The sun., 1903-12-06
DARKHOURSOF GREAT SINGERS
Lucky DISAPPOINTMENTS or
OPERATE STARS.
Nine. sen,brich's Escape From Dresden
Calves RepuIse At = Cafe Chantsnt
--Melba and = ForEetful Imprssarfo
e Emma Eamcs's Deferred Debut.

--NIelba and q ForEetful Imprssarto
e Emma Eames's Deferred Debut.
or all the great singers Of to-day, scarcely
one has failed to experience the dark hour
in which there seems no light ahead, But
with each singer it has been case OF dark
est before dawn" s.
Nine. Sembrich met with her dark hour
at the end Of her first season on the stage.
Then the necessity of leaving the Dresden
Opera House. In which she was engaged
looked to her like q crushing blow.
Il was an unknown singer with just four
months experience behind me- she said
u decided to 60 to London to seek an en-
gagement with Gye at Covent Garden.
That was audacious, but possible.
Il was engaged as the soloist OF the
Musical Festival at Cologne to sing -Ihe
Seasons" I received enough money there
to make the journey to London. ! sang for
Mr.. Gye, was engaged for flve years at
Covent Garden, and in reality began my
career.
"The necessity Of leaving Dresden was
the most fortunate thing that could have
happened to me, although 1t seemed
catastrophe at the time. II / had sung
there year in and year out, l might never
have been anything more than German
singer in provincial town.
"The minute l was engaged at Covent
Garden had to sing In Italian. So the
best thing that could have happened to
me came in disguise. 1t drove me out OF
the first opera house in which ever sang.
but it gave me the opportunity for career
that would never have been possible there.
Nine. Calves dark hours came when
she was studying in Paris with Rosina
Laborde. The French soprano went there
late in the '70s to begin her musical educa-
tion, and she carried from the peasant
home at Auvergne no large allowance
for her expenses. At one time her struggle
with poverty became SO intense that she
decided that she must earn some money.
Unknown to anybody" she says, ~
found out the address OF cafe chantant in
which thought l would be able to get an
engagement. l saw the director, told him
that / wanted to sing, and begged for an
opportunity to show what could do. He
told me to come back the next morning
and sing for the orchestra conductor
Il did not sleep wink the night before
The next day sent word to Mime. Laborde
that morning at II, and went In bus to
the cafe, which looked more disreputable
and dingy than ever in the morning light.
1T was extremely necessary for me to
have some money, however, and prayed
that the conductor would like me. l sang
for him several arias and l naturally Be-
lected those thought could do best. But
he was not impressed.
"'My dear child he said. kindly, you
might do very we'll some day for opera.
But you'll never do at all for cafe chantant.
1t takes great talent to succeed here.
should say that you would do best in
church or grand opera
Il was terribly disappointed could
scarcely keep the tears from my eyes, and
hurried home to cry myself to sleep.
Il only learned later what good fortune it
was that failed to get an engagement in the
cafe chantant. The satisfaction of earn
ing money might have been so great that
! would have given up my study. to devote
my time to the sort Of singing that would
never have led me anywhere.
.Within a year / was able to make my
first appearance in opera. But ] was al
most crushed by the disappointment when
it happened
When Nine Melba. or Mrs. Armstrong,
as she was called then. went to London,
determined to become a professional singer.
unlike Sembrich and Calve, she had never
known the sting Of poverty. But she was
anxious to start her career at once.
So, before she went to Nine. Marchesi in
Paris the Australian soprano determined
to save the time it. would take to learn
French and Italian by appearing, pos
sible, with the Carl Rosa company. Nine.
Melba finally succeeded in securing an ap-
pontment with Mr.. Rosa, to whose house
she was to go at certain hour,
Nine. Melba was on hand, but Mr.. Rosa
was not at home. She waited one hour,
four hours. Then she left without seeing
the manager, who had forgotten all about
the appointment and gone out of town.
Nine. Melba has since that day expressed
her delight at the chance which prevented
her meeting with Mr.. Rosa. If Mr.. Rosa
Melba sing, he would in all likelihood, have
engaged her for his opera company. and
her entire career would in all probability
have been different.
Two years later Emma Eames was a
fellow pupil Of Nine. Melba at Mathflde
Marchesi' g schoolin Paris She was engaged
by one of the directors Of the Opera
Comique, but could never get him TO fix
a date for her appearance. So, finally, she
insisted upon getting her release, and she
IOut1Q HeTbtu Ill tHt edule pOSlIlOt uS " ltH
she left Nine. Marches's s lessons.
"There was to be all the struggle over
again, | thought to myself as left the Opera
Conbque," Nine. Eames says, when she
tells the story now, @and wondered whether
had not been foolish in giving una chance
when nothing else was in sight.
Il Icame back to my apartment ITO find my
mother radiant with delight. She saw
how gloomy looked, but ttImt did not
depress her"
During Nine Eames's absepce messen-
ger had come from M. Gajlhard of the
Opera. Charles Gounod, for whom she
had sung some of Juhette's music, had
suggested the beautiful American as the
best representative of ths heroine in the
Shakespearian opera. Nine. Patti who
had taken part in the first performance
of Gounod's work at the Opera. was about
to leave, and Nine. Earnes was asked to
be one OF her successors in the part. Her
debut was triumphant, and the rest is
And suppose" Nine. Eames asks. IL
had been willing to Wait until the manager
of the Opera Comique was ready to lei
me appear, how different that debut would
have been. would not have been able
to sing first with artists of such reputation
as the two De Reszkes, or under such bril-
liant auspices as only debut at the Opera
makes possible"
Nine. Schumann- -Heink made her debut
at the opera house in Dresden and then
l. snAA ia Il. ...I