New-York tribune., 1907-08-18
MANUEL DEL POPOlO VICENTE GARCIA.

borne in mind that at this time half the nobility
OF Europe would have cheerfuliy blacked her boots
if she had wished it. But all the canny Scot said
was: Guide Godl is that all? Max your mind easy
/ would kiss you for ony consideration; and
shaking hands with the prima donna, left the
ROOM
Manuel Garcia. the son, the senior of his sister
by three years survived her the whole span OF
life allotted 70 by the Psalmist Malbran died
in 1885, Garcia in 1906. He achieved nothing on the
stage, which he abandoned IN l8Zs Ihereafter ms
history belongs TO that of pedagogy. Till 1913 his
field of operations was Paris: afterward. till his
death. London. Jenny Lind was one of his pupils;
Nine. Marchesf another.
The story that Da Ponte had anything to do
with inspiring Garcia's New York enterprise is
practically disposed by the fact that Da Ponte,
though intimately associated with the opera in
London during his sojourn I'm that city, had al
ready been a resident of New York three years
when Garcia made his debut as singer and never
returned thither Personally Garcia was a stranger
TO him and he TO Garcia when the latter came 10
New York in the fall of 1875 This gives color or
verify a familiar story OF their meeting AS
might easily be imagined, the man who had written
the librettos OF lie NozZe di Figaro Don
Giovanni" and "Cosi Fan Tutte' for Mozart
not long in visiting Garcia after his arrival here
He introduced himself as the author OF Don
his arm danced around the room like a child IN
glee singing Fin ch'han dal Vino the while.
After that the inclusion of Mozarts masterpiece
in Garcia's repertory was matter OF course Win
only this embarrassment that there was no singer
in the company capable of singing the music OF
Don OttaVio. This was overcome by Ia fonte
going to his pupils for money enough 10 pay an
extra singer for the part Many tenor, before
and since. who has been cast for that divinely
musical mksop has looked longingly at the role
of Don Giovanni which Mozart gave to a barytone.
and have appropriated it. Garcia was one
of these Che had been tenor de forza- as well
as di forza in his day). and it fell TO him to IN
troduce the character in New York. Outside OF
himself. his daughter and the basso Angrlsani,
the company was poor affair. the orchestra not
much better than that employed at the ordinary
theatre then (and now for that matter), ana the
chorus composed Of mechanics drilled to sing
dc hoy a NOT
be wondered at. therefore that at one OF The per
forrnances OF Mozart's opera, Of which there were
in the superb finale of the first act whereupon
Garcia, losing his temper, rushed to the footlghts
sword in hand, stopped the orchestra, ana COM
rnanded a beginning.
II has already been told how that Da Ponte
active in the promotion of the first italian opera
enterprise. that he inspired Montressors expert
ment at the Richmond Hill Theatre and was the
moving spirit in the ambitious, beautiful bur un-
nanny Italian opera house undertaking. To do all
these things il necessary that ne should be
a man OF influence among the cultured and wealthy
classes of the community. AS a matter Of fact he
was this and that In spite OF the fact that ms
career had been checkered in Europe and was not
wholly free from financial scandal, at least IN
New York The fact is that the poets arosuc
temperament paired with an Unsuitable com
mercial instinct. This instinct, at least, may be
SET down as a racial inheritance. Until seven or
eight years ago nobody seems TO nave taken tle
trouble 20 look into the family antecedents of him
whom the world viii always know as Lorenzo Da
popta THAT was not his name originally OF this
fact something only little better than suspicion
had been in the minds of those who knew him and
wrote about him during his lifetime and shortly
after his death. Michael Kelly the Irish tenor.
VINO knew him in Vienna, speaks OF him as my
friend the abbe' tells of his dandyish style
of dressing his character ''cOnsummate cox
comb" his strong lisp and broad Venetian dialect:
~ he knew that he a converted Jew he never
mentioned the fact. Later writers hinted at the
fact that he had been born Jew, but hac been
a7,cated bv the Bishop o Ceneda and had adopted
his ma me. When I investigated his American ms
tory a matter of twenty years ago. my statement
rrl.. al
leather dealer provoked almost Incorporate de-
nial by a German musical historian, who quoted
from his memoirs story of his religious observ-
to confound me. My statement however
was based, not only old rumor but also on
the evidence of a pamphlet published in Lisbon
In the of what seems 10 nave peeI d peSu-
liarlv acrimonious controversy between Da Ponte
and a theatrical person unnamed. but probably one
Francesca. this pamphlet, which is not only
indecorous but indecent. he is referred to as the
celebrated Lorenzo DapOnte, who after having peeh
lew Christian, priest and poet in Italy and Ger
many found himself to be layman, husband ana
ass in London remained for Professor
Marchesan. his successor in the chair of rhetoric
in the University of TrvisO. 10 give the world the
facts concerning his origin and early family his
tory From Marchesans book C'Dela Vita dele
Opere di Lorenzo da POnte') published in TrVso
1900 learn that the poets father was IN
truth a Hebrew leather dealer and also that the
fathers name jeremiah Conegliano his moth
ar's Rachel Piacherie and his own Efnfnanuel Co
necliano He was fourteen years old when not he
alone but the whole family embraced Christianity
They baptized in the cathedral of Ceneda on
August 90 1763 and the Bishop gave the lad. whose
talents he TO have observed. his own name
The rest OF his story up TO his departure for
America may be outlined in the words of the
sketch IN Groves Dictionary of Music and Musi-
clans (second edition. Vol III. 1892
After five years of study In the seminary at
Ceneda sprobably with the priesthood as an objecD
he went TO Venice where he INDUCED in amorous
escapades which compelled his departure from that
citv He went TO Trvise and taught rhetoric in the
university incidentally took part in political
ments. lampooned opponent in a sonnet, and
ordered out OF the republic In Dresden
whittier re turned his steps. ne found no occuDa-
ton for his talents, and Journeyed 10 VIENNA
There helped by Saleri. he received from Joseph
III the appointment of poet the imperial the