circle Of her
friends, especially If she talks enough about her
ACQUAINTANCE with the celebrity She is pretty
likely To do that. The i'm preston is heightened
II she losses oft carelessly a few such remarks as
"Mme Semhrich said to me" or YOU know when
! was talking 10 Calye the other day" The cleo
trifying effect Of a few such phrases as these in
an ordinary drawing room throws over the speaker
temporarily a glow Of sudden prominence which
makes her envied by every other woman. For
several years past some persons have been known
In New York principally through their acquaint-
ancr with the more prominent singers.
"Who is that mann" ons woman asked Of an
other not long ago al the opera, The other men.
toned his name and added Great friend Of the
be Resykes," as though that were the utmost
hht w lahlt AllhN u man 'hl t'''At'y i'''N''
Some women in New York are able TO keep
their friends In q constant state Of anxiety TO
60 to their homes on account Of the likelihood
that they will meet there some Of HE singers from
the opera. Some social strugglers have been
able to accomplish wonders through their ability
to get the more famous lights Of the Metropolitan
Opera Company to come to their houses. There
ore Of course entertainments Of which one never
hears given in honor Of these performers. one
Of these took place last veeA, when one NJ the most
distinguished singers at the Metropolitan was
at a tea arranged especially IN her honor In order
that she might meet the woman who Ia tho &C
knoyledgcd head Of New York society. The
two met, Yet beyond The circle Of the hundred
or more people who were gathered there the Incl
dent was never heard OF. That affair happened
10 be- given, however, by extremely cultivated
people, who are really devoted 10 music and like
10 show their admiration 70 rs most notable ex-
pOnent For many years past the best known
singers who have come TO this country have been
entertained by them and always in the most
uuprstentlOus msnnJ, So that these functions
are quite different from the kind commonly given
for the opera cclehIiues. Some idea Of the ex-
tent IN which people are interested In thu presence
and personality Of the Sill ;ers can be gathered
from an incident which took place at musicale
last week. Two women from the opera were there
and amung the guests we're also two women Who
had hren fortunate enough TO meet them. Each
was delighted at the pleasure.
Mime. y. said to me-" enc Of thcsn row 1rked,
that She l!Ked one Of the songs So r.Ici, I4at she
could hardly keep t,,m SINGING II her.-t.
that she cogld have danced all night ~ such a
beautiful waltz"
The two women were delighted to have come
tptn IasF.tpIl f,IIJArt vii, lac ttynFS "a nd 4, haya
had such brilliant woti,Il'r i tow Ard them.
But there IL a much mora laImale and devoted
circle about every great singer IN the company
that shows far note aduls ION than these merely
socIal friends. II ~ a mistake, indeed, TO say
that this condition /, limited only 10 the great
singers, ~ every one down 10 ire hunhleSi has
his ~ hr ~poc,.l admirers who merely ask that
they aN 10 rilp"ei to Il, - much as ,hey posi-
bly, can Or the nprilpr' OF ne dir mites they are
So proud 'u know som" instances ~ his a'ul-
alton arr as 'upIing and non"ls mora remarkable
in this lar.l ular that the experiences II jean
and Ed"ua.I De hcS/ke Jean Is not here, but
thai fact has mos prevented his attention from
continuing in is Old and enthusiastic way. Dur
ing he first season that thc two brothers sang
here they mai", the ACQUAINTANCE # nm neon
spicupus N'w York family, unknown beyond
the small clrrlo ~ It's immrdiate trends The
name Is not q" be- found iu reports uf suridl gath
ering>. NOR j. thorr a ninc." uncommon char
GCt"rIsliC IU 'h',' people beyond heir devotion
~ the two singers TIE fpri,v Includes father
enh muth-r. . dauGht"; ana One ~ We relatives,
endlh""u'ir' 'iH"ui he women Is l"IouHl luioOk-
llAk al .N 100 fNNN Z WI .If WV Nh|A u. % .NNNIN 1It
her. or o! ON, II he happens TO hc here alone. 4
the ri-r i this winter They decorate ihtIr
ICONS bnturr the artists arrive at the hotel, they
have iruli fr hrm there and not a single day
passed last winter without some Gifts arriving
from ih|S anil l. might M n box Of sailed
almout- - o. might b. a mechanical toy which
could BE- wound zap and SIT "a running over the
tlpor, sometimes /, vas q minCa PIC md again
Il was q bot'lr ~ headache drops that these faith
fl friends sent tn" variety Cf he tributes
which 'h"y ~..rrtri VAS rr'l.t 30 tie freshness
OF their ln'gnillpn ~ the task ~ giving presents
to The Sam' p"rson every day for Ave months ~
likely iu be- irving to The fancy. The only reward
that was aslHd FOR such devotion was he accept
anc' II On occasional dinner invita- ion aud the
simple delight a.! being allowed to do all thase
things 'f Two persons 50 distinguished. and ii
might ~ added IN he case Of these two mon, SO
delightful and amiablr There is another re-
ward, however, which 9 not to b. overlooked.
In their particular social set those people Arp IA
nous ls intimate 'rionls " The D. RsS1kns. so
that mlnrr pcs and mechanical toys ard IN" head
ache dTuNS nh wOrt out y rO1'p "uSafIug reward
in the ION: ran Those mon rrcnlyod many
invitations Of course, for he most cpnspiclous
mPmhPrS ~ New York society were Il lighted TO
have thrW ~ guest, a. their houses. and they not
in.redunntlv accepted those invita- ions. for in
spite Of oil that Is SAID 10 the contrary the social
attentions lhR' ara shown tn singers ere usually
wy sat factory 10 them 50 long RS the are Of
ahiud n'l' uI uIer''r' with heir wOrk They are
a. = ruN' ll''' willing 10 accept MI Inviaions
tr1l dp ur r'lul'' them to take time from heir
pruln~,rll' dl.'S.
two vr1r- ago with he OPERA COMPANY shc was
selected by M" Poles Hs The particular object Of
their attention Letters addressed in sfronre
h~iHdNr'Iu" Hu' covered with IuS'ruig hn .rr,Uls