New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-12
STORIES ABOUT BRIGNOLL.
QUEER WAYS OF THE TENOR.

When James Morrissey manager OF the Ehma
Abbott Opera Company be made overtures to Irgno'
going the Everett House to see him about 'he en-
gagemcnt. lie one Of the hardest men III 'i'e
world to make q contract with. He would Insist on
talking so much and Directing much that the mana
ger could say "A word. Morrsscy let him talh lor
fifteen minutes, then expostuatcd
MY dear Brig he said. we never can understand
each other n You will not listen to what have TO say
We cannot come to terms unless you hear me-
BrignoI then launched into another long series OF
| objections.
| My dear Brig expostnlated Morrissey again.
when are you going to let me talk1 Go ahead and
| finish what you have to say. and then give me
| chance
So matters drlfted along for the entire afternoon,
| and they nearer agreement than when they
| began. Finally Morrisscy said
Brig, I'll give you fifteen minutes more then
| want to have five minutes 10 myself. We cannot 90
anything this way. will not interrupt you. and you
must promise not to interrupt me. Is 1t a trai"''
Trgnon at last consented to give Morrissey chance
| -" but only three minutes five minutes were too
many"
They took out their watches. and Brigno talked on
| for his full time. Then Morrlssey stopped him.
| "Now. remember Your agreement. Brig he said
| L" Ycri must not interrupt me-
The tenor walked the floor fast and furonSly rs
Morris>ey talked never hearing word that was Sald
he was 80 vcxcd being kept silent. a dozen times
he attempted to interrupt. but Morrssey called his at
icntion the agreement. and h" was forced To d"'St
Two minutes Of Morrssey'S time were wasted in check
Ing his interruptions, bn In the that remained the
manager succeeded In bringing Brignoll to terms
lie always expected encore, matter where or
what e sang and II II not forthcoming he was or
In n rage Instantly. In some small country town ne
| sang hi, flvoritc song. "COm Gcn, ser"nade
from Donizc,ti'. Don PasInalc.7 with unusual care,
and walked of the stage perfectly satisfied. pauSng at
| IN. wings to listen to the applause. To his utter
| amnzcincnt there not n sound Of appreciation lie
STROBE into his drSsing groom. muti"ring that h" would
| not respond encore he would refuse to sing
another song still the house remained silent. "No"
he cried TO those abou, him. IL refuse 10 sing again.
| refuse TO respond to the cncorei'
Iarba Scata who was more clever than the ordinary
servant. humbly approached and said
signor BrIgno. you sang that lik" an angel The
| people could not appreciate it,
| The old fellow nearly wcpt.
| Barblc.lata. my God - he exclaimed " Give me
| your hand | did not know you were such a must
| clan Ny GOdi Taglapctra. | must introduce yon
TO Barbag,lata my scrvant"--turning to Tag who
stood by. lie Is great musician. lie nppre-
| clstos my singing more than all those FOOLS
Brignon WI, so careful Of his voice when he had 10
sing that h. wonld not speak at ALL and was In The
habit Of writing his wishes II pIcc" Of paper During
the Ia, thirty years Of his c he lived AT the Everett
House when not on the road. IL took him AT least
three quarters of hour 10 from hi, room 10 the
Sidewalk lie must ct used to the changes very grad
uaiy leaving the room he would pace up and down
"accmaAd.~ as be himself would cay and from th.e
would <, TO the lobby to cAp'rl"ncc for twenty minutes
slightly lower degree OF temperature. Al the "nd or
half an hour he usually reached the v"Ntlbul' where
he wonid pas another quarter 9p'nins r outer w d"
thoroughly accImatiIcd herr" h" bution" III grra,coat
close about him and stepped out on the pavement.
one nigh, he invited several friends To sup with him
after a performance in Baltimore. and on reaching his
an tuiu
! ne, To lrs,n bringing In the dishes. lie was rx-
and always took critical view Of the crockcry silver.
lncn etc. before Inviting hl> friends To sit down ~,
holes In the table cloth. and his anger was all aiame
In an Instant. Too full of wrath to speak, h. caught
| hold of the corner OF the cloth and gave one long,
quick jcrk clearing the table completely aud scattering
Envc, ik. Spn, plates r n a." %vsr S ["' ,hc
tale. and when he arrived un Ia" N,'i" h"r" WAS dal
| GER In his eye. .
| IirIgnoli knew he In serious trouble. and forth
with Thought Into play all i, cunning To get out oi H.
lie pretended that The walters had tnat'd him In a
III Tor II hog oil OF that the dinner was cold that
I n wT ba M"l within wS just aS bad n> pc,sb
| Then he began molliy him by prai>nS hi~ house
| states had rccommcnicd II TO him How conll It De-
| that good pee pie thought 20 well Of il Everybody
had told him that Il wn> the only first class hotel IN
| Ialtimorr And flis--ind this wa, the way guest
treated surely There wa, , LONE nj. IS, 1" cr r
| had lr.n - imposed on! No iiNt-cl">S hoi'" womb
In short the willy old follow made the landlord think
Iir The abused cnril, ed hey we're soon
The setting OF the table IL, hest OF everything in the
house put on it, ana an excellent dinner was was
served III, expense br'cr?N gave the walters flo
each FOR having hurt their ''agS.
rehearsal The orchestra laid down their instruments as
man and app,uded his srSns OF aEor nna 'o M
vnncng to III" oo'Igln' with many a bow ana smile
",.cn.cmcn: Immediately after the rehearsal there
| will BE- champagne supper ut IN" Everett iion>c:
mop" m"sa ns a rcm"rR Dat they we're there every
man OF them. The supp'r co't Brignol 800
After performance he va; trcmendou; enter III,
appetite Wa Mr wS miG n Sine ANY w "
Lille m no hi Il, d Mar 'n cc in wa Sa"rs nnr S
and admired Irienoli and Away, regarded him hi
guest when in the National aapa The ,Gn9r n%"sS
rycelcni supper waiting after The evening, work was
friend took spTr WIN m 2 Tha nsn' wh srr
| Irenoi sang with Aani, and his testimony Is rs
Erenou began by eating large porterhousc steak
have have been al least bali dozen eggs This he followed
TN Ffaily by s'f '%9 dozen shap in
The time he drank two quarts Of VINE; became
%d have ana .n ana e rpd oh S %
! and n few little chops' / showed him that he had
eaten twenty four chops and goa big one, too. An
he cried, but sec hav" ieft the boneS'''
Among Drgnoll's compositions Is the march Love
tenor first played at Manhattan Beach Brignoll was
l,pe musician having taken the first prize piano
| yriuoso al the Conservatory In Naples.
lie never known TO be ready u go on the stage
TO sing hi, part. lie had to walt one minute or several
minutes before appearing In this tbs he was Err,i
| trouble 10 mnnag rs !hsl ENp me on" hhhu,.,
| mere" he would beg. and when ma WAS mp he wonld
! Mead for another and another till all patience was
| exhausted.
lie died poor and buried by friend The last
| money hr spent WAS received on check signed d,
| WilSm Asto, who had bought ten tickets at - each
for me III hi concerts. This check rgnO carried In
his nocket for nearly two years and had II cashed
| untiI In the drest extremity.
| HIS TWO WORKS or ART.
| From The Boston Globe.
| - ,,r ,l,a swcli artist vas passing the house Of