raffalovich

Updated: May 1, 2025

André Raffalovich states just that difference so subtly that I must quote it to help out my interpretation: If you want hearty laughter, country mirth Or frantic gestures of an acrobat, Heels over head or floating lace skirts worth I know not what, a large eccentric hat And diamonds, the gift of some dull boy Then when you see her do not wrong Yvette, Because Yvette is not a clever toy, A tawdry doll in fairy limelight set ... And should her song sound cynical and base At first, herself ungainly, or her smile Monotonous wait, listen, watch her face: The sufferings of those the world calls vile She sings, and as you watch Yvette Guilbert, You too will shiver, seeing their despair.

Arthur Symons - Plays, Acting and Music: A Book Of Theory