The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-06-02
OPERA and SINGERS ABROAD
SALOME THE DANCER MAKES
TROUBLE IN PARIS.

russo wants More Pay IN London -Gus'
tAy Nlahler TO Leave the Vienna Opera
&-CensOr at WORK In ConStantlnOple.
The ballet is Just ds important to the
Paris public now as Il was Ia the days OF
M%eyerbeer. Even IN tSalome' the II
OF the seven wells was regarded as the most
important point In the performance by
the audiences that went 10 the Chatelet
70 hear Richard Strauss opera.
After the frat representation Jokddnon
appeared before the curtain bringing with
him two Sdlomes. one the singer Emmy
Destinn and the other MHe. Trouthannwa.
who had waved the draperies In the dance
After a while the ballerina got into the
habit Of taking q recall after the dance.
which brought two Sdlomes simultaneously
in view Of the audience. The composer
protested and the dancer retired from
the cast, declaring that IL was Just as in
artistic for Hcrr Strauss to appear after
the opera between Sdlome and Jokddndn
as for her to take an encore.
The performance on the fret night did
not begin until twenty minutes later than
it was announced. but the doors we're closed
when the prelude began and not a spectator
was admitted in spite OF the fact that many
had paid as much as d hundred francs for
a seat. Emmy Destinn is said 70 be vocally
very fine, but in action and appearance
not comparable TO Olive Fremstad.
Geraldine Farrar has sung Marguerite
and Elisabeth at the Grand Opera in Paris
and met with success, although her per-
formances have aroused no ttnusu6' en-
thusiasm. II is n long time since such
youthful dramatic talent and beauty have
been combined on that historic stage;
but Parisians now care more for their old
fayoTites than for such qualities.
The theatre under the management
for singers able to pay for their engage
ments. II was usually thought necessary
TO have beauty. but II vas even more neces-
sary for the singers to be so situated that
they could pay high prices for their posts
and be content with a meagTe salary. That
is the reason why the standing OF the opera
house has steadily declined. 1t Ia because
Parisians ave in Shie grown accustomed
to mediocrities that Miss Farrar's appear
anoes have not created more sensation:
ing Debussy' s ,aPelleas ct Melisande' has
Just produced "Ciroe,' by. the brothers
Hillemacher. The legend 10 taken from
the Odyssey. Among the singers was a
pupil OF Jean de ResZke named Maggie
Tate. She is English and is said to have
u - " N'hS
supplied the text.
All the singers were, taken to the Musee
Cluny TO study the poses Of the Greek
statues there before acting their roles.
What precautions they took to keep In tune
is not recorded,
There was recently a cycle Of Russian
concerts in Paris. The singers were Fedor'
Chaliapine, Katorsky, Smirnoh and Filipoh,
and Mines. Tcherkassy and zbrouieva:
The pianists we're Raohmaninoh and Josef
uofp,apn who yvaa' the only Pole among
the artists. The operate composers repre-
scented oil The programme. were Giiinka.
Borodine. Moussorgsky. Cui and Rimsky-
Korsakof. Arthur Nikisch conducted thu
| concerts, but Rachmaninoh conducted
certain OF his own compositions. Hofmann
Ia too popular in Russia to make it expedient
for him to emphasize his Polish ancestry.
He played fourteen reoitals in st. Peters
burg alone during the last season.
Richard Strauss says he will possibly
have his new opera ready for production
next 9 He has selected Hofmanns-
thal's version OF Electra and has altered
scarcely a word. He will devote his sum-
mer vacation in the Bavarien mountains
to work on the opera.
Ignace Paderewskiin spite Of the i'll fated
'Manru" is going to tempt fortune with
another opera, to be founded on the old
| Indian lGReuO OF Shhilhtdio' Natuiit
Mendes, who made the French version Of
his first opera, has prepared the text.
Gustav Mahler has indicated his intention
OF s~urrendering the control OF the Imperial
Opera House in Vienna at the close OF the
present season. He has been the con-
ductor and also the artistic director Of the
opera house since 1897 and has raised it
10 the position OF the foremost opera house
in the world. He was at 1eipeic, later at
Budanest and then for six years at Ham
burg before he was called to Vienna.
He made himself very unpopular by
letting the artists see that he was TO be the
allow no other control. Ernst Van Dyck
resigned, some Of the other artists were re-
leased and Theodor Reiohmann 10 said to
have died on account OF the treatment he
received at the hands Of the director. But
the average Of the performances was much
through Mahler's efforts on Its present high
Maude Roosevelt, said to be a first cousin
OF the President Of the United States. has
recently made her hrst appearance In opera
at Elberfeld in Germany, singing Elsa in
sLohengrin" with success. 81 is probably
the same Maude Roosevelt who is the daugh-
ter OF a New York signing teacher named
lie Vinson and acted for a time in the COM
pany Of James Hackett. Her relation to
| the hOO6tNolI dithy ~ NV
Felix Weingartnet's old early opera Gen
esius" has recently been revived with great
The last survivor OF the family OF Mozart
died the other day in Salxburg at the age
OF 70. She was Countess Won Sonnenburg
and her p~aternal grandfather married
J Marianne. the sister Of the composer. OF
Mozart'e six children only two survived him.
The season at Covent Garden opened this
wear with a production Of the N~ibelungen
Ring. which was heard there first a quarter
Of a century ago. 'Hensel und Gretl"
was suns in German at Covent Garden
for the first time. The novelty Of the
second week was Nioolai's 'The Merry
Wives OF Windsor
Nellie Melba was too III 10 sing at her first
appearance in ia Boheme' and her place
was taken by Pauline Donalda. As Signor
Caruso receives only 81, 1000 q performance at
Coyent Garden and draws larger audiences
nan any other singer. he has notified the
management that he will not appear there
after the conclusion OF the present season
unless his fee is increased. Out of the
~ AUIaIJarA NJ T'nx,apf Gariap tb;.