Los Angeles herald., 1909-03-02

, troduced La Marseillaise' in to the mu-
| steal fabric My rendering of the bal
! lad at the Villa Wahnfreid, so Nine.
Wagner told me, was the first occa-
sion when she or any of her family had
heard it performed"
Asked If he knew Mailer, mentioned
as successor to Mr.. Conried, Mr.. Bis
pham said that it was under Mailer s
baton that he first sang a Wagner role
| in 1892, at the Drury Lane theater,
London. 1t was in the part of Kur-
wenal to the Tristan of Max Alvary.
Il sang the role without rehearsal"
said Mr.. Bispham. "Mahler, at the
piano, satisfied himself that l knew it,
and so 1t came about that 1 was the
only impersonator of the part for many
years, both in America and England.
| had been engaged by Augustus Har-
ris, the great impresario. and the sud-
den Illness of German baritone gave
me my first opportunity. 1 was in a
state of such preparedness that | was
able to sing the role at a moments no.
tice. In this matter of preparedness.
by the way, a word to the wise ought
to be sufficient, but strange to say few
singers seem to realize the necessity of
long and careful study previous to
taking up their careers"
"Of course you knew Muck, of the
Boston Symphony" was suggested.
Eyes, indeed" answered the baritone.
81 sang many Wagner parts under him
when he was conducting at Covent
Garden. One of the most amusing in
cidents in my experience happened
during a performance OF The Flying
Dutchman.' when Nine. Gadski was my
Senta. l felt in my bones that some
thing would go wrong that night, and
I prevented one catastrophe myself,
only to encounter another. On reach
ing the darkened stage from my dress
ing room found that what should have
been my somber and ghostly craft was
| brilliantly illuminated by two huge
lanterns. | constituted myself a b.
reas, and by vigorous blowing and vol
uble use of a strong line of Anglo
Saxon, succeeded in dousing the glim.
But when my craft sailed onto the
stage 1t came to a sudden Standstill
ten feet from the shore, at which I
was supposed to disembrak. One of
the wheels was stuck in a crack in the
stage, and the heaving and Juggling of
the man acting as propeller failed to
bulge 1t. The orchestra reached the
end of the prelude and stopped, for I
refused to go on until I reached terra
firma. Poor Muck laid down his baton
in despair, and the audience Uttered, a
litter that developed into a roar when
two stage hands beneath the vessel
were heard to exchange the following:
Bill?" s.
'Ow can wen the blahsted things
stuck fahst in the stige?
AT last the stage carpenter 'waded'
out with plank which he solemnly ad-
Justed, one end to the vessel, the other
on the rock.
Now, then, We can get hoff sir
announced he, and the audience col
lapsed with laughter. But the opera
went on"
Charles Farwell Edison, president Of
the Gamut club, returned Sunday morn
ing from an absence in San Francisco
and Sacramento of several strenuous
weeks. during which he has been, en-
gagged in furthering the bill for state
art education now before the ways and
means committee. The passage of the
DILL Mr.. Edison says, depends upon the
governors pleasure. and he is conf
dent that the measure will at least re-
ceive favorable consideration.