Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 37, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1905 — NOTED ARTISTS SING IN STREETS [ARTICLE]

NOTED ARTISTS SING IN STREETS

Vienna Stage Celebrities Test Public’s Judgment of Music. A merry quartet of performers made an interesting experiment in the streets of Vienna, says the New Orleans Times-Democrat, in order to see with their own eyes how the general public would appreciate the highest artistic talent if it were exhibited in the open street, unannounced and unadorned. Miss Gerda Walde, prima donna of the Vienna stage; Louis Treumnnn, the popular comedian of the Carl Theater; Edward Eysler, the composer, aud Alfred Deutscb-German, the playwright, arrayed in the garb of ordinary street

musicians. made a tour through the principal streets of the city. The composer, Eysler. performed the duties of organ-grinder, while the others sung a repertoire which included such wellknown songs as “Gelt, Mach Dien Feuster Auf” (“Go, Open Your Window")/ “Jvussen Ist Iveine Sund” (“Kissing Is No Sin") and "Jetzt' Spirit's Uns an Tanz” (“Now They Play and Dance for Us"). The incognito of the celebrated band remained undiscovered and the day's “takings" aggregated a paltry OS kreutzers (about 1 shilling 2 pence), which they laughingly divided among themselves. Their previous doubt as to the ability of the public to judge of the value of art unassisted by theatrical effect have now given way to settled conviction. But, nevertheless, it would have been interesting to find out what the day’s takings would have amounted to had the quartet openly announced themselves as the leading lights of the Austrian musical world. Doubtless the man in the street, even in Vienna, does not look for talent in the streets.