The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-25
From the American Mnsiclnn.

season preceding his annual lyric cam
paign" TO the composition of two volumes,
which have just been published in Lon
don under the title OF 1.-THE Mapleson
Memoirs" They are full of delightful
anecdotes Of the oddities OF famous singers
whom Col. Mapleson has encountered in
the course Of his forty years experience as
an impresario.
The vanitcs of the tenor are the nspir-
ton OF some of Mr. Maplesons most
numerous recitals. With the single ex.
ception of Signor Mario, who was an edu-
Gated gentleman, all the tenors with whom
Mr. Mapleson has come in contact seem
TO have been afflicted with the most oxag.
gented conceptions OF selt-importancc.
One Of the best of the tenor stories Is told
OF signor Mongini One evening when
the opera oil "Rigoletto" was being
performed, Mr.. Mapleson went
home just before the termination of
the third act. lie had been at home
thrcc-quarters OF an hour when a servant
hurried up in cab to inform him that the
curtain haln0t risen Tor the FINAL act ncon.
sequence OF some question with Mungini.
who was brandishing sword and threat
ening TO kill everybody. At the theatcr
Mr.. Mapleson found the curtain sill down
and the -audionce tumuituous. lie but
toned his OyerCoat across his chest ANA
went into Mongini's room.
This time, Mongni, hear YOU are
right.
with this preliminary we got into con-
versatiOn. but he still remained walking
M and down the room with nothing but
bis shirt ON and alrawnswodi in his hand.
! saw that | had TO proceed very SLOWLY
with him, and began talking with him on
Indifferent matters. At last asked the de-
tails of all the trouble. lie thcreupon cx-
planned 20 mo that the master tailor.
who had been requested by him in the
morning 10 widen his oycrcolt bv two
inches, had misunderstood and contracted
1t 10y two inches. ! wished TO have look
ut the dress, which, however, was living
on the floor. torn 10 pieces. assured
Mongini that the man should be cruelty
punished, aud he and his family put upon
the streets to siarve next morning.
He then got calmer, and casually ob.
served: by the by, is the opera over vet
Monginig to which Inc replied, no, il is
not.
Never mind that | continued the
public can wait. Everyone, by the way.
Is talking Of the magnificent style in which
you have been singing tonight
Ills eyes Frightened, aud hs said De
should like 20 60 on with the opera.
Not bad idea, | remarked
But ! have no dress. said Mongni.
rather sadly, IL is destroyed
81 suggested that he should wear the
dress oi the second act, putting on the
brcasipato aud the steel gorgct with the
hat and feathers, aud Ice would then be all
right, and Ia Donna Mobile would
make amends for the delay. lie dressed
and followed me 20 the stage.
THE next day at t. o'clock, Us per ap.
polnlmcni, Mongni clmc to my Office 10
be present NJ the punishment oi the mas.
ter tailor. had taken the prCcauiiun ~
inform the tailor, who was n single man,
That he had a wife and four children, and
that lac was TO he SURE aud rrcOlert this.
! called him into NV room, in the presence
Of Mongini, and told him grayuly that be.
gilh hs wife and children, must now
siarye. There was no alternative after the
treatment Mongni hal received the prev
ious evening
"Mongini at once duplicated me not 10
LET the children die Ia the gutter, ~ Il
might injup him with the public, and he
ended by promising that II would retain
the tailor in my services he would sing an
extra night for nothing.
ION one occasion the eccentric Ravclii
was east for the loyer'spart in n Rhine.
CATO In the second act the tenor anl
baritone fight n duel.
"In this there was no novelty. but in.
stead Of the tenor killing the baritone, the
baritone puts the tenor To death. and this
struck Signor laycli ~ far too new. lie
appealed 10 operate traditions, and asked
IN an excited manner whether such thing
VIA heard Of before. "No." lac exclaimed,
answering VI vigor hisown question, aud
although he was quite ready
10 take plit IN the duel he would do
~ on condition that not he, but his
Antagonist, should be- slain. II was useless
30 explain to him that In the story on
which the opera was based the character
represented by the tenor persisted while
the baritone lived on. This, hC said, was
Just what he complained Of. why ho
Indignantly demanded, should the tenor's
Ia,ri Ia the opera be- thus cut short
at was impossible 10 get the infatuated
man TO hear reason on the subject lie
cried. screamed, uttered oaths, aud AT one
time threatened 10 kill with his dagger not
only his natural enemy, the baritone, but
everyone around him. | will kill them
ALI he Ahfiokcd.
"Aitcr n time. by humoring him and
agreeing with him that In we'll ordered
operate duel the tenor ought, Of course,
To Nil the baritone, ] got him Ia listen to
me. and nt last ooniriycd TO make him
understand that there were exceptions ~
al rules. and that II would lie generous on
his pari 81 overlook the species oil indignity
to which he was asked 60 submit. tho
anront offered 30 him not having been In.
tended ~ such either by the librciiisi, or
above all, by the nmiablo composer. II
vas settled, then, that Rayelli was 10 be
killed. lint what, be wished 10 know,
was 10 be done with his body after dcaih3
The proper thing would be, hc said, for
six attendants 10 enter, raise the corpse
aud carry Il solcmnly away 10 a place Of
repose.
at was absolutely necessary 10 promise
Rayclli that his mortal remains should be-
removed from the stage 10 some quicier
resting place by six corpse bearers, the
number on which he had set his heart;
and he was honocd, II remember
/ rightly, with the funeral he had stipulated
Cor al the Last rehearsal"
There Is also a good story Of the tenor
| Mnsini, who after complaining through
his agent that he had not been met by n
deputaiion at tho railway station, sent
word from his hotel 10 Sir Michael Costa
that II ho would step around he tho
] ......t ...t,tI ata.., It... -. = t.......l -