Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-12-14
IN THE PROMPTER.S BOX.
The Half Turtle Shell That Covers a
Multitude Of Sins,

Multitude OF SIMS
sIGNOR GILLARD1's EXPERIENCES AS PRoMPTER
OF FAMOUS sINGERs-HOw HE PROMPTS IN con-
CERTED PIECES AND HOW HE SAVED NILSSON.
From the n. Y. SUM-
On the stage Of the Academy Of Music, d.
rectly in front Of the desk from which Signor
Arditi conducts his orchestra, is greenish-gray
wooden arrangement resembling the half shell
OF turtle, on which the conductor wraps
sharply with his baton Just before the curtain
rises. While the performance is in progress.
those who sit near enough to the turtle shell
hear an occasional whispering or humming
from 1t, and sometimes see a finger sweeping
through the air above it. When a concerted
piece is being sung, the singers range them
selves around it. and now and then glance at it
1nquiringly. Occasionally, too an artist who is
singing near the wings will gradually side over
to it until he gets directly in front of it, Then
he begins to gesticulate with more assurance
and to sing louder and freer than before. This
season some of the artists appear particularly
interested in the turtle, as is the case whenever
the company contains number of singers not
born in Italy. This turtle shell covers. so to
speak. multitude of sins. for it is the prompt
cr's box In it he sits with score on the little
desk before him, giving the artists their cues,
singing soto voce phrase with which one or the
other should be more familiar. or helpnp them
along with the text. The box is very simple
c0ntrivance. From the passage through which
the orchestra players reach their seats another
passage leads to square hole cut in the stage
large enough and sufficiently high above the
floor of the passage to allow man to sit COM
fOrtablY on chair and the upper part of his
body to prOtrude. The turtle shell prevents
him from being seen by the audience
tine prompter's position" Signor ]. Angelo
said the other day in the office of the Academy,
us second in Importance only to that of the con-
ductor. person not versed in operate matters
would hardly suppose that SignOr Gilarlli's du-
ties were so important
When Signor Gillardi, who was speaking to
Mr.. Croft, heard his name mentioned, he
stepped up. " He has been rehearsing G,tii-
mu,"e Tel all the morning." signor Angelo
said.
"Do you attend all the rehearsals of new
opera:" SignOr Gillard was asked.
Yes, signor. And not only the rehearsals of
new OPERA but all the piano rehearsals of old
operas with artists new to the company. must
know on what points they are uncertain, so as
to take care of them when the opera is on"
III you attend SO many rehearsals. you must
know by heart all the operas you prompt"
81 do; and, what's more, I've sung in good
many of Them
''He used to be a capital buffo," Signor An
gelo broke in. HE had fine, sonorOus bassO
voice, and keen sense Of humor''
Dut. SlSHOI, tne pTOnlptef COntlnueQ, 1.-THE
voice all went away about 1866"
Where had you been singing?"
AT Milan. at the Scala. | graduated from
the Milan Conservatory, where studied piano
and singing"
you lost your voice."
Eyes. Occasionally, though, / am able to
sing. Once after became prompter. buffo
artist was suddenly indisposed, and the man
ager thought he would have to change the
I,r,>
offered to take the part. We had no longer the
same manager under whom l had formerly
sung. and you should have seen his surprise
But tossed off rollicking song for him as
glibly as OF old, and the result was that. for the
evening, l was buffo and prompter simuta-
neously. People thought my love making very
ardent and continuous, but. you see our prima
donna that evening was foreigner. Who needed
prompting very much: so I kept near her.
Il suppose you still sing soto uoce from the
prOmpter's box"
"Oh yes. Sometimes see that an artist is
uncertain regarding the note to be intoned.
Then. OF course, have to hum it,
And don't you have to occasionally indicate
when they are to come in?''
very often. | point to them. Sometimes,
TOO. they sing out OF time. and then beat tenn
Pc with my finger" "a
How do you manage to help them along
separately when they are singing duets, ter
zsts, anartets' and complicated concerted
81 can manage that more easily than Won
would think Some artists are better musicians
IMAM Others. Suppose they are singing a quar-
tet. Now, an artist like Campanini needs no
prompting. Another may be so well up in the
part that he only needs sign at the moment he
is to come in. OF the others, one will probably
require sign half bar before the quartet be-
gins, and the second a little sooner or later You
see, can dispose of them all at different inter-
walls"
..Rnt bnu, do ro,, ,~,u.. L. ---., 4, -
separately when the quartet, or whatever the
concerted piece may be- has begun?"
AN! That. OF course, is more difficult But
you see. for that reason attend the rehearsals
That enables me to ascertain the points on
which they need prompting, SO can be ready
Don't you find that some artists need more
prompting than Others?"
Certainly. When l began prompting. at
Milan, you could lay it down as a rule that the
more celebrated the artist the more trouble he
or she gave the prompter. 1t was the same in
Cairo, where prompted Aida on the opening
night OF the khedive's opera house. But it is
different with Mr.: MaplesOns companies"
"Why Is that"
Because many of them belong to new
school of singers who are finer musicians than
many famous singers OF other days. Campanini
and Galassi often sing at classical concerts. and
operas like Lohe'agrin and aida call for greater
knowledge than the old Italian operas"
a.
lassi rarely require prompting?"
Never You see, they are Italians, and there
fore can remember the text; and then they arc
good musicians Now, Gerster rarely requires a
musical hint-sO rarely that never think of Civ
Ing her one unless she makes a sign to me-but
occasionally she wants to be helped along little
with the text. That is always the case with a
singer not Italian born"
"HOw about NilsSOn?"
"She sometimes is so carried away by the ac-
ton that she fOrgets herself and don't take the
word. Once, in ROssini's Othelo. she became so
excited that was afraid she might get lost any
moment, SO raped sharply two or three times.
and that recalled her to herself"
AN she said, SignOr Angelo put in. "sGil
lardi is the best prOmpter I've ever known. One
can go to sleep without fear If he is being
around to prompt"
docs Minnie Hauk have to be prompted?"
mot at all in Carmen; little in other
operas
81 suppose good deal depends on the con-
ductOr?"
'Oh yes. The six years 1 have prompted
under Signor Arditi have had less prompting
to do than before Formerly | sometimes had
To nrOmnt the cOndnotOr