The sun., 1910-06-12


in much the sane silence a. the gentleman
who has HE bead Smittsn on, then NO must
hire bravOs TO shout into the night and
wake the echoes Of thcss dumb souls
Soul of the age
The applauas, delight the WOndss of 0ur stage
What noble hnesl What q grand poet
was he that conceived this sublime senti-
mant.
BFUathsFs hsrs q man with soul 80 dead
Who never to himself hath said:
Here's where get aftesn rsoails-
Why even the stern sage DR.. John
son Onoo remarked. The applause OF a
single human being 10 Of great conse-
quence' What would the great lexicog-
rapher have said 10 he had been speak
ing Of the applause Of the leader OF a
claque1
The claqus ls an old and honorable
institution. Il 10 true that some irritable
people say u is q nuisance, but no one
cares for the complaints ot such oranks.
The sensitive sOuls Of our famous singers
must be sustained and sOOthed by un-
faltering applause. wemust have liberal
encouragement Of the fns arts. Hereto
fore tho thing hAa been badly managed.
Let ~ all be grateful thGt in tho future
it 10 to be conducted more inielhgsntly.
There is 20 be an interchange Of stars be-
tween Boston and New York. Surely Mr..
Russoll will lend N his director Of ap-
plause from time 20 time.
II one wishes 10 know how these things
may be done lot him read Hector BerllO1's
instructive work entitled Evenings In
The Orchestra BerliOs tslls the natural
and sociological history Of the claqOsr.
In his day they were called Romans. and
IL was their business to make things foam
up The emperor Of ell the Romans was
the mighty Aug,pts He knew hin trade,
he was . sublime artist For example
he learned too late that Berlla had pro-
ducsd q certain church composition. and
meeting him subsequently, he said:
so you came out a. &c. Roche day be-
fore yesterday Why tho devil didn't
you let me know Of II beforehandi We
should all have been there.
An said the composer. 'are you 90
fond Of sacred music e. ell thati'
why. moi What an ideal But We
could have warmed you up WELL
How CO., You cannot applaud In
church
You cannot applaud: no. Brt you
can cough and blow your rose and hitch
your chair and sorape with your feet and
say. 'Hml Hmi and raise your eyes 20
heaven. and all that sort Of thing. hsy'
We would have made you foam up . bit.
an sntirs success. just like a fashionable
preacher.
All OF which goes 20 show that the SUBJ
lime Augusts NAs not only an artist but
profound student Of human nature.
Shall we not fondly hope that the master
Of the forces engaged hy the Boston
management 20 teach its stupid public
when to applaud viii bs such a divine
craftsman a. the subtle Auguste' No
more of that idiotlc applause which used
10 destroy every air sung by Constantine
at the Manhattan. for the simple reason
that II consisted Of loud noises made
whenever he stopped 20 take breath for
the next phrase
No. Il will not bs like that. These new
Romaps'of the Western hemisphere viii he
rehearssd carefully In the important roles
which they are 10 perform. In some re-
mote. secluded place, whore the very cob
webs on the walls are pledged 10 secrecy.
they will sit In solemn circle with their
scores In their laps. while their AuGNsts
initiates them into the mysteries Of tho
opera.
Here. my children. at the words Co
leste Aida. you viii all turn 20 one another
and murmur Shl Listsn!' And here When
he finishes with a prolonged high tone
you will wait patisBtly till he shuts hls
mouth. and then with tumultuous and
Irresistible acolAmations you will shake the
vegy raitsrs Of tho theatre Again.
when Nine. q. eKclaims' RitornO vincitoF'
you will all start viOlsntly and appear TO
he much agitatsd. When she implores
the gods. 'Numi pietA. you will weep
audibly. and when she finishes you viii
not shout but lAmentably sob. Bis. blsI''
Can We wonder that such great masters
should ressnt the intrusion of unframed
approval? Berlioz found that they did.
He writes:
But the masters Of the claque are not
very fond in general OF such ebullient
amateurs az was. they profess a dis
trust that amounts 10 antipathy for such
adventurera. cOndOttisri. lost children %
enthusiasm. who coms In all giddiness
and without rehearsals 10 applaud in their
ranks Then he proceeds % narrats how
he occupied a certain sat at performance
at which the army Of the Emperor Au-
Ruste led an almost forlom hope. Sud
denly Auglsts rushed down the aisle
and addressing him with a certain sharp
ness Of tone said: NV dear sir. am
obliged 20 disturb you; You cannot stay
/ there
why not'- asked the composer.
Well. because II h impossible. You
are in the middle of my irst line; you have
/ cat me in two
/ Naturally tho composer hastened 30
/ leave the field free for this great tao
tician lndeed Augusis in the end sum
married. the subtle philosophy II his
profession in these memorable words
The public IL ~ no uss In a theatre.
/ Il Is not only u no use but Il spoils every
thing. A. long M the public comes % the
opera the opera will not get on
Q Il is in such utteranoes az these that We
fud how closely aIlbed all truly great
spirits coms 10 b. for sentiments almost
the same NJ this have from time 20 time
bsen uttered by the social nobility for who
whose delectation the opera house chiefly
exists.
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