New-York tribune., 1902-12-25
4 SINGERS MEMORIES.
Reoollections Of List, Coquelin and
Other Famous FfgureS.

lTNTNfSC HTNCE-S. MUSICAL AND X by
sations. limo. PIP tx, l5s- knight d Miliet'
These "reminiscences OF singer whose eh-
periences have carried her beyond the prosaic
existence Of many New-England girls, ana
into the delightful salons Of the Old World,
embody sketches Of such figures as Lszt, Mas
senet Coquelin, Paderewsh and Deschanei, OF
men and women stand prominently In the
view Of the world and whom it has been the
authors privilege to number among her friends
OF her purpose in writing these brief and pleas
ant sketches she says: 1T is with no sense OF
personal vanity but only with heartfelt grati-
tude that I now revert to the valuable fr1eno-
ships that came into my life with these whose
lives, as / knew them, have endeaVoreo 10
portray in the following pages. not with a
critics analysis, but with cordial and reverent
sympathy" After reading this disclaimer Ii is
rather disappointing TO find that the author has
not devoted herself generously to the per-
soral and Intimate side of her subjects, but has
gone at some length in the short limits OF her
chapters into the statement of such biographical
facts as are either generally familiar or easily
accessible The unimportant, it may be, but
Ilurninative anecdote, is what one seeks in
book of this description OF such a sort is this
recollection of List:
Some years later. being again in Rome, L
went at once to pay my respects TO the master.
He was still at Santa Francesca In the sunny
rooms I so well remembered The same i'm
Jnense cat lay comforta bly, In a large cnaIr,
There were the same piles Of music. AS
came in unannounced, M. FAbbe, L said, Il m
afraid you may have forgotten me" with me
literally countless number Of visitors who
f1ocked to hirn-even to see him belns tnIns
coveted by music 1oversI thought ne might
easily have lost from his memory an unlln-
r,ortart amateur like myself He said not
word in reply but, turning on MS heel' rusneu
to the piano, sat down, and pegan playing
Meyerbeer's famous aria which had oeeh DC
custonaed so sing in a former visit to Rome
Coouelin of whom much has been written. is
approached mot without great hesitation, but
not without interest when once this ice Is
broken, though here also opportunities are tan
xalizingly missed We read of his devoting
certain part of every day, when at home, TO
giving advice to those studying for the stage
His criticism is sharp and quick; his own
standard is so high that he requires or each
person the utmost of which that person is cap
able His keen perception of how 1t shouio
be- has made many an asplrant Weep 80 a. ts ne
-Ce nest pas ca" This little sentence tens liLe
-vould-be artist that his desired goal Is sun
very far off. I have frequently heard MN at
dinner cross swords with Victorien Sardou
<-ocuelin- who fears nobody, makes bold thrusts
and the pIaywriter parTies exceedingly Wen 50
that the spectators find the combat exciting
Here the reader is all expectation for a
glimpse Of one Of these dramatic dueis- But
none is forthcoming; and he resumes the page
with something of the feeling OF the lnlpecuIl- |
Gus young man who was met one morning on |
+be Strand by q certain noble lord and asked |
If he were to dine that evening Alert at the |
joyful prospect of an invitation the young man |
hastens TO exclairn that he is not Whereat |
cries his lordship: Cad, how hungry you VIII /
he tomorrow morning But perhaps IL is not /
entirely 10 the discredit of a book that one /
should desire more of it The volume is at
,rsc4fvely printed on heavy paper of good quail
fly, and the illustrations are acceptable