The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-05-14
MELBA AT REHEARSAL.
She Brings Down the Wrath of ChOris-
ters by Banishing Them.

terS BOn1s01nG IDem.
Madame Melba, whose name by the way
is Mrs. Armstrong, appeared about IL
o'clock yesterday morning at Tomlinson
Hall for her rehearsal with the Boston Fes-
tival Orchestra. By her imperative order
the few members of the chorus and others
were banished from the hall during the
rehearsal No one. with the exception of
the members of the orchestra, the man IN
charge of the books and a reporter was al
lowed in the hall. Madame Melba took her
place on the stage in a chair near conductor
Mollenhauer and as the orchestra played
she lightly hummed her arias, stopping now
and then to give some direction in change
OF tempo expression or an order to have
ii suit her. Finally all was done with sat
isfaction and the star left the hall. Madame
Melba is gracious in her manner, but re-
fused TO have anything TO say in regard
to herself or her plans She said she was
fatigued and not well and preferred TO
save her strength for the evening concert.
she refused to sing with the chorus, say
ing she was too good a singer TO sing in
the Creation and with the chorus. The
chorus felt righteously indignant that any
singer should refuse to take part with them
Some felt that she did not appreciate how
well the chorus could sing. but the major
ity were disposed to look with disfavor
OH the singer and vowed they would not
applaud her at night no matter how well
she would sing. Some even went so far
as to ask their friends who expected TO at
tend the concert at night not 10 applaud
her. While Melba was i'm the hall the chorus
stood at the doors in the corridors striy-
Ing TO catch one single tone OF the match
less voice, but above the sound of the or
cheStra there nothing except an oc-
casions human tone which might tave be-
longed TO any one Of them as far as quail
4
hall grew and the news of the queens
order Travelled from one 10 the other there
When the doors wole finally opened MeDa
had disappeared. she having gone with Pres
ident Mayer and her manager Mr.. Ellis
out of the front entrance.
One of the artists of the festival who
will always be welcome singer in this
city is Mr.. Max Heinrich. Mr. heinrich has
a manne- that wins with his fellow-drtists
well with the general public. When
Mrs. Jennie Patrick Walker entered the
a des ro 10 iea ing
the place CT Melba at very. short notice
Mr.. Heinrich greeted her effusively as an
old acquaintance and both went tc the plat
form. where they rehearsed together Mr
Heinrich brings the extreme of weather
with him this year When ss1,e,,S ne Was ,nr1 nere
the room was so cold that he had to get
his overcoat and place il over his knees
cwn ACCOMPANYING efts. His hands were cold
and would not warm. He came into the
hall yesterday morning dripping with the
heavy rain which fell at his arrival. Mr.
Heinrich has beel doing good bit OF con-
certizing since he sang here last year at
the festival. He has been In many aireeo t,,ro
tions and travelled many miles HIS feature
work has been the giving OF recitals IN
which he played his own accompaniments,
he did here Si n more than
He is much pleased with the work OF the
chorus and admres the perfection TO which
Mrs William II. Sherwood accompanied
her husband the pianist, TO this city Tor
evidently affected by the weather, for he
was no more inclined to be pleasant tnan
the skies. He did not think he had been
sufficiently advertised, and when the re-
mark was made that he was one or the
favorite pianists of the country. with the
musicians Of this city he seemed TO dlsre-
gard the statement as truth. Another mat
ter that did not seem to please his royal
highness was the fact that the piano whose
keys he was TO manipulate had not been
mentioned even in the too brief notices or
himself. 1t takes great deal TO satisfy
star musician. A singer or player who has
been lauded TO the skies Tor numDer OF
wears usually becomes insufferable. Such
one is so accustomed to praise that II takes
more and more each year, just as a person
an appetite. If Mr. Sherwood was not hap
py before the evening performance he
should have been after ii, unless he has
reached that period when nothing can
Mr.. Van vechten Rogers. the solo harp
list, was not aware that he had TO play
solo for the festival till he arrived in the
city. The arrangement was made by the
committee with Mr.. Stewart of the Boston
Festival Orchestra, for Mr.. Rogers. who
one of the great players of the harp in this
country. He is a personal friend OF Miss
Schelschmidt, the harpist, of this city. Mr.
cussed the different harp methods. He was
in Paris last year for some time. He is
friend of Hasselman. one of the greatest
harpists in the world, and one who holds
"A large European reputation. MIR. Rogers
PLAYED last year for Oberthur. one of the
great harp players and and "a. a noted 0s composer
plimented him highly. although the two
men have almost entirely different methods
W viii p' be or, one of the finest in his repertoire
which is large He will appear at the
Thursday matinee. He is rather tall and
thin. and has the air and appearance OF a
virtuoso.
Choru. Demand for Front Seats.
When the chorus went to Tomlnson Hall
for rehearsals for the concerts there was
q great scramble for front seats. Not only
was this the case among the women. but
among the men. Evey one wanted a place
on the front row. AS the seats there are
necessarily somewhat limited, the ones hav-
ing the seating in charge were besieged.
The chorus likes to be looked at. each indi-
vidual member of il, for with the exception
of having their names in the programmes
and the pleasure they can get out OF IL at
the concerts. there is not much for them
except hard work and very little thanks.
That the public appreciates the chorus as a
whole there is doubt. but individ-
uals-no. individuality has 10 take the
back seat. and those who are not literally
on the front seats think no one sees them.
This is not SO. as those from the front
know. There is not face irr the whole
chorus that is not scanned many times.
They are discerned by friends ana by the
audience i'm general. One reason there
so many opera glasses carried to the festi-
val is that the members OF the chorus may
be seen. on account OF the incline of the
seats every seat is front seat.
Some Who Were There.
Mrs Eugene Nichols. OF Whitewater.
Wis: Mrs. Robert Humphreys. Mrs. John
Upton. Mrs. Charles Stevenson. Mrs John
Alber. Miss Mamie Magee. Of Logansport:
Continued ON Third Page)