The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-01-09
THE RIVALS WREATH.
A Startling Scene that HoErified an
Italian Audience.

Italian Audience.
At length the night came, and all Ma
pies crowded to the opera to hear Gam
brica, the most powerful, the most gifted,
the most renowned and dazzling canta-
trice that had ever ravished heart, senses
and breath from the tery-s0uled inhabi-
tants of that celebrated city. The en-
| thusiasm OF the Neapolitans for music
under any circumstances IS incOnceivable
to the people Of a colder climate, but
Gambrica had excited it beyond itself
lLer figure, large, symmetrical and com
manding, recalled Cleopatra or Juno.
Her features were sweet and noble. Her
eyes, endowed with the power of music,
carried with every glance the highest
emotions of poetry and music. The pub
lie worshippcd her. She was an empress
a goddess. 1t was curious to witness
the tempest Of delight which involved
the assembly and overwhelmed the per-
formanccs in a chaos of frantic acCla-
nations.
Gambrica WAS an italian. With her
first breath she had inhaled fire from the
sun. Had she been born in Nova Zcm-
sion. Enthusiasm for good or evil would
have been her leading quality. Had she
been bred in the cell OF a convent her
vestal veins would still have run fire Ed
ucatiCn might have modified her impctu-
Gus disposition it could nor have chilled
it utterly. But her education! The air
of the north had never cooled her blood
She knew not the awful solemnity OF sol
itude. She had always lived in the glare
Of public observation and quaffed the in
toXicating draught Of public applause
1t had become to her a necessary aliment
"a yent-a demand Of her nature. With
out it she would have faded as rose
without light 1t was her air-her sun
shine. Forycar she had been the most po-
tcntattractiOn in heriairy theatrical world.
In infancy she danced like a fairy ortl tloated
as an angel amidst murmurs Ofdehght. As
ripened her form and touched it with the
fascinating graCes OF 9irlhood she had
dazzled mortal eyes as sylph, naiad OF
princess, and at length, years rolling like
summer hours over the, rose, had only eX7
panded 1t into a greater IoveTneSs, had
only awakened new and more dangerous
power, she had queened it as if indeed a
magic of poetry, painting, music and ro-
mance-now amid the gorgeous story OF
Oriental lands, now leading on the warm
dreams Of the burning South, now spell
bound in the far gone days Of Arabian
fable-to the sober inhabitants of the out
er earth she was only known as the hero
inc of those magnificent phantasmagoria.
Adoring fame and dwelling amid its
beams as the eagle, near the sun, she had
little sympathy with or knowledge of the
the common earth. Wealth was gather
ed by her as if it floated in the streams.
She scarcely knew ambition, for she was
on the "topmost round"
The world was below her, mankind at
her feet, and at the sound of her voice
they bent, or rose like the sea beneath
the trident of its monarch.
She was the embodied dream Of the
poet; she became in turn, each passion;
she was the priestcss OF nature, crca-
ture half earthly. half divine.
He who had not seen Gambrica had
seen nothing. lie who had not heard
her had not lived.
1t was bright life that she led--her
simple appearance forever greeted by
thousands and thousands with tumultu-
Gus rapture; her rising upon nations like
that Of Aurora, whose approach 'chases
the shadows and overspreads the sky
with rosy light.
Upon this night, after 4 long absence,
She was to appear in her best part. The
Neapolitans attended, for a thousandth
time, to enjoy the wonders and witness
the triumph Of their queen OF song.
The second part OF the piece was en-
trusted to a young Girl who had trcm-
6ingly venWrcd to make her debut upon
this evening. Her simple and sweet
TASTE the quality, extent and power of
her voice, had more than once gained a
word Of condcsccnding encouragement
from the despotic mistress Of song. She
did not come on until after the entrance
of Gamhrica, by whom, as well as by the
audience, her unprctending efforts, her
unpronounCed name, had been unnoticcd.
But scarcely had she appeared when q
murmur of applause ran through the
audience. Nothing more unlike Gam
brica could be imagined; yet so soft, in
genuouS, modest and SyiritUelJe were her
air, shape and countenance, and so Won
derful was the impression created by her
appearance, confirmed and deepened by
her voice and grace, that, as if by pre-
concert, an audible and universal whisper
Of "Who is she?' was heard, and Gcncr-
al stir from all parts Of the house. As
though afraid to give uttcranGe to their
emotions in the usual manner, the audi
ence remained for some moments in a
kind of suspense, locking to behold 4
heavenly illusion dispelled and this love
IL yisitant utter some tone or make some
motion TO relink her in their minds with
their associations of earth. She proceed
ed, however, in her part she gave a few
Introductory passages In the same new
and exquisite manner, till at the end of
brilliant and most difficult solo, executed
with taste. ease. simplicity and power
not excelled, not equalled by Gambrica
herself, Il startling "Bcayar "BHya" ut
tered in the tone of one carried away by
rapture, broke the spell Of silence and
shook the house.
The performance was stopped, the au
dience rose in 4 body; landkeIchiets.
gloves, hats waved in the air from the
high dome to the feet Of the lovely being,
herself astonished at the tumult She had
raised. Gambrica, tron th6 green-room,
heard these oninous sounds and felt the
boards trcmbIe under her feet. She hast
aned forth, and f4,n an unobServed re-
treat, beheld the sight blasting view Of
a rlval. potent with all the spells of grace,
youth, beauty, geniuS-raised like Venus,