Daily globe., 1882-07-09

Nellutl, uuc culueuC maze soprano.
When they rehearsed it together in the
morning, Velluti reserved his embelIish-
ments, for fear his companion should
try to initiate him. In the evening he
sang his part, embroidering it with
the most forid decorations and finishing
with new and beautiful cadence which
astonished and charmed the audience.
Maria seized the phrases, to which she
impaired an additional grace, and
crowned her triumph with an audacious
improvisation. Thunders of applause
greeted her, and while trembling with
excitement she felt her arm grasped by
a hand of iron. It was Velluti's, and as
he glared on her, gnashing his teeth
with rage, he Missed in her ear, Brio
conaw (scoundreD.
Toward the end of 1925 the Garcia
| family came to America, and Maria's
father started an Italian Opera Company
of his own in New York. His daugh-
ter's success was extraordinary. Her
singing Of English songs especially de-
| lighted the Americans. The New York
writer's went into delirium of admi-
ration over her fresh, lovely voice, amaz-
ing vivacity and her beauty. She was
rather below the medium height "the
contour of her figure was rounded off to
a becoming degree of embonpoint. Her
| carriage was always noble and dignifed;
| her hair-the pride Of Spaniard-
black and glossy; her eyes dark and ex-
pressive her teeth white and regular"
Shortly after her arrival in New York
| she became acquainted with M. Fran.
co.'s Eugene Malibran. who represented
himself as a rich merchant. Maria lis
tened favorably to his suit. The severe
labors she had to undergo, and. above
all, her fathers ungovernable temper,
made her only too anxious to give up
her professional life. Garcia refused his
consent to the marriage; but Maria's
natural stubbornness of will, which her
| fathers stubbornness had but strength
ened, ultimately prevailed. AS M. NAL
| ibran was believed to be wealthy, Garcia
finally gave way, and on March %, 1926,
the young singer of II became the wife
of Malibran, who was so years of age.
He had assured her "she should be
independent. and to Garcia he prom
ised 100, 900 francs as compensation for
the loss of Maria's services. Only few
weeks after the marriage Mallbran be-
came bankrupt and prisoner for debt"
Garcia's rage was something awful
and, being himself in pecuniary Giificul-
ties, he hastily departed with his family
to Mexico, leaving poor Maria utterly
friendless, and bound to a man who
could not protect her, and who, worse
than all, "selfshly looked to her musi-
cal talents as means of supplying him
with the necessaries of ife." Endowed
with extraordinary energy, Madame
Malibran set herself resolutely to the
study of English vocal music, and de-
lighted New York audiences at the
National Theater, every evening, with
her singing, "the manager sending a
considerable portion of her earnings to
her husband"
But Maria's was not the nature to
tamely endure such hard fate. Dis
gusted with her husband, she quilted
him five months after marriage, and ar
irving in Paris, in 1926, took up her
residence with NJ. Malibran's sister.
The only person she had ever known in
Paris to whom she could venture to look
as q friend in this gloomy hour of
isolation and helplessness was the
Countess Merlin. Fortunately this lady
was still living; the beautiful unhappy
Maria sought her out, and appeared be-
fore her "nearly destitute, seeking guild
ance and protection.
The Countess, feeling pity, interest
and admiration for one whom she had
known as child, and who was so un-
fortunate and so gifted, exerted herself
to the utmost to befriend her. Wher-
ever she went she extolled Maria's gen.
ius, and the result was an engagement
at the Grand Opera, Paris, for 1897.
At this time Pasta and Sontag were the
reigning queens of song. Maria had
never heard any Of the great singers;
the theater was larger than any she had
sung in; she was but 10; on the result
Of her first night depended her future
success, and for once in her life Maria
trembled at the ordeal before her." The
audience was critical, and at times ex-
tremely cold. The opera selected was
Semiramide." SIN the andante to
the air, Bel raggio, she threw out such
powers and displayed voice so full and
beautiful, that the coldness gave way to
applause. There were defects in her
singing, but she showed what she could
wv 01OiA IOC OilCShCu NY uOINOuoutSS VI
emotion, and from that night she was
the idol of the Parisians."
Her versatility was surprising TRACE
dy, comedy, burlesque, nothing came
amiss to her, and in each she was true
to nature. Her energy and activity were
astounding. soften after going through
long and fatIguing opera she would
jump over chairs and tables, or race up
and downstairs like school boy in the
wildness of animal spirits" "When I
try to restrain my flow of spirits" she
would say, "I feel as if I should be
suffocated."
She was fond of athletic sports and
pastimes, riding, skating and shooting.
Neither was she wanting in feminine
tastes and pursuits. "Her theatrical
costumes and head-dresses were all in
vented, and sometimes made by herself:
If she saw a cap, piece of embroidery
or a design in tapestry that struck her,
she instantly caught the idea and imi-
tated it, and sometimes surpassed the
model. She wrote and spoke five Ian
guages, and could converse in them at
the same time without confounding
them. She had natural taste for
drawing, and could sketch caricatures
and portraits that were striking like
poccoc Che oo,,1G ooro,,oco I'll -