Playing to the Gods by Peter Rader

Author:Peter Rader
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster

CHAPTER TWELVE

“It was more of a collision than a meeting,” reported Count Robert de Montesquiou about the moment, in the late spring of 1897, when Sarah Bernhardt and Eleonora Duse were formally introduced: “The two women grasped each other so tightly that it looked like a mad wrestling match.” One of the best-connected hosts in Paris, le comte had arranged the encounter personally—an intimate afternoon gathering with a few select guests in Sarah’s sculpture atelier.

In preparation for their arrival, the Italians had mounted a clever public relations campaign. Several of Eleonora’s friends (Count Primoli and Matilde Serao, the writer from Naples) had published a piece in La Revue de Paris that, instead of singing Duse’s praises, bestowed accolades on Sarah Bernhardt and French culture—shameless flattery in an attempt to lower expectations and sway public opinion to the “underdog.” But Bernhardt concocted an equally cunning response—she would act “magnanimous,” as if Eleonora were her protégée.

Even though Bernhardt and José Schürmann had not been on speaking terms since he abandoned her to oversee Duse’s career, Sarah had decided to pay her former manager a visit. She knew that Schürmann had been searching for an appropriate venue for Eleonora’s Paris debut, so Sarah offered them her own Théâtre de la Renaissance—at no charge.

It was an irresistible proposal for the impresario, who accepted it on the spot; soon all of Paris knew of Sarah’s generosity. She would come to regret her decision almost immediately—but for now, at least, Bernhardt had regained the upper hand.

Then Duse announced her opening night’s play: La Dame aux camélias. Bernhardt exploded. It was one thing for Duse to trot around foreign capitals performing the most famous of Sarah’s signature roles. It was quite another for the Italian to announce Camille as her debut in Paris, where Sarah had played the part a thousand times—as recently as last season, in fact.

Eleonora had wanted to open with A Spring Morning’s Dream, d’Annunzio’s poetic monologue, but had thought better of it. It was customary for the author to be present on opening night—especially since this particular writer was also her lover—but d’Annunzio had decided to stay in Italy. He was running, audaciously, as a “Candidate of Beauty” for a seat in the newly formed Italian congress. He was also avoiding the scene that was sure to erupt in the volatile triangle he had created. Given the author’s conspicuous absence, Duse decided to save d’Annunzio’s play for last, and go all in by declaring her intention to open with Camille.

It was with clenched teeth that Sarah embraced her Italian rival two weeks later at the private afternoon reception arranged by Montesquiou. Duse arrived without makeup and simply dressed, which raised more than one eyebrow. Sarah looked ravishing, as always. This disparity was noted with glee by Montesquiou, a renowned dandy who would become the inspiration for Baron de Charlus in Marcel Proust’s Remembrance of Things Past.

Count Robert de Montesquiou had attempted heterosexual sex exactly once in his life, simply out of curiosity—with Sarah Bernhardt.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.