PARISIANA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 21, 25 January 1930, Page 14 (Supplement)

PARISIANA.

AN; INDISCREET "CLAQUE." NOBLEMAN AND DANCER. . THE \ VOGUE OF WHISKERS. , (By GEORGE CECIL). Although Parisians invariably prefer to applaud without, being' led, opera singers, unable to perform unless certainjof,' applause,'.have faith in the claque, disbursing considerable sums ir this unworthy direction.. The paid en thusiasts undoubtedly earn their fee since they clap, till, one imagines, the skin is ready to start from the palms ol their hands. But the applauders dc not always come in at the right place as" musicians would say, and greatly _te the annoyance of the audience, whicl has paid- to savour the music—and nof to hear.it spoiled by an Unseemly in terfuption. Usually the chef de claque a 1 person of expense, so arranges ma tiers, that, only'at the psychological moment do he and his assistants get tc work. One recent evening, however, al the Opera Comique, the climax to the first act of "Pagliacci" was ruined bj the exertions .of 25 well-meaning nuisances. The Canio of' tile occasion had finished the air in which he bewails having to play, with an aching heart when the infernal claquers, to his consternation, bellowed a demand for a repitition, thus ruining the "business" which follows the song. Everyone hissed. One leader of paid applause recently wrote to a nejfrly-arrived, prima donna offering his valuable services. "You may," said the ingenuous fellow, "depend, upon absolute! secrecy. I never, by • any chance, allow it to be known that I have been instrumental in bring ing about the success of the most renowned singers." . . . The "chef" doubtless had good intentions; but he: should not'have used letter paper headed with the.names of his 1 "clients." A fatal slip. . , '.'■,• Dance Programmes Once Were Ornate, In the late 'sixties, when the lovely Empress Eugenie was. the pride .and joy o'f Paris Court circles, dance programmes were elaborate productions, the cover being specially . illustrated, Sometimes a gratified stationer wan entrusted with the-pleasing task of illustrating them;, he and his designer putting their heads together, wouid submit a sketch- to the ball committee and hope for the best. Or, if economy had to he considered, a poster-like programme, drawn'by a skilled amateur, and'• suitably ; framed, was 'displayed— in; a commanding position.,. 'One of these pictorial announcements, a water colour by a cavalry officer of the period, has just been unearthed; it was found in an old wardrobe crammed with moth-eaten clothes. The artist, evidently possessing a s.ense of humour, took as the subject of his programme, which is dated 1868, a passing topic Sixty-one years ago, for instance, Paiisiennes adored croquet, while those who prefrred to play the sportswoman voted for archery. So the adroit painter depicted a dark croquet enthusiast, a fair archer and a charming dancer whose "champagne shoulders" emerge from her bodice, Decidedly a programme of historical in-terest,-since it shows ho'w French ladies once' amused themselves and how they decorated their ' persons. - , v Y,et x when auctioned, it fetched but the equivalent of a shilling, being "-.knocked down at this ingoblc price to the proprietor of a Montmarte ;"dahc'ing." A museum shquld'ih'aye purchased, the instructive work of art. ' . . •',. •In-the: brilliant 'sixties a Pans bal. opened with' the stately lancers 01 dignified quadrille, these being repeated at intervals. :\ The heating gallop, whicl mercifully, has long since disappeared was extremely popular, while the Polish mazurka brought' joy to many a Frencl heart." So, too, did the delightful Viennese waltz, to -which the Empress and her J Napoleon ; , were, extremely partial All'these figure in the cavalry officer's programme, though the romping and tiring polka, oddly enough,' is omitted This dance made its appearance - in Paris fifteen years after the Battle of Waterloo, Anna Slezak,. a Bohemiai; shepherdess, having invented the -fatiguing measure. The antics of-the lain be probably inspired her. ; :,;;,. A Matrimonial Conspiracy. : Republican though; France ? has been ever.since the Franco-Prussian war resulted in the last of the • Napoleons "bolting," and a republic taking the place, of ; a monarchy, ,nobly-borh French parents strongly object to a mesalliance, ConsequentlyV Avhen, a, youthful sprig,of nobility, a young viscount aged nineteen, calmly .announced ,his betvothal W a music hall tdancer a few years older than himself, there was,'trouble. And upon the youth 1 declaring that he would s-hoot himself rather than give up the charrn'er; the Count and the Countess, greatly agitated, shed tears and, on bended knees, implored the rash fellow td\do nothing so foolish. Eventually, through a diplomatic friend, the pair were made to view matters in a reasonable lights the, dancer, much to the noble parents' joy, agreeing to release the lad from his ill-considered undertaking. Even v though a trifle of a hundred thousand francs had been; demanded -,r by ,the music hall artist, arid grudgingly-paid by the youth's father, the highly-placed relations considered the money to have been most advantageously laid, out; The' dancer agreed with them. - . - • 'Meanwhile the .. blighted .Viscount, much to- his parents' surprise, became the •; .possessor, of -/ a .motor car,; besides launching Qiut' in other directions. This, however, he could ; well', afford to do, for the engagement and -its financial sequel were a put-up job between the pair— they shared the;;plunder. ; \ i .. The Fatal Whisker. YCleari -shaven though many Parisians are, .whiskers may be seen, many young men affecting the symmetrical >"favori" terminating with the lobe" of the ear. It must be exactly, the same width from start to finish, the t hairdtesser being charged with the none too easy task- of enf oroirig these dimensions. Youthful //exquisites," who hanker after this foriri. of .':whisker, sometimes' have recourse to art,.a little false hair being intermingled with the« scanty,; genuine, article. Recently, a young • gentleman laid siege to the affections of an heiress, who refused; to smileJupon his.suit," because, forsooth, he was whiskered. .Taking a barber's, advi.ee, he remained away -from 'the siren for three months—the period required" to grow; sufficient hair for captivating purposes. Returning to the fair one's presence, with: the necessary -adornments, supplied by the hairdresser, he aproached the eligible girl and roughly, Mimi, in repulsing him, used her nails, and, off came; half ia,, whisker, much/ to ; /the wearerV chagrin.