New-York tribune., 1896-10-25

av!dity. to have old memories revived anu 10 edT1i
something os the way in which operate aYa'Gs
appeal 10 those whose life they maize up. TAose
who know signor Ardti personally Will be more in
clncd wonder that he (or. rather his editor ana
his wife) found much 10 say than 10 marvei tina,
Il Is little. Fifty years OF an active hftis'lc IKE
divided among the principal cities of the Western
World ought TO yield rich harvest Of recollec-
tions But Sgnor Arditi has lttie cause 10 be
proud of his memory. and the fact that he mas
spent half a century among English-speallnS peo-
pie without mastering their language suicienty
hold converse in /, Is In Itself an indication tna'
ne not cut out for an ideal racontcur Mime.
Ardiu (who is an American. the daughter o. VIII
lam S. Warwick. Of Richmond. Va and n cousin
OF John ". Dan.eD has nobly come 10 his rescue
with many letters sent 10 her friends and children
(she married him in 1850 and We fancy the scrap
bool. of William Beatty Kingston, long connected
with '"rhe London Telegraph" who is the iather or
Sgnor Ard!trs editor. the Baroness Won Hedtz. has
also done generous service For all that tie volume
is cnatty and readable. and marked by that amia-
biy and unwill.ngness 10 give offence which
Slsnor Ardis friends Will recognize as character
istc Of the The editor tells the simple story
Of the conductors life from his birth In CTescentino
Italy on July l6 1872. up 70 the beginning OF his
career GG v.olinlSt, composer and conductor.
slgnor Arditi begins with his coming 10 Havana
with Marty's company In 1885, since which year nc
has been almost continuously identified with
oyeratlc enterprises In the United States
1t Is more than likely that there are more thou
sands who remember SIsnor Ardit by the breadth
and briillancy Of tho badness Of his head than By
eny peculiar!ty OF his features-markcd as tney
arc II is therefore. not at all surprising tiat ne
should have something 10 say about 1t. The anec-
dote re!a.es 10 his American tour with Alboni IN
the early hfties
was unfortunately doomed to badness In con-
sequence OF a bad attack Of yphod fever which s g,
iotions or outward applications used in order TO
e,it hirsue covering for & y hePH onnt MSn un of
coaxing would induce my hair to frow fc,,,,a so at
last thought Of an easE W way out OF ,b the GGy ,bny
snGefy nG wa SgseS lSgfs with s 'ss on
os conducting In New-York. and thcuent 1t would
Il 0sa wo o.s
stto%s sn.i " Vas s or FSgase % r IN snsy py py
be Ss nrSs roe1So Orchestra was getting
| It's momentary surprise at my novel appearance--
my new headsear, when Albonrs laughing face
looked roEushiy n at tho door 90 "oa est siss9r %
Soici." S.' cried stepping forward. rather shame
facedly. She stood looking at me for moment,
hea nnTse sSc I'M d.
voyons oyo mon bon ami. je aurais jamals pu chan
ter ayec celia devant moi: ailcz.' and with one
dragged it OF my head In spite Of the springs,
which elunE 70 me with eXcru;iatng M ,t perSstency
$50 So % much for my ny, wig never tried to wear an
| other ono In public. although often put 1t on at
| home.
| II would have been Interesting TO read something
! IN the way Of description or history OF sgnor
Arditi's opera. la sp!a." which brough, for
| ward at the old Academy OF Music In 1916. but this
! Is all tina: the composer vouchsases us;
! In 1855 was engaged by Nine. La Grange. and
Nitrate the tenor to conduc; opera for the season In
| New-iork and during that period several I'M
! portant works were produced My opera, Ia
| Spla." founded on Fenimore coopsr's novel. was
| pQr
| az the Academy OF Music and was given for five
nights consecutively. Nine La Grange, Mile Hens.er
| &who ef;srward became morganatlc wife OF the
King of Portugal. and Signor Brignoi were in the
east Nine; La Grange, as the trasicai mother o:
singing and aging and al the other parts were ad-
m!rab.y sustained 10 my complete satisfaction. La
spia" was never pert9rmed in England. owing 70
! the nature OF the subject; but the soDF, COLI
Natlv!" became very popular In after yoarA ard
note. Brignoii and Gug.!r included the as.-named
| artist often introducing II lnto various operas.
More circums.aa:Ial Is his story OF how ne came
| to write the vocal waltz. II Bacio" on which In
spite Of operas. cantaas and fan;asias. his repu,a-
| ton as & composer rests:
In the autumn Of 1855 again visited Ireland on
tour Under he gsment Wilart Beele.