The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-11-01
WITH DE MURSKA In 1856.
mr. rrTo,s PUBLIC SUCCESSES AND
DE ms PRIVAIE 7RIUMPHS.

T...h,ug CRstie. Carreno. aud snures
,h,t stars Draw tho Audleneea-n
"...,, Ri-tori. and King kniakaun.
~, ,oo,n with an anecdote that gave mo q
.oc. 10 get a sweet revenge on my iriehu'
r.--.,u who was tho cause OF my being com
~ At youngstown to guarantee, for the entire
p"".or his and the artists salarios-a very risky
ss.non,ibility. that l assumed to keep up my
,.ru,aiion. While 1 forgave him, l never
so,so, IT. remembering the old proverb;
arSary dog has his day" l must admit that
.,an no was the most famous buno singer ana
.rrsat fayorite as well; q valuable artist In a
Hno.,t company. because his comic songs were
w., amusing, provoking laughter and s%pontan-
.ar. aoplause, and were generally encored.
mi, success made him very independent, and
=. ,housht that he was tho most important
-,mher OF the company-that ! could not do
.-rhout him. ! thought differently, and was
w.I,inc for an opportunity to send him away
wi,bout a breach Of contract. My time came.
nh. engagement Of Do Murska with the
r,.rch ou.ra displeased him, because / did not
Ia, him sing with her. How could i give grand
an.ro willis he only sang opera bouffo2 He
tr.w II. Still lie was grumblinG all the time.
put | did not mind his murmuring. After the
,,cond matinee De Murska told me to tell Fer
rantl TO stop counting her pretty l6-year-old
maid. as she had been TO her by
her parents, and che was certain that the girl
had begun to like Ferranti. who mas then nearly
90 y.nrs old. and that to avoid trouble his
Noolng must end ut once. The same evening l
told Ferran,i what De Murska had said to mo,
and | told him that, for my part, l did not want
any loye.makinG in my company.
"Ah, ah." he exclaimed, and went away Ikea
mad dog.
The morning after l received q letter from
him saving that, as there was too much In
tr,eue in the company. he wished to be released
from the contract. | Immediately told my
treasurer, Dittman. to pay his weeks salary
and 500 for the railroad fare TO New YORK. l
expected such an answer. knowing his inde-
pendent ways, as he had been with me one year
on the first concert tour of Parepa Rosa. So l
Ind him tight in the trap. He never thought
that | would release him. Thus l got my sweet
revenge on my dear Ferranti, who, on my ar
rival here from Australia, after eighteen months
rash action. which had cost him $4,000, and
begged ME TO engage him with tie Abbott
Concert Company. l did It. paying him only
I was left without q bufo baritone for the
duets IN the p~rogramme-a rather en- arraSsing
task to replace such a favorite artist-butI l was
not much disturbed. Among the members Of
the opera orchestra there was Signor Clam
% Mon,s san S P1.,1a !. fSGn 1hs S Son.sFy A. va, OF a
very good musician aud the first contrabssso.
He played also the cello and had been a good
fore To engage him as iutist to accompany the
songs OF ne Murska with flute ~obligato. As l
had , osG fnn him . 1h ons day in n 3hs S spsSH house s,s ,inE-
Thought to find out II be could sing one comic
song and. the duo of "Crtsptno Q Ia Comdrc ="
with De Murska. On my way to see him l mot
him.. and he begged me again to engage him,
as ne had no money TO go Jack to Italy; ,.
vpirpy Can ynu ainC n COmic s0nV 1f
Come to my house." he replied, land I will
sing some comic songs that l composed and
the public: but among friends. as in the college.
have used the piano. singing contrapunt and
was so much pleased with his singing that I
engaged him on the spot at $50 a week and
made him a present of q dress snit and a bust
ska was delighted with this engagement. having
known him In Catania. Sicily. as a'cello player
In the orchestra Of the opera in 1858. l adver.
tised him on Monday to appear on Friday night
and at Saturdays matinee. and he had plenty OF
time To exercise his voice. He was \ tall. hand.
by the musicians, who considered him the best
basso player that they ever had had there. |
success in replacing Ferranti. who had become a
great favorite there. SO ! gave away twenty
four compiimensaFy tiose1s to some Of his
the cue when to applaud him and call him out
two or three times.
On the night OF the concert rs soon a. he came
warmly recri,e ed. The hearty reception re-
Sived his COURAGE. and he sang really well a
three calls. In The duet of "Crispino G Ia Co.
mare with lie Murska he was rather awkward
repeated: and his success was distinct. De
Murska and the artists highly complimented
him. On the day after the press praised him.
and | was The most contented man of all for
having discovered and made n successful singer.
By dire necessity. from among the orchestra
player and having obtained a sweet revenge
upon the presumptuous dear Ferranti.
On that night said 10 him: III you will re-
main with me. J will help you TO make a little
fortune IN five or six year,. so You may retire to
your hamlet in Italy and live like u count"
lie succeeded in saving. In four years in Aus
Tie ,asyi9n. | will tell the reason why at the
enl OF this narrative.
The pronis Of the FIVE wOyks in New Orleans
were over $4,000. After Galveston gave con-
crrts in Memphis. Nashville. Louisville. and
Chicago. with unvarying success. As the con-
tracts with the artists would expire the week
ai'er. and as | was ON the eve Of my departure
Tor San Francisco to boom De Murska, three
weeks ahead OF her appearance, ! told the ar:
tistn mat l would retain them as long as | should
remain IN the Pacific coast. as / had the right,
arco,dlng our agreement. 10 continue for nine
months or a year. Nine. Carreno and Sauret
agreed 10 go. but Braga demanded SlOO more a
month and the motel expenses.
Ma cdiD Braga." said. you have no right
70 demand ali Increase Of Your salary. nor DO
IKE To compel you 10 remain. You are u very
valuable artist IN my company, but not a neces-
nary one. so after the 81. Louis concert you can
gnnwnr. aAd bio Il beHcdics lGod bless you.
Have l not done without Hubleman and Fer
fahti. who both. had as much success rs you2
b" ] VII! do without you. You demand an in
crease OF salary because | have done a big bust
ne-. for the past eight weeks"
Yes" tie said.
Then let me tell you that l am n great deal
more an honest manager than you are an artist.
INA ASK you or any artist of the company TO
accept n reduction of salary in the three weeks
OF very lad business. as generally managers do 7
nut you all Insisted on having your salaries
guaranteed by me, while you knew that do
;huf,Ha was the responsible party. IL was au
Insult 10 your sister in art, and such n great
Art,st t1at you should bow on your knee to her,
ana a com pilment to me, which reluctantly
accepted. But that IA soon as you
dollar in America"
After III" st. Louis concert lie came to New
ior% ana remained with Nine. Guzzuniga. idle
anu unnntlced, for two months. lie went to
,taly ana came back here ia Septemb Der, hoping
10 Get an engagement. But as he did not get
NY alter a month lie left for Paris. the most
u'sRusted man who ever left these shores.
ileit Tor California the day after, and as /
va, wen KNOWN II San Francisco by the press
anu the public for the successful season OF
"uerh Win the Farepa Rosa Company In the
,unmer OF iSus, and for having also introduced
y thf public there the famous silver-yOicod
trnor. 5rlgnoii. Ia 1869. | received ut Reno tho
~ neiDFe ! arrived at San Francisco several
,eegLams 81 welcome and congratulations from
,ii,husi ana Afro from Gen. McComb. editor Of
~ ~" tMivOrnLd, and George Z. Barnes
inc tGH. These dispatches encour-
ssnil me IN my risky. enterprise. These
s ts 70 whom ! had written a