The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-04-19

Behind the scenes-How Patti, Scslchi
and Nicolini Appear Between Acts.

Behind the Scenes-How Patti, Scalchi
and Nicolini Appear Between Acts.
A Representative of the Sentinel witnessed
the grandest performance OF life time at
Chicago last Tuesday evening, that OF
aida" with Patti. Scalohi, Nicolini and
Cherubini asithe principals. Through the
courtesy OF Mr.. s. G. Pratt. the protector
and main manipulator OF the Opera Festival
Association, the writer was permitted to
view the great audience from one OF the
wings Of the stage. 1t was o grand sight,
worth several Sabbath days journeys to be-
hold. and surpassed in size and arrangement
OF seats similar festivals held In Music Hall,
Cincinnati. The Queen Get the Lakeside
City the example, and the latter has
eclipsed her. In paiEt OF stableness OF
structure Cincinnati's Music Hall is much
superior. a. the Exposition Hall Is tenn
porsry affair. While superior in arrange
ment and almost faultleEs in acoustics, it is
. mere fre-trap, hastily thrown together,
with material that would ignite with the
facility of pitch and coal tar.
The jam behind the scenes was almost as
great - that In the main auditorium and
adjacent foyer. The wings Of the great
stage were crowded with supers, ballet girls,
members Of the chorus, fremen, policemen
on duty, newspaper men and stragglers who
eludsd the argus eyed guards to the stage,
eager to get glimpse Of Patti and Scalchi
while on the stage. Patti, owing to Chica-
COS great ovation. was in splendid humor
h<p Id
and stared at by the crowds OF stage hands,
supernumeraries and motley multitude
OF nobodys, smiling to all as
shs passed from the stage to her
dressing room and back to the STAGE
Indeed, after reaching her room she did not
even close the door, bat permitted any and
ell to stand and stare into the privacy OF the
apartment, without as much as frown of
disspproval- Thisi not Away so, for the much
petting and money Chicago has bestowed
on this occasion has greatly modified and
softened the little lady's usual hsuteur.
Esrly In the fourth act, long before her cue
had been given she sauntered cut of her
dressing room. merrily chatting in French
and then in English with her Secretary, Mr..
Lovesley, and her maid, taking her stand
midway between the latter apartment and
the wing. A grand rush was made for this
Fart Of the building by the plebeiau throng
until il was crowded almost to suffocstion.
60 anxious were they to watch her every mo-
ton and catch the delicious accents OF
hsr words. She withstood the i'll hammered
the slightest indication of displssure. Only
once during the evening did she manifest
any degree OF worry or temper, which was at
the close of her aria, 20 Cieli Azzuri," when
she won . triple encore, and received sew
oral floral tributes, among them an ina.
To- Gvn foo< l,fxI.
initials. and surmounted by q star. There
was some excusable awakwardness and delay
in lifting 1t from the orchestral space over
the broad foot light trough to the stage.
This seemed to worry Patti, and she hur.
riedly tripped to the east wingwhere her sec.
rotary and Madame Furch Madi were stand.
Ing, and tossed them an armful OF beautiful
flowers. with the exclamation, They're a
pack Of foolsl" and the remainder of the seu-
tence was finished in French. Niccolini is
still quite handsome, though inclining
slightly to stontness. Work has impaired
2 9ane sfs.n man He that p'0 sins, the Ie
opera. = While in The dressing room he
was constantly before the long mirror at
tached to the French dresser, attitudinizing
adjusting his dress, arranging his beard aud
wig and admiring himself generally. all the
while humming over his score as though IN.
certain OF his notes. We hear occasional
!
through hotel chamber maids and bell boys
that indicate Patti is gradually losing inter.
ost in Niccolini; thatsthe latter may finally
be given . dose of the same medicine tins
Marquis dc Csux reluctantly swallowed
Whether there is any foundation for such
seems cold and chill in his presence, and sp
Iarently utterly oblivious of his joint occu
paDcy Of the dressing room. All her smile:
and conversation we're bestowed and directed
to her Secretary and French maid, with
whom she was very jocund. Scalchi. who il
wearing smile on her large, round
face, confined herself mostly to he,
dressing room when of the stage. Size seem:
to be Q great fayorite with all, socially, a:
we'll as being considered the greatest con
tralto now singing in opera. Arditti is al
wsys on the stage betvesn acts. He belong:
booy and soul 70 Patti, and vould DO moth
ing TO dispIesse this spoiled child and queen
OF opera His refusal to have the orche re-
play the accompaniment 10 Home Swee
Nome" for Nevada. the previous night
brought down from the audience a storm Of
indignation over his sacred head, and hi
speedily Ielented.
dispels all the delightful illusions that psr
vedeo ones mind while viewing perform
anco from the auditorium, where there j.
nothing real set up with which to measure
the leollty. From the stage the shams and
make believe ccntrivances are all Elegantly
Visible. and speedily the illusionary effec
venishes. All the splendid stage pictures o.
this opera-the Temple of Vulcan the en-
trance to the city of Thebes, the banks o
the Nile and the interior OF the tie mple-ths
scanned to the audience 50 grand in concep
ton and artistic in handling, were mere
doubst whose outlines were blurred aud in
vioible to those in the wings. The Crane
procession Of 600 people that completely
filled the stage in the second act mus
have been brilliant spectacle as viewed BY
the audience. But the Egyptian troops anc
trumpeteys. the graceful corvppees in brigh
costumes, the slaves with the sacred vessels
the kingiy officers and ministers, revealed
from 60 close . view, the real sham and
cheat they were The auditorium is the
proper place to view . performances salts
factorily, bat repertorisl curiosity must b
gratised by viewing such spectacle from a.
quarters.
ADJUSTMENTS.