Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-12-15
A SEASON IN LONDON.
Harriet BrasOr Pratt Relates Incidents
which Occurred when She Sang with
PIancon, lie Reszke aud Melba.

Harriet BrasOr Pratt Relates Incidents
which Occurred when she Sang wIth
Plancon, lie ReszlSe aud Melba.
From the December vermonter.l
first went abroad in 1888. After four
years of study in Leipsic, Paris and Lon
don, made few operate appearances in
the provinces in France, in the roles of "La
Favorita" and the Queen in "Hamlet."
In the fall of 1893 made a three months
tour in England and Ireland The next
season made my debut in Nice, as Ortrude
in "Lohengrin," where l sang for five
months After my Nice engagement, l
went to London to fill an engagement for
season of Grand Italian Opera, at Covent
Garden, under the management of the late
Sir Augustus Harris This engagement
was renewed for three years. During this
period | also sang in Geneva. After my
last season at Covent Garden, and concert
engagements in England, | returned to
America and made my debut in New York
as Aumeris in aida" with the Damrosch
and Ellis company.
think my first impression of Covent
Garden and Drury Lane theatres, these
world-famous buildings where grand opera
is given, was that of most people. Such
dirty, inconvenient barn-lke structures in
such repulsive neighborhoods ! Covent
Garden is in the quarter of the city called
"Seven- Dials," and made famous by the
writings of Charles Dickens.
1t is against the laws of England to pre-
sent Tin operate dramatic FORM works the
subjects of which are taken from the
Scriptures. Herodade, an opera, whose
libretto treats of the lives of "Herod,"
'Herodias" and John the Baptist" is
favorlte of mine, but its production is like
wise prohibited.
Works like "Samson and Delilah, "He-
rodiade" and 'Moses in Egypt are given
in oratorio form at the great English mu-
steal festivals.
All the great singers have appeared in
this old building, and its historical interest
is of the greatest.
Many little accidents occurred during my
various seasons at this theatre.
Plancon, the French basso, who is now
in this country, was singing the role of
''Mephisto'' in Faust, when his throat be-
came affected by the fog which pervaded
the theatre, and he was obliged to finish
three acts of the opera in pantomime.
His voice left him completely, and he
could neither sing nor speak. That is not
so remarkable when you think that the fog
is so dense and so yellow that the stage is
very dimly seen from the back of the the
| atre.
On another occasion, Edward de Reszke
was singing this same role, in which Satan
makes his first appearance to DR.. Faust in
the midst of lurid flames
The Polish basso is very broad and as he
came through the trap in the floor he be-
came wedged fast in the hole, and could
not be pulled down or pushed up.
The curtain was rung down and present
ly Satan trotted in from the wings as tame
ly as you please.
At one performance of Faust, Plancon
came up with the fire in the traditional
fashion, when the gauze curtain that hangs
before the vision of Marguerite, was caught
by the flames, and there was panic in
the opera house.
Madame Melba was the Marguerite and
with the greatest GOODNESS she stepped be-
fore the drop curtain and told the audience
there was no danger, that she was unharm-
ed and that the opera would be continued
directly.
Upon leaving the stage, however, her
courage left her and she tainted in true
feminine fashion.
l was on the next floor below in my
dressing room, when this took place and
knew nothing about IL until entered for
the second act, when / found that Mar
guerite's garden was drenched by more
than an ordinary shower.