New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-10

supposed 10 be the prirna donnas and the tenors.
What they say goes. The conductor meekly
follows their tempt, obeys their ideas, But not so
Campanni Nine. MeIba sang one passage in a
way that did not please him. Rap, rap! from
his baton. The music ceased. He told her IN
italian how he wished II sung. There was an
astonished objection. Campanini laid his baton
on the rack in front of him and sat back in his
chair. When you ready TO sing this I
wish We will go on with the rehearsal" he said
Presently they went on.
And there IS not single singer or a single
member OF the orchestra who does not obey him.
He IS not tyrant; he does not shout and storm.
But he knows exactly what he wants, and he
has the force Of personality 20 compel obedience.
He has. 100, IN a remarkable degree the power
10 illustrate wildly what he wants.
"Mignon'' was in rehearsal The other night. In
the great, dim. vacant auditorium sat only Mrs
Bonci. wife of the tenor. who. though her broken
arm IS still in j sling. never misses a rehearsal
when her husband sings. and one or two ballet
dancers with skirts puffed up behind them like
white sunfiowers. On the stage Nine. Pinkert
in furs. was singing a duet with Bonci !n a fur
cap while the chorus men lounged in the flies
and the chorus women In one corner were eat
ing Eighth avenue PIE from wooden platters
The huge bulk Of Gilbert. in fur cap and coat
loafed goodnaturedly from chair 20 chair. The
duet went on awhile, then-rap, rap! The
music ceased.
Campanini addressed his first violins I'm Ital-
fan. Some phrasing didn't suit. He sang the
rhythm (and his voice. by the way. is very far
from being the voice OF his great brotherD as
he wished it played At the final SCOOP his
whole body lurched forward and then rose erect
70 the climax his arms beating the time. II was
impossible not to catch the contagion Of his
sense Of rhythm. not TO feel 10 your finger tips
what he wanted. and when the orchestra re-
peated the phrase, sure enough, Of those
sonorous. muscular. rhythmic effects that give so
mufh life 10 Campanini's conducting resulted.
Then the rehearsal went on.
But his training Of the company does not
cease with his work from the conductors chair.
20 great IS his desire for the right effect, his
interest in the ensemble Of the performance,
that he even climbs up the stage, becomes
stage manager for q time, and shows the chorus
how 10 do this or that bit Of business. To see
q conductor running about amidst group OF
chorus men and women. pushing one here pull
ing another there, shouting directions and then
gong back TO his desk and picking up his baton
once more Is indeed a strange sight And II
explains perhaps, the excellence of Mr.. Ham
inerstein's Carmen" or ''Pagliacci'' Campanini
is not working at one department and Mr. Will
son. the stage manager, at another. There is
one guiding hand over the whole-music and
action.
Cleofonte Campanini was born in Parma,
Italy, in 1860 He studied at the Conservatory
~ Parma under the protection Of his brother.
the famous tenor, Italo Campanlni. After young
tleofonte's studies were completed he began TO
eife violin concerts in the principal cities OF
italy. and alterward became leader Of the
chestra IN several minor theatres. He has been
musical director Of the opera houses in Milan,
Iurln' Rome. Naples, Madrid, Lisbon, Buenos
Ayres. Rio Janeiro and Santiago de Chill For
thiee years he conducted at La Scala de MilanO.
ana came 10 Mr. Harnmerstein's Manhattan Opera
company from CoVent Garden, London Campo
NM was chosen by Puccni to conduct at the first
performance Of Nine. Butterfly" which oc
cured At La Scala in Milan He will go
back on April / to Covent Garden. and will
probably be the artistic director of that house
AoF the coming season.