hattan Opera House in 1906-7 were
memorable, vocally superb. Her Carmen was out of drawing dramatically,
but her Anita and her Santuzza remained triumphs of stage craft.

Emma Eames, born August 13, 1867, is three years younger than Mme.
Calve. She made her debut as Juliette, March 13, 1889. She retired
from the opera stage in 1907-8, although she has sung since then a few
times in concert. Her last appearances at the Opera were made in
dramatic roles, Donna Anna, Leonora (in _Trovatore_), and Tosca, in
contradistinction to the lyric parts in which she gained her early
fame. That she was entirely successful in compassing the breach cannot
be said in all justice. Yet there was a certain distinction in her
manner, a certain acid quality in her voice, that gave force to these
characterizations. Certainly, however, no one would ever have compared
her Donna Anna favourably with her Countess in _Figaro_. Her
performance of _Or sai chi l'onore_ was deficient in breadth of style
and her lack of breath control at this period gave uncertainty to her
execution.

Life teaches us, through experience, that no rule is infallible, but
insofar as I am able to give a meaning to these rambling biographical
notes, collected, I may as well admit, more to interest my reader than
to prove anything, it is the meaning, sounded with a high note of
truth, by Arthur Symons, in the paragraph quoted at the beginning of
this essay. Style is a rare quality in a singer. With it in his
possession an artist may dare much for a long time. Without it he
exists as long as those qualities which are perfectly natural to him
exist. A voice fades, but a manner of applying that voice (even when
there is practically no voice to apply) to an artistic problem has an
indefinite term of life.

Yvette Guilbert once told me that crossing the Atlantic with Duse on
one occasion she had asked the Italian actress if she were going to
include _La Dame aux Camelias_ in her American repertory. "I am too
old to play Marguerite ..." was the sad response. "She was right,"
said Guilbert, in relating the incident, "she was too old; she was
born too old ... in spirit. Now when I am sixty-three I shall begin to
impersonate children. I grow younger every year!"

_September 12, 1917._

Impressions in the Theatre

I

The Land of Joy

_"Dancing is something more than an amusement in Spain. It
is part of that solemn ritual which enters into the whole