The Washington herald., 1906-12-23
MUSIC AND MUSICIANS
American Singers Abroad.

Paris through the success of his opera.
"PeIlias ct Melisandre, which is being
performed TO crowded houses at the Opera
Comique. Quite cult exists in Paris in
regard TO this opera, music students and
enthusiasts boasting of having heard it
twenty and thirty times. The music is by
no means gay or especially tuneful 1t
follows. rather. the higher art" and is
regarded as worthy Of deep and exhaus-
tive study Weird is the word, perhaps,
which best describes the music, and the
opera itself is so exquisitely mounted that
IL is aestheucaIIy instructive TO the eye
as well as the ear. A succession Of dream
Ike pictures form the mise-en-scene, and
the composer himself is so much interest
ed in the production that, though his op-
era has been running some time, he IS
present at nearly every. performance.
Nobody denies that Debussy, despite his
talent, IS somewhat grotesque in appear
auce. He is one of the features of the
opera. strutting about between the acts
in an ornate velvet waistcoat his conspic-
uous hair bushing out from beneath the
regulation French top hat. He enjoys
wide acquaintance with the artistic ele-
ment in Paris. and talks with 4 vast num-
Der of persons who are proud to be OBJ
served chatting with one Of the lions OF
the day
Mary Garden. the beautiful young
American girl, and a pupil of Jean de
Reszke's. who has been the idol of Paris
for the past three or four years. has been
singing the role of Melsandre in Debus-
sy's opera. and her drawing powers have
been we'll attested. She. also was fea-
ture of the perfOrmance-even more than
Debussy. That she is about to leave the
French opera to sing in Italy in roper
toire is due 70 a cabal having been
formed against her owing TO the jealousy
of the directors wife. The latter-a
French woman-has made it so unpleas-
antlv hot for the young American, in spite
of the raIlying of friends and a vigorous
opposition on the part OF DebuSsy
against having his prima donna driven
from Paris By the iuvectiVe of jealous
woman that Miss Garden has expressed
q preference for Italy. where she will
shortly be heard under new management
The fact that so many American girls
who go abroad under the chaperonase
of their mothers settle in Paris to study
music is said 20 be due 10 the preference
for Paris as a place Of European resi-
dence over the musical Centers of Ger
MANY. In the Avenue Victor Hugo there
is a certain charming residence-part
school. part hotel-which is presided over
by an American woman of great culture.
who entertains paying guests Of linn
tied number The young ladies received
here are American girls who aspire to
careers. but come from too wealthy
class to penetrate the Latin quarter
Sometimes they are alone studying the
language, music, and art. More fire.
uuentlv they are accompanied by their
mothers. who struggle against destiny
OF placid home comfort 70 keep pace
with the artistic inciinaJions or their
daughters.
At d recent sOiree given at this exclu-
siye establishment two American girls
well known in Washington acquitted
themselves very cred:tably. one on the
violin. the other at the piano. The ac-
compartments for the former We're play
ed by the mother of the young lady in
question who. in the days of her resi-
dence in this city, was not at all musi-
cal, but in the struggle TO be thoroughly
communicable TO her talented daughter.
has renowned society and gone in for
music culture. Isn't this typical Of the
American mother?
americans resident in Paris as Well as
Washington musical and social circles,
are interested in the turn Of fortune that
has come to Miss Florence Hoffman, OF
this city. Miss Hoffman has been liv-
ing IN Paris, in the Rue de Coliseum,
for a year or more, studying dramatic
art, as well as voice culture, and prepar-
ing for her debut in grand opera, which
is scheduled to take place early next
April. presumably in Munich. The cos
tunes for the three operas in which Miss
Hoffman viii first sing are now under
way. and 'NIignon" is thought 20 be the
vehicle that win introduce this talented
young American girl TO European audi
enccs-
II viii be surprise to many to learn
that after a brief season of two months
I'm opera. Miss Hoffman will return TO
Washington. where her marriage to Mr.
Thomas Weymouth, OF Oil City, Pa. viii
take place in June. Miss Hoffman does
not intend 10 abandon her career as an
artist. but viii return TO Europe soon
after her marriage to resume the work
upon which she is launched, with every
prospect Of success.
It will be recalled that Miss Holtzman's
voice is one of the rarely beautiful made
voices" which some maestros claim do
not wear beyond "a dozen years, and others
that they may be depended upon TO In
crease in strength and quality. Miss
Hoffman has proved an ambitious and
indefatgable student and her singing
has vastly improved since she was heard
in this city with Signor Campanari, who
predicts a brilliant future for the young
artist. Her associates in Paris say that
with the love for her art and the tempera-
ment and the personal appearance Miss
Hoffman possesses. she is bound to sue
coed on the grand opera stage in this
time of enthusiasm over young American
prima donnas.
MI Weymouth is an electrical engineer
residing in OIL City. The romance is
said TO have had its setting in Paris last
summer while Mr. Weymouth was visit
ing his sister who is also something Of a
parsonage in the artistic colony of Paris.
and VINO is a graduate of Mrs. S0mers'
school In this city
Nine Lillian Nordica's forthcoming en-
Eagement will bring the famous prima
donna to Washington for the first time
since the death of her friend. Miss Mar
garet Edes. In her hospitable home on K
stree Miss Edes was wont TO entertain
Nordica during the iatter's Washington
engagements, either at an afternoon re-
CepuOn, at which local society was af-
forded an opportunity to meet the re-
nowned singer, or at one or more large
dinner companies. The two women We're
greatly attached 10 each other, and in a
letter received recently from Nine. Nor
dica she refers in this wise 10 the late
Miss Edes: Nobody knows how I shall
miss her when I come to Washington. It
was principally through this dear friend
that I formed many other Washington
friendships. and in her summer as well
as her town home Miss Edes afforded