New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-18
AASSENET
An Appreciation.
BY Bessie ABBOTT.

was inexpressibly shocked by the news
Of the sudden death Of Massenet. To me
he was a god Of music. l owe much TO
his advice, his aid so cheerfully given
and his perfect comprehension. He liked
Americans. but IL grieved him that his
melodious operas gained ground so slowly
IN this country. When Oscar Hammer
stein made Massenet a Juror he was eX-
Quisitely pleased. He loved Oscar for his
production Of "ThaIs," "Sapho,' Hero
diade," "Grlselidis," lie Jongleur de
Notre Dame" and La Navarraise." He
said to me;
So. This American iInpresario is elemental
Ike his country. He knows that melody
Is at the base Of all great operas, just as
the good earth is beneath everything, and
no loves the melodies Of Massenet
write always for melody. Paris loves me,
but even In the love Of cities man Is
poiygamous, and 1 want the love Of the
great siren Of the States, New York. For
! oscar Hemmerstein I shall ask a reward
! from the government. You smile? Wait
and see."
! Sure enough, Massenet went to the great
powers Of France and pointed out what
glory had accrued to French art through
| the efforts OF Hammerstein, ano' oehoIu'
J he was given decoration.
/ Nassenet was one Of the best known
lrgures IN Paris. He was loved. He was
! The most popular composer In France
Musicians raved about the twilight har-
monies of Debussy, the sinister effects
made by Strauss on strange instruments,
I but the public loved the melodies OF
Nassenet He wrote for the public. while
1.-The others composed for technicians'
When Massenet went on the street.
ganoins. flower sellers, cab drivers, chauf-
lfeurs and the great public generally
whistied selections from his operas, and
he was infinitely pleased. lie was
istr!kng figure.
I" Under his coaching I studied "Manon'
tall spring and during the early summer
lie wished very much that ] sing the role
I'm Paris. However. when Manager Arthur
of the de Koven Opera Company asked
smc TO sing the role Of Maid Marian IN
t'Robn Hood" at the Knickerbocker l
I accepted, for 1 was suffering from nostai-
gia; l wanted to see my own land ana
breathe good American air. Dear old
Atassenet said that ! was quite right, for
he believed that the only true inspiration
came from ones own soil and for that
reason he never left Paris. He gave
me a dinner two nights before | sailed
and on the eve of departure he wished
me a prosperous season and a safe return.
Alas. I shall never see that kindly, classic
face againl He was an adorable flatterer
lie could make women so happy with his
- hot net
to him forever. He had pretty trick Of
telling his fair companion that she sug-
gested a melody, and he would go to the
piano and improvlso some honey sweet
strains that really Gid suit the personality
Of the one so highly complimented.
With Massenet IT was "toujours la
q, femme" He was a clean, honorable man,
whose affairs were those Of a chivalrous
gentleman, but he always had some god
dess for idolatry. Women inspired him.
He said that in women there WAS some
divine wine Of life which all men sought.
Some held it IN trimming measure, and
they were the immortal women of poetry,
music and history, but all possessed In
,some degree that gift Of the gods. so none
were uninteresting. He would have loved
0NCNN
with him on the edge Of the pool before
the Palace Of Versailles Dead leaves
hoated on the water, for 1t was autumn.
He fell into a reverie. Abruptly he
e.grasped my arm. and, pointing TO the
dark surface Of the pool. cried:
Don't you see them? There are the
Efaces of all the dear. dead women which
were ulirrored here in the great days
lgone. Look! There is Louise de la Valliere
fas blond as wheat and plump as a vine
}.yard quail; there is Pompadour, masnif-
Ieently beautiful and there is a supremely
lovely face, but sad as the mothers who
TURNS from her first born's grave; It IS
the face of Marie Antonette,"
II was uncanny. and I dragged him
away. / have said that women played a
large part in mis- life. This is evident
when one recalls that he wrote 'Thais'
and "Esclarmonde" for the unfortunate
sybii Sanderson, Don Quichotte" for
lovely Lucy Arbell and "Sapho" for Emma
Calve. He was a lover of flowers. too
Flowers, fair women and melody. Can
you imagine q more joyful life. He had
prosperity and fame. Fortune loved this
good, great man; he deserved every bless
ing that came TO him. To me his death
Is an irreparable loss. mourn him first
~as a friend and then as an idolized COM
poser whose work he had chosen me to
interpret In future. His next opera was
-cbeing written for me- Alas! that the
grave has closed over so much greatness
and melody. but his luscious scores will
live and delight millions for generations
TO come. Massenet loved beauty for its
own sake, and he wrote as the wood
Thrush sings. Such compositions are i'm