Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-11-01
A TH0RNY PATH.
THE DISHEARTeNING EXPERIENCES
OF AMERICAN SINGERS IN ITALY.


OF AMERICAN SINGERS IN ITALY.
Would BE Prima Donnas Ruthlessly
FIeeced by italian operate Agents.
Drbutantes Whose FIRST Appearance
l. Their Last-A Word of Warning.
In the twelve years that have lived
abroad have known hundreds Of young
American girls who have come to Eu
rope to study singing Three Of the
number achieved positive and durable
success namely, Marie Van Zant, Emma
Nevada and Ella Russell. OF the rest,
some few are making u preCariOus liY-
iur i'll paid working hard, hissed in one
Italian town if applauded in another.
Others have gone home, tired out with
the effort to gain fOOthOld where the
ranks are already Overcrowded, and have
settled down to teaching or to choir sing
ing \ we'll known American baritone
once told me that when he was on con
cert tour through the west there was
scarcely a town to which the troupe
came in which he did not fall in with
srme young girl, speaking Italian ad-
III rably and singing with skill and
finish the pupil Of some one Of the great
teachers Of Europe. who had made her
debut III some one or other Of the pretty
cities Of Italy and had then drifted home,
unable to achieve anything further.
SuCh cases are the rule and not the eX
ception The exceptional instances are
those of the successful singers of the
ddy.
The American girl who pictures to
herself n beautiful vista of triumphs on
th- lyric stage OF Italy, to be won when
she has finished her studies. is revelinG
in "A buseless vision. Italian opera, even
In Italy. is practically defunct. There is
not one of the great Italian cities that
has a permanent resident opera com
pany. as Paris has for French opera, and
Vienna Berlin, Dresden, Munich, etc,
for German As in New York, London
aud 81. Petersburg, Italian opera in
RI me, Naples. Milan and Florence has a
fugitive and prccarious existence. A
few months AT the carnival season, or a
brief series of representations to bring
out some one special work. form all the
opportunities vOuChsafed in this time to
the lovers of music in the great cities Of
Italy And the field thus limited is i'm
mCusely OverCrOwded. The number Of
American girls now waiting i'll Milan for
an opportunity TO appear in opera has
been stated to be 1900. This is probably
al exaggeratiOn. but there are certainly
SOM hundreds of them. Now and then
Al American singer makes her debut at
some such grand artistic center as lmOla
o. Ravenna or TOrtola or ROvigO, and
III areafter is heard of never more
But if il is hard to win fame and artistic
sUccess on the Italian lyric boards. 1t is
sui harder to make any money. In
fact. the one idea Of the Italian impress
ariJ and the Italian operate agent is to
eNtort every penny possible out Of the
foreign aspirants for musical career.
The mOduS Operandi is generally as fol
lows The young embryo prima donna is
engaged with the stipulation that she is
to receive no salary. the privilege Of
making her debut being considered a
sufficient compensation. Usually an at
tempt is made to eXtOrt one, or two, or
three hundred dollars in addition. but if
the singer and her friends and guar
d ais resist. a smaller amount, nOminally
for tn hire of the orchestral score OF the
opera in which she is to appear, is de
manded. She must furnish her own cos
tunes as matter Of course. Then the
chorus demands a pOurbOire of some $40
to be distributed among them. Ii this is
refused their friends will crowd into
the upper gallery and will hiss the de
butaute without mercy.
\ last all matters are arranged. All
d mands have been acceded TO, and the
Anne iiCan cir! makes her debut. She is,
We will say. young and pretty, has a
pleasing and well trained voice and acts
wei She makes an instantaneous and
thorough success. She sings for two or
three nights, and then arrives the i'm
presariO with fresh series of demands
a hundred dollars for this, three hundred
for that etc. Flushed Eith success, and
wearied with these continued demands,
tn prima donna meets them all with n
positive refusal. On the occasion of her
/ next appearance she is driven from the
stage by a storm OF boots and Kisses
Another prlma donna is engaged in her
place. Before the new conner makes her
! appearance the impresario again goes to
| the American girl. Pay me what
/ asked and your rival shall be hissed and
you shall be triumphantly reinstated. :"
Usually our young cOuntrywOman either
has not the funds on hand or retires from
/ the contest. wear:ed, heartsick and dis
| cOur5ged
The following incident took place not
| long ago N Italy: An opera company
was formed by certain agent and sent
to Spain The impresario telegraphed
/ for prina donna OF note and experience
/ 10 be engaged. to appear in one prominent
| character The lady was engaged, the
! contract was signed and she took her de-
parture to join the troupe. Then the
agent goes to Il Young Russian singer, who
| is known TO have money. What will
| you pay meS' he asks, to have Mile. y.
hissed on the night Of her first appear
ance, and be summoned to take her
place" Five thousand francs 81 900,
is the reply. Very good; it shall be
done" 1t was done. as arranged, the
agent pOcketing $500 and the impresario
taking the other half of the sum as Il com
pensatiOn for causing the failure of the
artistic he had himself engaged.
The Italian operatic agents are, in
fact, veritable DlOOdsuckers No sooner
does an American singer make her ap
peqrance in Italy with a view of obtain
| ing an engagement than down they de
scend upon her in swRrms like SO many
hungry muSquItoes. II she possesses
$500 there Will he 500 greedy cormcrants
after ii. Their demands are not limited
to percentage or even n share in the
future salary; they require to be paid
beforehand in amounts from $50 TO Sl00,
! according to the Importance of the en-
gagement. II the American girl is poor.
or for any other reason refuses to pay
over her cash freely, she may as well
pack her trunks and depart forthwith
from Italy, for she will never obtain an
engagement Her name will be passed
FROM one to the other Of the agents as
that of person that there is no profit
out of, till the whole tribe throughout
the country becomes interested in never
letting her appear in public. 4 year or
two ago young American lady, possess
ing beautiful COntralto voice, through
the good Offices of her teacher obtained a
hearing in one of the small towns Of
Itrlv. and met with great success. Bu.
OWN; 10 her poverty, she was unable to
fee tn agents. and til the last few weeSS
she was unable 10 procure an engage
mcnt Within the last few months,
howrvrr, some wealthy friends have ir-
terrS.el themselves i'll her welfare, and