The San Francisco call., 1897-03-25

is very beautiful, but wagnerian roles seem
doomed TO be bone OF contention with Nor
dies; and as Lehman is 70 sing some OF the
fair Liilisn's fsyorite parts, fl wiz be contrary
10 precedent IL there is not rift within the
lutte soon.
With Nine. Foedor protesting vigorously
that she is the falcon of the French opera
troupe at the California Theeter, and Mile.
Aimee Pascal begging 10 be allowed g chance
Of showing that she, too, possesses the quail
hcations for becoming falcon. II is interest
ing to recall the fact that less than month
ago the woman VINO enriched the French Ian
guage with the word fdJcoa died, after living
mute and inglorious for over half q century.
Marie Cornelie Falcon created the role of
Rachael in la Juiye' and Valentine in LES
Huguenots'' in 1s36-37. Her voice was a
dramatic soprano-limpid, wide of range-the
most beautiful voice, said her contemporaries,
that had ever been heard. In 1S40 she was
taking benefit at the Paris opera and was TO
sing Rachael. Falcon, after receiving sslyos
of applause, attacked her first reeitative. IN
stead of the pure, ringing voice, dull, mufied
notes were heard, and people in the audience
looked at one another overcome with surprise.
The artist remarking the stupefacien OF her
hearers burst into tears. 1t is said that none
Of the spectators ever forgot that night. They
encouraged her with applause and she got
through her role-then disappeared. Ency-
clopedies and musical biographies say that no
one ever knew what became Of her, but the
name falcon remained synonym for the most
heroic quality of dramatic soprano.
Falcon was 25 years Of age when she lost
her voice, and that was ftiy-six years ago.
Every one believed her dead. when g month
ago the memories Of another generation were
revived in Paris by the news LA Falcon is
dead" The tragic EaT in which she lost her
voice is always alluded 10 as one of the most
dramatic episodes of theatrical life and Falcon
is still cited as the most ideal Valentine that
ever appeared on any stage. Speaking of her
death, LIE Figaro says:
"How many dramatic sopranos has the con-
seryatory not thrown on the stage since her
time, and OF each of them we were told An
other Falcon? How many of them have not
died? and yet the first Falcon, the dramatic
soprano. who gave her name to all the others,
was living as quietly and silently as If she had
been born dumb. To write her obituary we
have TO look up the files OF dusty newspapers
over fifty years old, consult dictionaries, and,
above all, get old people TO talk-antique sub
scrioers to the opera who say La Falcon? an,
yes; l think can remember and thus man
age TO recall anecdotes of the famous star"
The tenor, vandyck, of the Paris Grand
Opera and the Vienna Opera, has been en-
gagged for Grau's season in London, which will
open at Covent Garden Theater on May 10
with ''Tannhauser" in French. II is not i'm
probable that ysndyck will sing in New York
at the Metropolitan Opera-house next season,
for the strong cabal which was raised against
Jean de Reszks has had an injurious effect on
the season just closed. The cabal sprang out
of the Nordica-Melba squabble and the high
salary question. Jean de Reszke is q rich man,
and says he does not care to sing. but if be
obliges the management by leaving his Polish
stud farm and coming to America he means TO
be paid prices that in Europe would be be-
yond the dreams Of even his avarice- The en-
gagement of vandycK in the place OF Jean de
Reszke at the Metropolitan would calm great
deal of the opposition which the management
had to endure last winter.
A pitifui tale OF Richard wagner's strait
ened circumstances is unfolded in g series of
letters which the Frankiurter Zeitung has re-
Gently published for the first time. They are
dated 1862, when the master was at Biebrich,
near Msyence, engaged in the composition of
the "Meisterslnger." The recipient of the
narrowing story Of struggle and poverty was
the composer, Wcndelin Weissheimer. In
April Xagner's affairs resched such pitch
that he decided to withdraw to . more se-
Guided place, the carriage which was TO take
him away had already been ordered for the
next morning, when an envoy appeared with
an invitation from King Louis II OF Bavaria,
who generously offered him support and pro-
lection.
Anna Held, sThe IDOL of Paris" has been
queening 1t in New York all winter on the
strength Of her French reputation and the
risque songs she has sung which nine-tenths
of her audience have not understood. Mean
while the Anna Held known TO Paris has
been singing. all winter at La Scala in the gay
French cs spital and has known not New York.
This is the way q confding public which takes
foreign stars on trust is sometimes beguiied
by WHY managers The Anna Held of Paris
recently made up her mind to try fresh fields
and pastures new on her own account went on
to Sweden and broke her engagement with the
Scala. She has just been condemned by the
French courts to pay $4,000 francs dana ges
10 u. Marchsnd, the director of the Scala
good deal of disputing is going on over the
scheme for having German thea.er at the
Paris Exposition in 1900. It seems that there