The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1946-06-20

eupaFn mode good reading. too.A
Madame L. was % be found at
aEiH Hiuusuni Ia Budapest. pro
ierfea" IS some dissolute royal
negsunage. and sporting half a
tan IS sables. two diamond stom-
aFhefs and assorted HispanO Sui
saa ana Fiais Two weeks later
ahe was Oft on some Alp or other.
AnaShef tNu weeks and she was
tannulshlnN around the Duke of
ElalaNnae palagxo az Verona.
Naud fnd hcr az Baden Baden
eos niarfitE. Paris and Palermo.
Ma1ria end Moscow. London and
Nlenna. always gorgcously gown
uI alwaFe surrounded By painting
sna eager lovers. always beauti-
Ell and always living the life Of
Neilly
g. between times abe man
aasA e. aei % baYreuth for the
WaaneFian Festival. where she
kana maauliicenllY and added
. Tee mere admirers 70 her
ratinue. end 90 New York for
the ssason az the Met where
sha saain sang masnificentlY
81 aven Il she didn't who cared.
hseaase she Saz grand TO look
"a aaEwaY and IL was fun to
wateh hes e. read about her.
TIE tgnurs bad a better time
taan the divas. If that were pos
alain female heads reeled as
easliY al male. and the singer
had hss plCk of everything from
duEheEses o. barmaids They liv-
80 un spaghetti. wine and love.
Az 81 tiBem were hombastic. open
aruled and handed. and managed
90 haxe a high old time for years
gn end until their voices and
stnmarhs Eo aut Of control: they
thes kilied themselves pictures
augiy end made a swell story
faf the common folk 10 pore over.
And luok at them now. Look
at them Opera singers live on
tmng Island mostly, with a hus-
band and four children all legit-
ifuaia They've never been TO
Hasifn Baden or Paris and
wnlldnt So on d bet They sing
their goies and go home, and you
dnut hear of them until they sing
again A modern tenor. with his
reputation hasn't time or inclina-
tlun CD proWl around philander-
inN VS. has 90 walk the dog in
tbr park before and after every
performance. and IS furthermore
ga d strict dict II hc didn't have
hls vitamin pills he'd buckle at
the kneea. y
There have been no mighty
aueis. nc magnificent quarrels
Esd so first-elsss scandals in
tha epera w0rld In almost TWEEN
" years. The trouble with these
people II that they have lost
thasg alamouT. and they are
iesilng the public down very
hoFFtalY by letting the old ira
ditions go 30 pot.
And don't tell me they sing
bHiigF nowadays than they used
to Their performances are more
siudigd and more mechanically
pefipct but nobody IS ever treat
de anF more 90 me spectacle OF
Hu AIDA ur q Mimi throwing the
aftaiErandfathor of all tantrums
ln thC middle OF the second act.
calling thg conductor vile names
end sweeping off the stage with
the declared intention of retiring
then, there and forever from the
Wugld 81 opera. OF course she
was always back after twelve
aoethinR tumultOus minutes. sing
n9 batter than before and BEAM
lnA on all and sundry.
hobody NOW adays ever sees a
Faust uT a Jose so blind drunk
thuy have to be- hoisted back onto
the stage after falling into the
otrh~sifa plt. and listen with
tongue la cheek 10 a hurried an
mnungement that "Signor Bacci-
ealupi hes been overcome by sud
dun illness and vail not appear
again this evening"
These things, and kindred
etheEs. zee old opera -goers learn
90 10 want and expect with our
opeFa going. and We don't like
tbs stutiY business that goes on
nowadaYG. We wanted our
singeEs 10 have artistic tenn
permanent and plenty of it; we
eNpeeted them 10 perform for US
constantly and noisilY. and we
eSpeeted them TO have glamour.
They never disappointed US.
Artistic temperament they had
aPientYi they performed off
stage oE on with equal gusto;
9lamour they were stepped in.
Your painters and sculptors are
TAO other sorry lots Mostly they
are earnest Young mon and tvorY1-