The Washington herald., 1906-10-15

CentuFy-Grancfather Learned the
business OF Engraving Plates After
Being Musical Copyist.
slgnor Tito Ricordi, virtual head Of the
ancient musical publishing house Of Ri
eordi. Of Milan, who has come TO Anleri-
ca as the personal representative of the
composer. Puccini to stage his latest
opera. Madam Butterfly arrived in
Washington yesterday ana registered at
she New Willard. Signor Ricorji is "a poll
shca product Of the great Italian musical
center og 8iHan, and although this is his
lilst visl 10 America. he speaks the Eng
i.ah language faultlcssly
T housa of Ric0rdi, which has brought
out most of the works ot the great Ital-
IAN composers during the past century, in
IIding those of Doni1ctti Beiiini Ros-
sll NelGi, ana Puccinf, IS one Of the
most famoUs in the world, and has al
ways been associated through The Ricordi
family. with these musicians. SigGor Ri
eordl said last evening that the firm
would celebrate its centenary two years
hence.
IJ WAS founded by mn gredt-srand-
father, Giovanni RicoTdi, he said 40 "a
Herald reporter, last n-ght, lin 1905, when
he was only manual copyist of music
without financial means
Copied by Hand.
After COPY ing music awhile 10y hand he
l.asuod tlat Brictk0pf. who founded a
l.1G that is stul In existence. had inaug-
Lfaled the innovation OF engraving music
an plates Tor publishing purposes. My
& -c5t-sTa1df lhsv ,.eas TO Leipsic, studied
IS an apprentice. ana upon bis return TO
fulan introduced ,ne first Italian engraved
-nsic plates In publishing his first out
- Of The compositions OF earlier Italian
composers he formed little stock COM
1s-lies capitalized at about - lire, or s.
each lie became tae friend OF D0ni-
sa,li and Beiliui Jnd brought out all their
Eoross laying the foundation for the iirfn.
NY granGIatlcT Tito. w1s the friend
or Rossiui ald the publisher Of au cf his
works. My srdldfather was the pioneer
il the copyright move meut IN Italy. One
ci tire secrets of our success has been
t.e fact that we have always looked out
for the interests Of the composer and en-
CFlvlIed TO protect bis products 4Iy
E1udialhcr attended the first interna-
! aaai copyright conference at Brussels
D. 4lEcc-cy OF The movement.
~ Father knew Verdi.
-3ly father. GuiuIo. She present head
ef tie Etm was the lisel0ag friend of
Es-U and was associated with him
olIly dsty years. When Verdi died in
1-l-n several years ago ut The Hotel
.LHaa was the FIRST one teIephoned for
amedis tclv after his death we found
rr9n his piano at the hotel the copy
Nee ave Marie. which had been
written for Her Majesty Queen M8-gher-
ill atCr tle s.sa -siuatiOn 0- her hu=-
band king Numbers of italy. Verdi had
promised 10 sct th.z Ave MariI' 90
music and WAS at work on IL al the time
ol AIs 0eatn We nave the original as
1.r IS De completed the rousi nOCngs
ou -l- sheet Of paper at Milan.
Tells Verdi Auecdote.
ly father told me am interesting
stnec5Jte about Verdi snor.Iy before his
death. 1t appeared thar Verdi had gone
s., Passv. France, in connection with the
l.St production at Paris of his opera
Don Carlos. Duiochc. The Ebrettist. had
tslesrap phed 20 Verdi that there was AN
6+aag.emeut Of Che characters and asked
Inc marquis slClld Dc killed. Verdi
rc1licd by telegraph 'Fo1nd "a way TO
llll the marquis-shoot him. The dispatch
Has sent over government wires, and the
eltAoriues. believing that an assasinI-
lion piot was in process OF evolution.
slnr the message 10 Emperor Napoleon
III.
"biE father iD addition 10 publishing the
narEs OF Verdi and PUcciri. has met with
some Interesting experiences himself as
:; composer. NEcn my father first wrote
musical compositions and pat them out
as The products Of his own mind, people
said. II they were written and published.
500, by BicordL they are no good One
dav he wrote composition of music and
signed IL with the fictitious German cos
nomen 81 'Bitenein.' The people halted
So Us the work Of genius. Since that
gle all Of my fathers compositions
have been published as the Wog1s of
.bursInen.
Madam Butterfly Rehearsed.
Iu the presence OF Henry w Savage,
ttae grand opera hnpresari0. who is In
u1ducing it TO the American stage. and
of Sign0- Tito RicorJi the nnal full
dress rehearsal Of the new opera Madam
Butterfly was had at the Columbia
Iheater last evening, where it VIII, to-
night be shown on the american stage
f5r The Grst time. The entire organic
.-lsJu OF 1cg persons connected with the per
I rnance, It's staging, and tie orchestra
j sixty an OF whom have been rehears-
at thc Garden ThCater. IN New York
.hd some OF them at Coyent Garden,
Ilc1dou arrived in Washington late sat
urday night on a special train OF eight
cars. which wiz convey the production
10 Baltimore next week, then 30 Boston.
and back io New York for the meropoh-
tam opening
The scenic effects and properties Wer3
rehc5rsed yesterday morning preparatory
40 tno Inai rehearsal, which began upon
fhe arrival cf AR. Savage and Sisl0r
ffc1rli at the theater ID view of the
extensive rehe5rscls already held. the
Performance ran With unusual smooth
1ess last evening and were had priu-
Cipally with Il Wow To 1CCustJming the
auizatiCu IrG the musicians Co tje
Eee of the Columbia and the acoustic
properties 81 tea auditorium After the
performance SiCnor RicorCi expressed
iWscif IS nigrly gr3tihed with tie re-
.ccre-l It IS rcW no 60 Che American
PEOPLE ta pass Judgment rpon The work.
ng production as evidenced bS to-day :
lesyatsel is moi only up TO tho standard
s.t ia Europe. Dut IN some respects IS
ar superior I'd those performances cl
tte opera.
Eo-aiSlts c9sg N-iu De os stated in The
Hers'e. and &c principal roles on Tues
davue'-t rill 'e rs follows, G1e. i;Ht-
Eel1 NIFicunc. Suzuki. M.5-
HlIit aeale. <ate PiHSertaa Aar-
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