The New York herald., 1878-09-16
NINE. ANNA BISHOP.

THE "REMINISCENCES OF A vETERAN-ART IN
THE PAsT-wHAT OLD EYES HAVE LOOKED
AT AND AN OLD HEAD RECALLs-AN ENJOY.
ABLE TALK WITH ONCE FAvoRITE ARTIST.
Nine. Anna Bishop, the world renowned cantatrice,
will leave this country in a few days. perhaps never
to return again. England 10 her home but her hus-
band, Mr. Schultz, has relatives here, and Nine.
Bishop has hosts OF friends. Shs will have been here
just three months the day she leaves She did not
come over to sing but TO see her friends, among
whom she has been staying. Nine. Bishop is OF
the lew living examples OF tho old time prma
donna-a musician to the tips Of diamond covered
fingers and perhaps the greatest artist living She
retained her voice to wonderful Degree and the
purity and precision OF her upper notes astonsh
herself Not ouly is Mime. Bishop distinguished a
singer but a traveller and linguisL She Is said
to have travelled more countries than the late
Mime. Plcfer, and has sung before more people dur.
ing her professional career than any artist hving.
VIEW.
Learning that this remarkable woman was SO soon
to leave the country and that her return was cx.
tremely doubtful HERALD reporter called upon
her at the house OF friend where sho Is visit
Ing He sent up bis card and very the cantatrce
made her appearance. She looks young she did
twenty years ago. Time has dealt very gently with
and rosy. shs ner hair just she has always
IL, to tue "beau.catchers" over the ears.
Her greeting was cordial but when the reporter
planned his business she looked somewhat discon.
certed.
"I am very much opposed TO interviewing" said
the prima donua, as she waved the reporter to a
chair. at OF those fashions that are very
distasteful to me. When l first camo TO America
interviewing was unknown People cared more for
singers voice than Tor person alities about hor."
"But. Nine Bishop" urged the reporter,
"you have had such remarkable career that 1t
pity not to give the public tho bcnsnt Of your
experiences.
'.l will that iu my autobiography II | ever get
chance " write IT," she said, setting In easy
chair 81 certainly have great deal to TELL bat not
In this way"
"Y ou have known great many cslsbrated people.
have you notf" ventured the reporter.
PERSONAL
"lndeed have. Tho famous Moscheles was my
first teacher. was destined by my parents for a
pianist before began to show signs OF voice Then
l studied singing, and made successful debut u
concert singer. NY FIRST appearances In London-I am
an EnelisIw woman, you know-was IN concert at
Her Majesty's Theatre, In 1889 Garcia, Persiani,
same concert rhaIDerg, Dohler, Puzzi and Bochsa
were tho instrumentasts, and Sir Michael Costa the
conductor. Where could you find such galaxy to-
dayW
The reporter simply echoed, ''whoreS"
Singers Of The present day do not seem TO be made
OF tue same material as then 1his not tue Idle
talk ofa woman with reniniscences, but IL Is the
stubborn truth. We have had any to equal
Pasta. She ideal Of prlm9donna The very
thought OF her is excipng."
"ro what 40 you attribute this difference ?"
'ln a measure to the manner OF lie they lead now
as compared 10 then. In tuoso days a prima donna
was entirely wrapped up Ia ner profession Nowadays
ber mind IS full OF other things And then they were
Italians who had been brought up ~ sing. Music was
secouu nature TO them. They were not girls picked
up In the streets aud given two years OF Paris study
then labelled prma donna and sent out to asonisn
the world. Her art a serious and absorbing bust
ness to "A singer ike Maiibran."
"Do you think that musical taste Is more general
now than In the good od timesW
OLD TiMEs AND NEW.
"No, do not IL rs perhaps moro di1ussd; then 1t
was concentrated Audiences were not only more APP
precstive, but they wore more critical they would
not acccpI great deal that Is applauded nowadays
The beet families la the country pridcd themselves
upon boiug the patrons OF music. Tao very
cert halls had diGerent look. Every one came IN
full dress, aud the pit vas as respcndcnt as the
boxes IL was not only the fashion, but II was the
lore Of music that brought ladies' and gentlemen to
the opera anu Concerts Flowers meant something in
those days. rhey we're not provided Dy the manage
ment and sent up by ushers, Uut the gentlemen threw
them rom their boxes aud the singers knew that
they were genuine tributes vi admiration. There have
never been such SINGERS IN America or In Tue word
as there we're thirty years ago. Whcn opened
ifipler Hail, where the Grand Central Hotel now
stands, had an orchestra OF 40 performers, all OF
wnom solosts and to-day would DO called stars,
1t was during time OF political excitement IN Cor
many and some OF the best musicians came hcre.'
A WORD ABOUT JENNY LIND.
al thought that Jouny Linu opened lrpler Hall ~
''Not at all That Is the idea Barnum gave out, but
II was my hall; my money was In IT, opened IL aud
then rented " TO Bsrnum ior 5000 n week. There
Is no such nall 10 New YORK IL was beauii III. -
| "Did you nnd Jenny Lind "A formidable rival Z"
"No, lndeed. on the contrary, never made so
much money as during tho time sue was here. AL
though our route lay through the same towns and
often appeared ou tue same nIght, drew enormous
audiences remember she booked Tor i've u ights
~ Bunalo and ODly sang three Dut kopt sing
Ing and was received most entnusiastlcally by the
people"
''fne prices paid prime dome In those days were
nothing 10 compare with those paid nov, yet they
eemed TO make plenty oI money" sAl me reporter.
"Yos plenty Contracts were mado differently.
There come Tor two or tbree thousand pounds sea.