Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-11-10
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Six of the Leading Women Opera
Singers are American Born.

only One Yankee Male singer-Nor-
dicn and Her Famous Quarrcls
with Her Fellow Song Birds-Nor-
dicH and Mrs. Adan BenzinE.
NEW YORK, Nov. 9.-[Special. 1-r is
pointed out by Que of the morning news.
papers here that although six of the wo.
men song birds who are to be heard in
opera tins winter are of American birth
only one of them is still American in Nor.
sonal preferences.
She is Eleanor Broadfoot. She has
sung outside the United States n good
deal. chiefly in Mexico, but she hiss not
yet found it necessary to cross the At
lnntic ocean fol Endorsement But Nine.
Nordica, Nine. Eames, Suzanne Adams.
Zee de Lussan and Susan Strong are ali
far more European in their ways and in
their likes AMI dislikes than American
and remain across the sea most of the
time when not singing. Only Que male
singer In the Metropolitan company is of
American birth. He is David Bispham
of Philadelph a. He has been engaged to
sing for Il few times only and lac made a
big reputation on the other SIDE before
America knew anything about aim.
Big Singers Live Simple Lives.
II may ue lHe impression CT the aver
age reader that, earning sums which are
really large by their singing, the stars of
the opera live lives of hilarious prodigal-
ity. This impression is no doubt much
enhanced by the frequent publications
descriptive of the alleged magnificence
which attends the daily e9 istence of the
stars. When the singers went to Chi
cago, in 1894, a certain hotel keeper Of
that city is said to have discovered how
false is the popular notion in this re-
spect, with great disappointment
Both the De Reszkes, Lasalle, Eames,
Melba, Nordica, Calve and all the rest of
them were in the Chicago casts. This
hotel keeper had heayd that the De
Reszkes were very rich and that when
in Europe they make considerable pre-
tensions to style and fashion. Lasalle,
he was told, owns much real estate in
Paris and has to employ a man for the
sole purpose of looking after it. Each
prima donna receives a sum of money
much in excess of 81 900 every week for
her services, and it was the hotel keep
er's notion that they all habitually ate
terrapin, drank champagne and consider
ed tips of 81 far toe small to give in any
circumstance. This made the competition
for their patronage intense among the
bonifaces, and when they finally settled
upon his house this hotel keeper fairly
Rugged himself with joy.
His disillusion came very soon after
they had installed themselves as his
guests. To his aInazement he found that
while the operate singer may live high
out of the season, in the season the re-
verse is true. The fortunes of operate
stars lie in their threats, and there is nc
possible way for them to keep in first
class voice except to live with extreme
simplicity. Consequently when singing
they are frugal and abstinent to degree
that would do credit to the average New
England farmer. In particular they have
to be careful about drinking. Smoking
is bad for the vocal chords. Driving
about in carriages is exceedingly pro
vocative of the singers greatest horror
a cold and, in fact, first class operati,
performers cannot and, as a rule, do no
indulge in any of the things from thei
indulg ence in which this hotel keeper ex
pected to derive large profit. Thei
presence in his house may have beef
beneficial to it indirectly as an advertise
ment, but in no other way.
Nine. NOrdica and Her Quarrels.
Bitter quarrels arising from persona
and professional jealousy seem to be com
mon among the song birds, and Nine. Nor
dica has had rather more than her shar
of quarrels with her fellows. Perhaps tn
most extraordinary row to which she wa
q party came off in 1896. In that yea
there arose a tremendous difference o
opinion concerning the relative fitness o
Eames, Melba and Nordica for certain
Wagnerian roles.
In the course of the rumpus Jean ID
Reszke wrote letter to Melba whic
caused that fair vocalist to be eXceedingl
joyful, rousing in Nordca a correspond
ing degree of anger. This letter ana the eli
cumstances of the quarrel got into prin
Melba was interviewed, De Reszke wa
interviewed. Nordica was interviewed
Maurice Grau was interviewed-ever!
body else who knew anything at all abou
the situation was interviewed. The III
shot of it all was that Nordica, after vail
ly demanding that she should have tn
exclusive possession of the Brunhilde ro
in "Siegfried," declined to sing with I'll
combination at all. In the course of til
trouble Nordica declared that almost e.
cry other member of the company ha
been treated better financially than sh
Among other things she said that
Reszke had frequently received mol
than $4,000 as his share of the receip
for one performance. De Reszke otfere
100000 in cold cash to Nordica if 81
could prove her words true.
In 1898 Nordca had a famous QUAR-
with the Boston Symphony orchestr
which she likened to band of COUNT
players. Naturally they retorted in q
the ways they could think of, but the
hurt her feelings most by refusing to a
plaud her.
NOrdIca and Mrs. Benzing.
Notwithstanding her readiness to ha'
scrap with her comrades in the art
music making, Nine. Nordica is rath
exceptional among singers for her WI
ingness to encourage operate aspirani
She showed this early last spring, VINE
being in attendance upon musicale
this city, she heard Mrs Benzing sin
Mrs. Benzing was born in Cape u
coast village. Her mother had wo
derful voice, but, unfortunately, her e
vironments and her financial circul
stances were not such as to make cul
walton thereof possible. She prayed tn
her talents might be reproduced IN D
daughter and that the latter might ma
the chance to cultivate them.
That the prayer was fulfilled so rar
the possession of a remarkable voice W
concerned was made clear when I
daughter was only little girl, and no
fort was spared by any member OF >
family m o,ive her the ODDortunities viii