Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1909-07-30
A MAL|BRAN VICTORY
The Great Singers Lively Debut
In an English City.
SHE DEFIED THE DIRECTORS.

Considering That She Had Been Shah
billy Treated, Malibran Sang as Lora
as She Wanted to and Had Most
Satisfactory Revenge.
QuarrelS between opera singers and
managers call TO mind an incident in
the life Of Malibran. 1t was in 1929,
when Malibran returned to England
from New York and made her debut
at Birmingham at the music festival
as Malibran Garcia. Miss Patton had
already become favorite there and
was allowed to choose her own songs
and sing as many as she pleased,
whereas Malibran was compelled to
sing only what was assigned to her.
Garcia bore the indignity with such
patience as she could command until
one morning she saw the announce
ment that Miss Patton would sing six
songs that evening and that she
would sing but two. Then it was
that, realizing that much of her sue
cess for the season in England depend
ed on her having better place in the
program, she stormed the directors.
In vain the directors endeavored to
avoid receiving her. but she made
short work of ceremony, and while
they were framing an excuse to pacify
her she broke in upon them in a mag
nificent rage. In jiffy she asked the
chairman:
Sir, have you sanctioned this pro-
gram?" And, receiving a nod in the
affirmative, she sailed along further.
Il had hoped" she said, sit had
been issued without your sanction, for
it assigns me two songs, both of which
are hackneyed, while it gives my ri
val, Miss Patton, six. She has an es-
tablished reputation here Mine is
yet to make, at least with your Eng
lish audiences, and therefore If any
preference should be given to any one
it should be to me. On my success
here depends all chance of my sue
cess in London. You forget this or
do not care. You give me no chance
of success, whereas all l want is JUS
tice. l want the same opportunity for
displaying my ability as you allow
Miss Patton. Here you advertise me
for Romeo. But performed that last
night, and the public will say, Romeo
on Monday, Romeo on Tuesday, Ro-
meo on ednesday-Romeo, Romeo,
she can do nothing but Romeo l
want fair play-no more, no lessr
Well, it was great fuss. The direct
ors endeavored to soothe her, for she
had talked herself into a great pas
sion, but they made their mistake in
pointing to the fact that the program
was printed and could not be changed.
In vain Malibran argued that she
should sing six or an equal number Of
songs with Miss Patton, and finally she
went off in a great huff, declaring if
they would not right her she would
right herself.
The evening advertised came, and
the theater was crowded with the
rank. beauty and fashion of Birming
ham, as every one familiar with Eng
lish music festivals would expect. The
performance commenced. Some one
sang, then Braham followed, and final
ly came Miss Patton. AS usual, she
was heartily received. Then Malibran
came forward amid many plaudits, un-
doubtedly agitated at the applause,
and stood for minute with her arms
folded and her eyes ON the ground.
There was a piano near the foot
lights, and the music stool stood at
the back of the stage. Malibran stood
near the piano, but did not touch
key, while in a manner until then un-
known in England she warbled the
well known aria Una voce poce ia"
Peal followed peal Of applause, and
when the conductor came to lead Mali
bran away the cries Of encore were so
loud as to make him retreat, and again
Malibran was in the hands of the au-
dience.
For some time the applause contin-
ued and finally died away. When all
was silence Malibran started up sud-
denly, made a pretty obeisance, hastily
ran to the back part of the stage and
brought out a piano stool. Then, mo-
ttoning to the orchestra not to play,
she played a preludio and then an ac-
compartment to the song she had just
given. But that was not all. When
she came within a note or two of the
conclusion she paused, cast a look at
the wings, where the mystifed direct
or stood, laughingly shook her head
and to the delight Of the audience and
the amazement Of the directors COM
menced a new song. She had been
singing Italian; now she sang Spanish,
and when this had been applauded she
started to retire. The audience, how
ever, would not part with her, and
when the conductor came to lead her
off pit, gallery and boxes actually
hissed the poor fellow.
There never was more enthusias-
tic ovation to singer in Birmingham,
and, thus encouraged, Malibran grace.
fully waved the conductor off and
again sat down to play. She passed
from Spanish to German, German to
French and finally from French to
English, and the result was that she
occupied so much time that the nerv
ously waiting Miss Patton sang only
two songs instead OF six!
There was a lively scene behind the
curtain when MaHbran at length re-
tired. But to the acting director, who
fumed and cried, Madam, you have
played us an astonishing trickr' she
only smiled and said, II told you that
/ would right myself if you wronged