The New York herald., 1921-03-13

Oh learning TO take the theatre serious
There is a large audience in New
York for the highest type of musical
performance. The public that sup
ports Leopold Stokowski and the Phil
adelphia Orchestra. the concerts of
Mengelberg, the Flonzalay Quartet and
the plano recitals Of Josef Hofmann
the large public that used to form the
nucleus of the support Of the Sembrich
and Paderewsli recitals-this is a kind
of patronage Of which any public en-
terprise might be proud. II IS not only
a cultured, but a wealthy end a re-
fined circle. which is large enough to
insure the fortune OF any fo i'm Of edi-
fication to which it may de tote itself.
Lucky are the music makers to whom
these patrons Of their art may turn.
Attitude Toward Theatre.
Let these cultivated lovers OF music
preserve toward the theatre most dis
sister art that thsv will after examina-
tion reject Monteux for Mengelberg and
prefer Stokowski to Stransky, dote on
Novaes yet reject less serious applicants
for her honcrs they take the most banal
satisfied. There is in the music lover
who sets out for an evening of the thea
tre no other emotions evidently than
those which inspire the man in the street.
or to name a standard OF taste which
has been all but abandoned, the tired
business man. No show with music is
too banal to be selected by the music
lover for diversion. No drama Is too
hackneyed or conventional to attract
hn ~ rrn, N
listen to any but the best in the litera-
ture of music Such is the indifference
OF the music lover to what the stage
has to offer
There seems no reasonable explana-
ton Of this state Of mind. Just as the
music lover is discriminating in what
he selects as his favorite art. is he care
less to the differences in tho theatre.
The melomaniac, who is 50 metlculous
that he admires The manner in which
Walter Damrosch conducts Beethoven
but disapproves Of Arturo Toscaninrs
interpretations of Brahms will probably
take as much pleasure out of East Is
West" as he will find in The First
Year" He may pontificate eloquentiy
as to the comparative beauty with which
Rachmaninoff and Bauer play Chopin,
but like Mary" better than Beyond the
Horizon" So strabismic is the view OF
He who might be expected TO stand by
tho side OF the discriminating playgoef
and aid In the gradual uplift in theatre
taste that has been going on for two OF
three years almost without causing no
tice IL altogether indifferent to any but
the ordinary, every day dramatic prod
net. Why this condition In opinion should
exist nobody has volunteered to explain.
But 1t most painfully exists.
About the Late Paul Potter.
With the death of Paul Potter last
week there passed out OF the world a
vast knowledge of the theatre Potter
was by nature a student. and during
thirty years there had been no subject
which so much interested him as the
theatre. He knew the French and Eng
lish drama OF the last century COM
pletcly. lie was, OF course, disciple or
the we'll made play. Tho theories of
Scribe and Sardou we're his gospel. He
spoke Italian fluently and the Italian
theatre he knew we'll. With German
lie was sufficiently we'll acquainted TO
apply the principles OF Freytag In the
vernacular. But X was the French
theatre he had made his speciality.
OF course. much OF this research was
for the purpose OF learning the art OF
the playwright which he always had be-
fore his eye as system that the wise
men OF the theatre had made perfect.
There could have been on other man In
this country so we'll prepared To be
pedagogue In the art OF playmaktng.
since he possessed vastly more COM
prehensive knowledge OF the theatre
than any of those the writer ever has
heard of. He had. IN addition. the prac-
teal experience. But he would not even
write on the subject. so modest was he
as to the extent of his Information
re loved TO talk OF II. however, as
man might Of chess or some other game
that posed ali sorts OF possible solutions
=. It's various problems. He was tirelcss
in Investigations. Only a short time ago
he came across In his endless reading
~ interview with Nictorien Sardou pub
lished In Le Gd1iois in 1882. Sardou
was then In the heyday Of his success.
Fedora" and Sarah Bernhardt we're
drawing all Paris and as much OF tho
rest Of the world as came to the city
OF Light" to the Porte st. Martin Theatre
to see the play Of Russian nihilism be-
fore II was reality.
sardou himself Speaks.
Potter fell with delight on this descrip-
tion Of his method from the mouth OF the
great Sardou himself. He translated tho
vital parts Of the interview, which lie
now before the writer written In pencil
a..