The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-04-02
THE TEMPER OF SINGERS
A Manager Says Musicians Are Hard to
Get Along With-Cases I'm Point.

Get Along with-Cases I'm Point.
81 never knew a bass singer who WASH {
good natured, obhginC and willing 10 be
corrected and reproved. Next TO the bass
singer comes the alto. She is a little
more independent than the bass, n little
more touchy and Indifferent, but still
little fault can be found with her But
the tenor and soprano are often terrOrs,
the soprano seeming to be the worse Of
the two. / guess it is natural, though.
for female scold TO be a little sharper
than a male
professional tenors are almost invari-
ably cOnc5itud, willful and stubborn.
They want to have their own way, and
sulk or fly into a passion if thev can't
have II. This difference in the dep0rt-
ment OF singers is due, 1 suppose, u the
nature Of their parts The base aud alto
are naturally subordinate 10 the tenor
and soprano. It is the tenor and soprano
who get the encOres. They are pettad
and cOurted and in some cases almost
deified Naturally get conCeited In respect
70 their ability. Any correction or warn
ing on the part Of the director is almost
regarded in the light of an imDertineuce
II is a good thing 70 show ones apprecfa-
tiOn OF what is wen done, but the flattcrv
OF repeated encores plays the mischief
with terOrs and sopranos, ana becomes a
source Of bane to directors.
"a case in point 10 illustrate the viii
fulness of singers is that of Parepa Rosa
In old Farwell hall, Just before the great
fire. l was the director, and the piece pro-
duced was The Creation AS you know,
che last chorus is quite moderate time
interchanged with embellishiug passages.
One particular part Parepa insisted on
singing in a florid style about twice as
fast as it was meant to be sung. In vain
/ pleaded and argued with her, assuring
her that her way was not customary and
that the chorus could not possibly follow
her. No. she was master of that particu-
lar part, and she would sing il as she
chose or not at all. Finding her obdurate,
l told her that I should not ask the chorus
To take a faster time, and that if she per
sisted in carrying out her whim | should
break the time to suit her and change |
back after her part was finished. She |
didn't care what / did. The solo parts |
were all she was specially interested in, |
and / could manage the rest TO suit my |
self So break the time we did, making !
an awkward hitch and all but spelling the |
piece. On the same evening, a little fur
Their on, she essayed TO strike high c |
where it wasn't written at all, and came |
to a dead standstill-utterly broke down. |
/ always thought it was just retribution /
for her willfulness.
Another case when the prima donna /
came out second best occurred when was |
conducting HOffman's Lay of the Melu- |
sine in Louisville in 1877. Nine. Pappen- |
helm was the prima donna. The compo-
sitiOn was entirely new, both to her and |
to the chorus At the last rehearsal | was
very anxious to have the whole thing car
ried through with full voice, lust as at the
final production. A large paid audience |
was assembled. But Nine. Pappenbeim
refused to carry her part as / wanted her
TO, urging as an excuse the WEAKNESS pro-
duced by such rehearsaIs. l knew that
she had been singing Wagnerian opera
seven times week and glorying in it, and |
told her so. But no; she screened her
real motive, which was mere caDriciOus-
ness, and insisted on having her way. All
The others sang with full voice till it came
20 her, but she would not move. 1 pur-
posely uttered a few words of remon-
STRANGE so that the audience could hear
me and passed on. The next solo part
was by Mr. Remmertz, who came out |
strong and full and did his best. The au-
tience was very demonstrative and warm
" encOred him. This was too much for
The prima donna. Jealousy overcame
her contrariness, and, coming meekly for
ward, she asked if I would not repeat her
part so that she could sing It. as Mr. Rem
mertz had his. OF course complied With
her request and she sang everything else
ls she was expected. / had tanned the |
prima donna. Chicago Times.