The New York herald., 1879-03-10


troupe prematurely dsbanded?"
.Yes that is precisely the reason" replied tho
tenor in his English. which comes
somewhat nearer mother tongue than Ferranti's
well known patois
"weu what was the troubae' Did the funds give
out in attempting to pay the high saariesy'
'.You have said it; you Yankees would put
it. that is about the size OF hs Ny Godl you never
such time had of II in Havana toward
the last
"Did the people take it ill-rmturedly. thenY'
RIorous pRocEEprSGs
Eyes. they took it like Spaniards. Ny first recep
tfon something TO be forgotten. When
arrived the theatre the La Pss had been closed two
weeks. The people had not believed the managers
when they told them that tenor was coming.
When went to the rehearsal there was perfect
mob about the doors. and when they saw me they
jeered at and anathematized until the air was
blue. One Of the great English orators once said
something of the folly Of attempting to dam up the
waters OF tho Nile with bulrushes The Nile would
have ceased to fow had its course run through the
Cuban capital that day. Oh. 1t was literally damn
sblel Finally got on to the stage and the re-
hearsal began The mob had rushed in to the theatre,
and it was full performance night.
The menacing threats and mutterings. mingled with
desperate oaths, continued. came to my first air
and there abatement of the tumult. When
finished there some demonstrations of less
aggressive character. He wall do after all. some
said Let him live until his next song shouted
a sympathizing listener This sooth-
ing that went The sorg was duly accomplished.
There is ordinary inspiration IN such surround
ings and gradually the menaces, which perhaps
what they call in your Congress only buncombe sub
sided Forgetting it was net night. tho wariike
blae went out and soothed its perurbed spirit
in-orange juice and was left in peace to prepare
nf my irlt n
"Undcr tho circumstances you could scarcely have
found it trying than the rehearsals'
mo. indeed not half. feat pretty sure OF my
ground and great deal of my life to spe; r.
then. BY the way, forgot to ta you that it was I'm
Ballo in Maschera selected. You see was willing
to cross broad rather than give up singing
in that. The people treated me kindly, encoring my
two principal numbers. 80 you see could not nave
been quite such terrible Fellow as StraKoscn ihade
me out"
MAY ask why the theatre had been closed just
A GRAND COLLAPSE.
"Well there had been grand collapse of the mana
gerial firm that had engaged me to come out. They
had spent all the money subscribed in advance about
S70OO0 all the night receipts of three months, and
there was nothing left to run the house or pay the
artists
..And where did all this money go toqy
Most OF IL to the dogs. I'm afraid the artists
didn't much of it, after got there. any way:
and certainly for two weeks before that they hadn't
had franc from the firm. as they called it. Oh. it
was bad business, ~ you VIII know from another
of the company who is here with me; one who went
through the whole campaign: He is the leading bar
tells You may be relied upon he has documentary
proofs with him to emphasize his statements. You
That is somethiIs that in exscting q manager,
and more reliable. is It not9' he added with signi-
cant smile. he Withdrew to discuss his matutinal
spaghetti" and ''saami.'
HOW THE MONEY WENT.
Summoned to the room OF the baritone. Sgnor
Souvestre, the writer found the artist waiting with
journal and papers before him. In appearance he
is unlike Victor Maurel. tho we'll known bari
tone OF the Nilsson troupe Although his face il
somewhat fuller ts expression il intellectual and
his manner is manly and distinguished He spoke
III French, gracefully and hnently. Opening the
charge the writer said:-
You have some interesting data regarding the
shipwreck Of the Havana opera company
..Oh yes have kept journal Of my whole ex-
perience there and have the reports of tho Havana
papers well. which shall be pleased to show
YOU"
..Please let me have your account of the matter
from the time of your engagement with the Havana
.'well, last season. while at my Italian home in
Udine-Signor Pantaleoni's home. too. by the way
received letter from Sagasti, Zabal Co.. of Ha-
vana, Offering my wife and myself an engagement Of
four months at SOOUf. and 6uOOf. month
soprano" (The lady was present attired in morn.
ing dress of blue poplin. set OF with kerchief OF
antique lace secured oy croocn IN inc % form o.
should better luck for this faeful talisman
quite ample enough to have shod a aBucephalus)
"And did you set guarantee with those termsY'
SWELL no. rot exactly" the baritone replied med
tativey. as II that was exactly what ought to have
occurred 10 him when Zabal &Cos letter came to
hand mo. the fact was the Arm sent an ample de-
post to all expenses. and that is enough with
artists"
..Did they not send a contract. then 2"
'No. and got to contract ut all as 1t hap
pened When we got 70 aavas we found that ,a tho
had been spent by the hrm and that we artists had
alternative but to return or trust to getting our
salaries out of the receipts from night to night
Well, went The receipts were large. reaching
in two months and half si51 ,oQs gross. including
the first subscription"
.And could not the season be carried through with
q revenue OF nearly $l5.0OO . week?"
"It seems not. for 1t came to an abrupt end the
18th of January with more funds In the treasury.
complete breaking up of the frm of sagasti, Zabal
Co.. and the flight of one of its members a mill.
ionnaire lawyer) to the country"
"And where did the money 20? Were the artists
paid9'
"Up that time. yes But the disappearance of the
advance subscription. nearly $4,000. before
rival. satisfactorily explained 1t is pre-
posterous claim that IL went for decorations and
scenery. Onchfth of that amount would have been
large sum to expend that way. We artists believe
that the money went into tho personal
members of the firrn which We think was like your
once notorious Tweed Ring and tho press there
think no. too. Look at this" pointing to q cutting
Journals say. That comos OF commercial people
turning managers.
"Mon Dieui l never could learn. II was chaos
from the first. 1t u wonder that tho season
so long as IL ''' yowons HOPE
eff your season closed summarily on January IT
how comes it that opera was given Late ~ Febru-
'Oh. that was a different entcrprse--thc attempt
of another Arm to carry the season through until
March |. the date originally intended II for
lorn hope that came to grief In a fortnight"
'IIow did this come aboutf Was IT the artists
tureY
''Oh no. Il u private speculation. firm.
Espinosa Co.. offered to deposit $4,000 TO guaran
tee four nights of opera for start n the artists
would consent to graded reduction, according to
their salaries. of from forty to twenty per cent"
"What the principal salaricsy'
''Arambura. tho Spanish tenor, had $4,000. .
month; Mme Urban. the soprano. 1900; Mile.
Varesi the soprano leggiero 10000. and on down.
Good pay, but these all good artists"
| 'And did the venture turn out well -
''Not at ALL for turned out altogether.
That Is. matters came to crisis. The new irm got
into deeper water than the old. Finally IL to
this pass. that the firn which had cndeavored to
the contracts with their predecessors could
go further without concessions that the artists
| could not grant. Ono nlght Of the anpera