The San Francisco call., 1904-11-20
MISS NEILSEN'S
ABILITY WINS
American Girl Secures Per-
manent Position Among
Star Grand Opera Singers
COMPOSERS STRUGGLES
Puccini Tells Howe Flinty-
Hearted Landlord Made His
Fight for Fame a Hard One
sp.ciaI Dispatch to Tn. Cali

LONDON, Nov. 19-Alice Neilsen's
success in grand opera over here has
been a pleasant surprise to her friends.
These shook their heads doubtfully
when the American girl, who was so
great a favorite in comic opera, an
nounced her intention Of deserting it
and aiming at the highest" But there
is no doubt now that the former For
tune Teller" knew what she was about.
Her debut in London last year in Don
Giovanni" was Sc successful that the
Covent Garden management risked lit
tie in selecting her to sing Carmen"
tc the Don Jose OF Caruso, but her in
depreciation of the role at the Royal
Opera-house must have surpassed their
anticipations. Miss Neilsen's singing
Of the principal role in La Boheme"
established her position still further.
Moreover, her appearances at Covent
Garden are being made in connection
with the engagement of the famous
San Carlo orchestra and chorus Of
Naples. whose reputation as one of the
1nest-if not the INSTRUMENTATION
Of the kind in the world has been fully
sustained by the performances they
have given so far. Besides Carmen,
Aida" Rigoletto" and Puccini's La
Tosca" and "Manon Lescaut" have al
ready been sung, and among the op-
eras still to be given are Giordano's
Andrea Cheuier" and Francesca Gil
cas- "Audrienne LecOuvreur." both Of
which are new to this country.
Another American singer who has
won increased renOwn on this side of
the water is about to return to her own
country and there make an extended
tour. This is Mime. Ella Russell, who
sang with the Moody Manners opera
company at Covent Garden last
spring-at the time of Manners
bold attempt to make unfash-
ionable grand opera pay in Lon
don-and who has been sing
ing with this troupe in the provinces
Of late. Nine. Russell tells me that she
is now planning TO sail for the United
States from Genoa some time in No
vember. Soon after arriving she Will
start on a concert tour, which is to
open in New York and take in nearly
all the large American cities. Before
starting for home, however, the singer
viii go to Russia, having arranged to
give concerts in st. Petersburg and
Moscow. She expects 10 be in the
Cars domain about fortnight, after
Which she viii go direct TO Italy. By
the way, Nine. Russell made an
especially interesting appearance at
Ryde quite recently, when she sang a
song composed by Princess Beatrice
the youngest sister of King Edward.
STRUGGLE FOR FAME.
Puccini. the Italian composer, whose
operas, La Boheme" and '-Manon Les
caut," are being sung at Covent Gar
den. came to London for the first time
the other day in order to rehearse
them. This musicians great reputation
came to him only after the hardest
kind Of work, and the story OF his early
struggles, connded 10 an interviewer
the other day, is a striking one.
MY brother and / began studying
music together" said Puccini, and so
poor were we that through a friends
influence we succeeded for a year in OBJ
tanning a charity pension of 100 francs
a month. on this amount we had TO
Subsist.
We lived in an apartment in Milan,
the landlord of which was an individ-
ual whose business it was to deliver
registered letters. 1 don't think you
have such a person in England. On
this pittance we had TO keep body and
soul alive, in addition TO having TO
work hard in order to keep pace with
our studies for the Conservatoire We
ran into debt right and left, and before
the end Of the month we often had TO
pawn our sticks, umbrellas and over
coats TO obtain a little money for inn
mediate requirements.
We were also a little handicapped in
having to pay our landlord promptly.
When ne in his official capacity as q
servant Of the state brought us the
registered letter containing the grant
he would wait while we opened il and
he would then ask us TO pay our lodg-
ing bin at once This really meant that
we had very little. and sometimes
nothing, left to remind us Of the Gov
ernment's generosity except the enve-
lOpe-
This man was a terror. He prohibit
ed cooking in the room, because / sup
pose, he wanted TO make more profit
out Of us. But when we had money
enough 70 purchase some eggs my
brother would play the pianoforte so
that the old man would not hear me
poaching them. Then I started teach
ing-or rather wanted to start, for
only secured one pupil, who paid me a
franc for each lesson, and he could only
spare time 10 have two a week. Later
1 became a pianist at cafe concerts.
and IL I had any spare time 1 accepted
engagements to play at dances, for
which 1 received seven francs a night
/ tried my hand at copying manu-
scripts, having heard that Wagner had
been paid I'd a folio for this work but
my writing was not good enough-and
so I drifted on.
Would / like TO go back to those
old days? Well, / should in order once