The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-01-13
OF THE OLD COMPOSERS,
How Handel Persuaded a Capriclous
Cantatrice to Fill Her
(, Engagement.
Haydn's Methodical Madness In
Corresponding With His
Absent Wife.
Moxarts Uneaten Meal and Don Juam--HIs
AntipOde, Cherubini-The Produce
tiOn of Bass0s.

Here are a few fresh anecdotes concern.
ing the wit, humor and eccentricities of the
old composers on the continent.
Georg Friedrich Handel directed for some
time the opera in London. He led on the
harp. ON evening, just as the orchestra
was finishing tho overture, M attendant
told him that the prima donna, Signora
Cuzzoni, had sent down word from hel
dressing room that she was too ill to sing
Handel knew that her action WAS q mere
caprice. In n passion he let fall his harp.
sprang ny to her room, burs. open her
door, and. selling the songstress, dragged
her to a window.
'but l will compel you to behave yourself.
II You don't go directly to the stage, and
sing, You will be lying ont there or the
pavement in five minutes"
This argument was too much for the
prima donna. She hurried down stairs and
sang like q nightingale.
Handel played the harp 30 beautifully
that his accompaniment often attracted
more attention from the audience thar the
singing. A jealous Italian tenor after a
humiliating experience or two with q thus
distracted house swore that the next time
Handel tried to m%onopolize the applause he
would jump down from the stage and
'Do it, do it," said Handel to the tenor,
after having heard of the remark. "Only
let me know beforehand when you will do
it, for. by proper advertising, this perform
nnce may be made much more popular aid
profitable than your singing"
Joseph Haydn long lived away from his
wife. One day a friend directed his atten-
ton to a bundle Of unopened letters ad-
dressed to him and lying on his study table.
"Ah, you must not notice them. 1 don't.
They are from my wife. She sends me the
odious things once d month and l answer
them once q month without having rea d
the addresses. She does the same to my
letters 70 her."
A. young musician asked Mozart what to
do i'll beginning to COmpoBa music.
"Do nothing was the answer.
But you did composition when much
younger thar l."
Certainly: but l asked no questions. If
a man has the soul for it he is shaken and
tortured by it. HIS is forced to do it, and
asks not how or WHY
Mozart WAS the most absent minded of
men. While he was busy with the compo-
sition of Don juan he made a trip to Par
is. He took chambers. and sat down imme.
diately to work. After several hours he
looked at the clock to fin1 it was long past
dinner time. He clapped on his hat with
all haste. and half ran, half trotted to the
Palais Royal. just as he stepped or the
threshold a new idea budded iii his mind.
He walked in hesitatineiy and abstractedly,
sat down mechanically, and glanced
thoughtlessly at the menu.
IA portion of vermicelli SOUP" he NUT
tered.
The soup was brought, but the composer
did not stir. Five minutes, ten minutes-a
. quarter of an hour passed, and the soup
grew cold while the MUSIC ofr'Don JUAN
took form in Mozart's mind. Finally the
waiter removed the soup and asked what
next.
Fried SOLE" was Mozart's answer.
The soup was carried off untouched and
shortly the sole WAS placed before him. Mo-
Fart remained still completely absorbed in
the thoughts of the composition. Six
dishes were served consecutively with in
tervals OF fifteen or twenty minutes, and
all were carried away untasted and appar-
emily unseen. Two hours after his en-
trance into the Palais Royal a small cup
Of black coffee was on the table before him.
He raised his hand as if to take it, then sud
denly his closed fist fell on the saucer,
breaking it to flinders, and sending the
coffee in every direction. last l nave
it," he shouted, as he sprang from his
chair. Before his untasted dinner he had
composed the finale of tie third act of
don JUAN
Luigi Cherubini, the creator of 1.-THE
Water Carrier" and an ardent admirer of
Mozart, was his antipode in the method of
his daily life. He could endure no per-
fumery, and usually left the room when
ever n scented handkerchief was drawn
from a woman's pocket. He was exceed
ingly .painstaklng in every detail of life.
Everything with hin was carefully regu-
lated. The smallest bit of his wardrobe
and toilet articles were numbered. In his
most prosperous seasons his overcoat, the |
browning piece of his wardrobe, would bear
the number 449 or $50. In less prosperous
times. however. the number might fall as
low as 225 or go. On the morning of the
day on which he died he called to his nurse
for a pocket handkerchief. She brought it,
He unfolded it carefully, looked at one cor
nez and read there mo. g."
This won't do" he said. Everything
must be lone in order, and here l have
handkerchief No. s, while the last one /
used was No. g."
"Yes, ] know" answered the nurse;
but a drop of cologne fell on No. 7, and
] knew you could not endure the odor of
it,
THAT makes no difference" said Cheru-
bini "Eyerything must be done in order.
Tn handkerchief was brought, and Cher.
ubini, after making q terrible face on ac-
count of the odor from the cologne,
subbed it across his nose with mutterings
of disgust. Then he threw it on the floor
and said: Now give me No. 80 No 8
was the last handkerchief that the COM
poser ever used.
One winter afternoon a caller on Cheru-
was surprised to fird him in an I'M
heated room in company with three full
bearded men, who had their feet in tubs of
ice water.
I'm the name of heaven, what are YOU
doing here?' asked his friend.
Tomorrow we shall give a new mass
answered Cherubini, land / need n couple
of very heavy BASES. None of the men here
has a voice heavy enough, and 30 / am try
ing to deepen their notes a %little.'
In Honor of Miss Angelica Crosby.
One of the largest receptions which has