, 1873-11-02


vaniahos In disgrace and incurably honrao,
This waa not tho onao whom operatio nurseries
existed, to which managers. rcsorted, as garden-
ers do to lot-houscs, Watching the fruit mature
Of Germany. produced, good singers as rcgu--
r. rein do grapes; 50 did the little operas
H. at Parma Modena, and Florence, md
Scala at Milan and tho San Carlo at Naples
Neither was it always easy to coax away 1ayorits'
performers from these cities.
In Germany Court chamberlain had gener4
ally to be negotiated with. II tho singer wero
Q man, ,-say,a good bass.-he would DO tied down
by some stupondous ongagement-twonty years.
with tho prospect Of pension md decoration
ganatio spouse Of Tho Dulso himself or his
brother. md these distinguished porsonages
would mako 4 fuss Which 1t would need tho in
tervcntion Of tho foreign managers Minister to
mako q worry speedy exit from tho city whence
ho had tried to boguile morganstio Soprano,
and 1t waa ono Of these inprosarl who, to re-
ntizs prineipality | within q hoars, sasEazad,
"Oh, certainly It won't take minutes"
In Italy tho obstacles wore moro domooratio
than In Germany, for Singer who was thor
to efeol little inclination to 60 elsewhere. 4
prima donna at tho San Carlo was known
| md beloved by all tue 1azzaroni. She re-
coived deputattons and public presents On
uoE plILuuHyt WINS CQG61tu Auu universally
bowed to when sho appeared in tho streets.
II eho were Ill tho mntter became . State con-
cern, and there was no end to the ro1oicings
and affeotionatey familiar re5oioings thnt greot-
| cd her return to health. It wRs much the Bame
with Ii favorite tenor, who rankod in soae ro-
speots as public character; for II M inHurrec-
ti0n occurred in one Of tho cirie8 under Austrian
rulo, or at Naples against tho Bonbas It was not
lace went to get their courage reused, but TO the
pet singer, who, climbing Hone in The nlnrkot
place, would brenk out into revolutionary
hymn to mako tic very walls chorus.
q thoroughly entesprising, and clevoz Brit
| ish manager would generally ovorrdo difficult
ties, though the Inducements he hold out were
not similar in tho two countTios. German
balancing their presont comfort and secure in
come against the risk Of failure and consequent
inability to return homo on their old footing
oil of which roasonlnga had to bo comhated with
| alluronentB heavy and sterling. Italians, less
merccnary. could be onticcd to London by tho
prospect OF glory; besides which. politics often
camo to the rescue, for prima douna whom it
would have required reckless thousands to en-
gago for Russia or Berlin would travel to Covent
Garden for half Tho money, simply because the
English we're liked In the Peninsula.
All this has much altered now, and aentl-
mont plays very small part in oporatio ongage-
ncnts. 4 good voice las its market value, and,
! like other traneportnble commodities 1t goes to
big cities, because it is thore only that the best
prices can be had. Most Of tho German and
Italian prices who wero such lavish patrons Of
singing arc gone, aud tho musical corporations
which have arisen in their stead cannot afford to
emulate thoir generosity whence a paragon
4 rarity MS a bottle Of authentic Johanuiabefg in
| a. country inn. Some Of the Continental mu-
nioipalities, however,, battle desperately to
maintain an efficient company, and
their rato-budgets than either drains OF schools.
| But there aro tiorce debates to be borne for
municipalities, like moro important assemblies,
have thor opposition parties, evor Jealous for
oavil At each vote; they inyoigh against the OK
cessive salaries Of tho performers, declare the
| scenery to be ruinous, move amendments to sub-
stitute oheap gas tor olectro light to roduco the
'Wilam Tell" do duty in the Hugucnots"
and Il Faust" and, Of course, drug in
the ,worlingmon, whose foolings are out
ragged when q bsllet-aancer has two pairs
charges Of jobbery arc proferrcd right and left,
as must inevitably be the case when some singer
with more beauty than talent ie seon to got all
the best parts; and the upahot is that tho the
manager responsible only. to his patron or the
public, becomes 1ghting-ground On which
overy 7ostry stumpcrling tries lis young tushs
and tongue. But then, whom the; budget has
ments, comes tho hardest calamity Of all; for
some night tho fell rumor gets about that q
foreign manager has put up at the Chief hotel.
Ihe Mayor cannot SEND his boadle, es tho
| Duke used to 10 ms Aidc-uo. Camp, and invite
tho stranger to dopafS. AIMS We nVe u ny
name times, aud inc Iown Council are IAN TO
Sigh roaignedly on henrng that their pot singer
10 gong to desert ihem. FernaRs tho mayor
calls On tue falthless one-lt y 30 lady-and
appeala to heT eooa 1aennga; no Irgee suAt tne
Town Counc1l Wefo Kina ana noefal 10 ner thas
America ana Egypt hro 1ar on lhat ene Wonla
10 potter 10 taAo rev years more framing on
small stage 90 as to got nor volce IN tnl1
bloom; and he soiemn'y mtters tnese paso1na,
aphorisms: AL that Ehtters IL not go!d,,
"Ihe rolling stone Rnthe5s 10 on moss' olo
friends ere the truest,, anu i,l; so tor'n.
Hue th'h IL chaL I[,N,a Win wnlon not gvon me
counts for nothing when golden bridge is set
to span II, ana the iuea tAht ,ong practice ls
needed to mako periect ls Que tnat wont out OF