New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-19
REHEARSING "FALSJ'AFr."
VERDI UINcFLF IL COMMAND.

The company ~ H. scala, Milan, have nos had
an easy time in their preparation for u" pro-
duction Of NcrdIs new opera, "falstaiI Inc
aged master himself took personal charge OF t'e
rchcarsals week after week, and conducted them
with n dcrree of eNactitude seldom known on Ill"
boards Almost every day there were storms ana
scenes The composer was not only tNiaht over
the SINGERS and orchestra, but over his own score
"A we'll One day. according to st James
Gazette" correspondent. there was general con-
stcrnation when. at the end Of the second act
Verdi roarcd out. looking meanwhile black a.
thundcr-cloud That is had. II must he cut
No one knew, when he began 70 cut the score,
where he would stop; he might even withdraw
the entire work.
His original idea was. says this writer. to give
Falstal' in a small tlcatrc-or, at least, on
small staec-so that there might 10 more commit
nication between the artists and the pnh"'' or
.s Berlioz put it, that the "public might Tibratc
with the artists" In view OF this plan was the
oncra conceived and written, and if was only
after a great deal of pressure that tie master
consented 10 give his work 70 IN" Scala. Now
he wants every effect vocal or otherwise, realized
~ he conceived it, and naturally the artists find
that endless details will not tell in the tremendous
area Of the Scala stage as they would on
smaller one.
Tlr trnc accent means almost everything 10
Verdi. and unfortunately not all the artists under
stand him: when he asked for more accent they
eavc more voice when lac screamed " Piano
they lest al infection and when. after four hon:s
rehearsal they GOT the real accents, then they
had no more voices to sing with. For they w"r"
kept without a moment rest, except To be sworn
at-thc ladies not even accommodated with chairs
from - 80 every day until I, > or p. IN;
and it did not seem ever 70 hay" entered NcrdIS
head that th" people on both sides OF In" iootIsh'S
might he tired. He is not, that wonderful ola
tvrant The way he goes At the orchestra
And how he knows exactly what Ii" wants and
what an caelc's eye he has for everything Here
he slams the vlolln- What are you doin;
there? Repeat this figure. Wei, II is no good
DO il OH the fourth string instead Of III" 'hnd.
Right now. Then Ia turns 10 an artist " what
i, the matter with this interval tNiind you, IN
mn ensemble of nine with full orchestra DO
il again 40 good. Give IN" your part Her"
hc corrccts with the rapidty of the Lightning,
half page OF the part IN question. No" lac r.
members .omcihin. again in ia" ORCHESTRA the
oln,s thi, tin,-and makes changes again. ANA
when he la, done all that, Da capo l. ia" ofIfr'
and the same ground l. gone over and over agdln.
The greatest difficulty besides tlio>" ~ elects
Of detail are in th" rapldity of the .ylHhailon
and in the extraordinary sp'r'l oi aril 'ui 't"n
which Verdi cNncis from his arii>t~: ~ l. ~"
pgrlaro sciolto' in singing that hc re- 1ir"~. hu,
with the exception oi Oh" artist, nobody gives
him sati>facto Tires speak more than they M,
those cins NOR" than they sp"3k Her tho qiHlN
Of the voice suffers thcr' III" written pm
And so i; goes day after day: and nv" % clock
ycrmouth az Cafe Cora g"t> dullrr and moro
mournfnl daily. To this call" r"palr general =
Sicnori Riccordi, Ioto and Naschrroni ali'r H."
rchcar,as and their count"naur furnish tn"
hes, barometer = the stat" 81 III" weather ln,id'
the Scala. Popping ~curo, - th" "horu~
singers in their familiar and ancctipnatc dIminu-
tive of Verbs Christian name. Giuseppe; and
when things are thus all trcmbl".