| Show I THE COMPOSER OF LA MAGE Massenet One of Frances Most Famous aid Eccentric Musicians The name of M Massenet is already fair ly familiar to the American public as the composer of Esclarmonde the opera pro duced in Paris May 13 1889 in which that talented young American singer Miss Sybil Sanderson achieved so great a success suc-cess so that considerable interest is felt on this side of the rater in his new work La Mage which is only a few weeks old in Paris jjJ1 U J I I I 6 1 1 = t 11 t tr I o < M J MASSENET La Mage has been received with great favor by the Parisians nnd M Massenet is the lion of the French musical world He is a delightfully quaint characteran ideal subject for the lionizcrs because his personality per-sonality is as interesting as his work On the night of La Mages first production the enthusiasm of a brilliant audience 1 found vent in calls for the author Cries of Massenet Massenet were heard from all parts of the great auditorium But they were not at first replied to Finally when the clamor became so great that the singers could not go on with their parts the announcement was made from the stage M Massenet is in Armentieres And so he was While the wonderful child of his brainthe grandest achieve 1Ilent of his lif Vl hlin Fn th fl lime exhibited to the public in p is71 ho was sitting in the bare chamber of a coun try inn two hundred miles away listening to the dripping of the rain alone and silent M Massenet is a man of indomitable will as well as talent despite the diffidence which this incident seems to indicate His success has been snatched from the midst of many close clustering difficulties and is therefore all the moro worthy of being recorded re-corded Thirty years ago or thereabouts when a mere child he began the struggle by running away from his home in Veauche with the avowed intention of go ing to Paris and entering conservatory Parental opposition to his ambitious scheme was strong H was arrested and taken home again Again and again ho disappeared only to be caught and ignominiously returned to his fathers house But resistance only made him more eager and at last he reached Paris From the first he obtained recognition He proved himself a van table nrodiv 1nl lw h 1 n h J uJ tU1U UU siderable successes soon banished parental displeasure He is a tireless worker He I rises with the sun and labors ceaselessly at his desk until noon So complete is his mastery of the art of composition that he carries his music in his head never trj ing it on the piano until he can do so Avith finis written on the final sheet Ho is apparently indifferent to public opinion caring only for his work and his family |
