The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-06
LIVE TOPICS ABOCT TOWN.

The latest operate husband 10 join the
group at the Metropolitan il certainly the
youngest ever seen there He belongs. Of
course, to the singer still known as Fritzi
Scheh. who is young for a prima donna
but Herr Won Bardileben is much younger
for a prima donna's husband. He is a
fresh-faced, boyish German. who probably
looks much better in uniform than he does
In evening dress, which Is q popularity OF
many Of his compatriots. who. like this young
man. have never enjoyed the sartorial adj
vantage that comes from a sojourn in Lon
don. or at least in Berlin The former Lieut..
Won Bardilsben has lived little In capitals
larger than Frankfort, who're he made the
Acquaintance Of his wife. He is said to be
only twenty-three.
The disappearance Of the brown hat is an
incident Of winter dress that the dealers
arc not able to explain. except through the
vagaries In taste that assert themselves at
intervals. For more than ten years the
season might be. Its popularity waned
first In winter The manufacturers thought
that spring would bring back the demand
again but the black hat was still the favor
lite even in the warmer weather. The sale Of
brown hats during the past year has been
SO small that the manufacturers have in
many instances ceased to make them. Now
the brown hat retains its popularity only
in one city. Boston likes il still and calls
for 1t both In winter and in summer.
Cornelius Vanderbilt is not a common
name, but it must be borne by at least one
OF her person than it's best-known possessor
or else MIR. Vanderbilt is not revealing to
his countrymen one phase Of his activities
London newspaper the other day an
nounCed the production at a suburban thea.
tire II "a musical comedy called The Sousa
Girl, and the name of its author WAS given
as Cornelius Vanderbilt. There was no
comment on nor explanation OF the identity
Of this author.
Observers Of social tendencies have re-
marked the disfavor into which the coming
out tea has fallen this winter. There was a
time when every young woman who was
considered ready 20 face the world took
her bouquet in her hand aud her place next
TO her mother while she was introduced
10 as much of society as her family knew.
Then her name was printed on her mothers
whiting cards and she was prepared 10
swim In the troubled waters 81 society.
Nowadays the girl who IL not Of a family
that can give her ball or a series Of din
ners just goes wherever she Ia asked with
out the previous formality Of having all
her mothers friends invited in TO shake
hands with her.
The extent TO which New Workers. are
scattered yearly adds difficulty TO the MAN,
tenance Of social relations and It seems
unfortunate that one excellent scheme
to couleract this disadv antage met with
no success. II vas suggested several years
ago by a society publication that the
women living III certain parts Uf the city
should all choose one day rs that on which
they would receive BY his plan II would
be possible for women going 10 that neigh
borhood TO pay calls on all who lived there.
The scheme was ignored. although its prac-
ticabilitv was recognized. Its failure was
said TO be due TO the decision Of women TO
give up calling altogether. except az it
leaving cards. That was found TO be the
quickest way 81 paying social obligations
and was satisfactory in most casee.
There in frequent cause for wonder that
persons who know 10 little Of what Ia being
done on the stage and do not take the
trouble TO inform themselves about It
should spend 10 much money on the opera
This year the general indifference Of the
audience in the orchestra stalls 10 what the
story or action OF the opera means IL more
marked than ever. Last week when la
TraNiata' was sung al n matiueN the house
was filled with women no must have seen
the play OF Camille" and known it, story
well. But evidently they we're quite una
ware that the text Of the opara was the
same as the play. The remark Of one
woman IA she left tho theatre showed how
little she had understood Nine SemhriCh's
performance 81 the consurnptive heroine
"It's wonderful how that woman could
sing 40 beau fully" she said, because
she must have had an awful cold. could
see her coughing all through the opera"
'Mr, Grau.' said an opera goer OF no
mean knowledge Of the good and great
in music. need not feel that the stage OF
the Metropolitan even during a season Of
grand opera would be debased by the
presence Of The Mikado' In the report DIRE
OF his company. The Gilbert 4 Sull van
operetta IL a classic in its school and the
singers Of the ROYAL Opera House in Berlin
have already performed the work to the
delight, Of audiences that crowded the
opera house whenever II was sung. Most
OF the noted German opera houses have
recently revived the best Of the operettas
Die Fledermaus' has long been in the roper
toire Of the Imperial Opera House In Vienna
and other Of the Strauss operettas have
been produced there. NIillocker's The
Beggar student has been sung in Leipsic.
and IN Dresden Ofrenbach's Les Contes
dHofmann' was recently given The
Mikado' is as worthy a place in the work
az the Metropolitan as any OF these operas,
Last year Mr.. Grau announced Maillart' a
80 Dragons dc Villars' az a possibility Of
his season. Certainly Sulliyap'a rn,,aio