The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-01-24

about him. His utterance is proof 10
me that he is a real singer.
Meanwhile we are forgetting charm
ing Signora Battain. who stands gra-
cfously waiting to introduce u.s.
"Meester Anthony" says she, with q
most pleasing observation-disclosures about
the H. this is SignOr Battain. She
felt moderately proud of this begin
ming. but stumbled when she tried to
explain what the meeting was about
1t is Impossible to write OF such an
Interview without suggestion OF fri
vOlity. and it would be unfair TO the
subject of the story to treat the chat
lightly. 1t was very serious indeed.
More so than you think or could APP
preciate unless you have tried to get
English copy out of a Latin Interview
To do the signor entire justice at
once, I should say that he speaks four
languag es-Italian. French, Russian
and German He offered to prove his
gift of tongue, but the affidavit was,
naturally, incomprehensible to me. who
have but indifferent command of Onei
language.
However. Edoardo Lebegott. our
friend of two seasons ago. was called /
IN. and as artist in the universal Ian +
guage-music-was able TO help QUIT
some IN the confusion which am try
ing to straighten out as follows:
Battain IS 80 years old. He was born {
In the beautiful city of Palma, where
he sang as a boy soprano in the choir !
of st. PauTs cathedral. When his voice
changed in character it developed the
quality OF high tenor. "A leggero ten
, or" he said with deprecating smile
In land of singers it must be diff
cult to secure notice for an excellent
and well controlled throat" I said.
yes. yes" he replied Il sang first
IN sMignOn.' / was William" After his
debut he toured the provinces which
are now cracked and stricken with
earthquakes. Then he went TO Russia.
where he sang before the ear and
made him. il is said. Indifferent TO
the barbarisrns of the Japanese
You may say what you please said
Lebegott, translating Battains thought.
but there is one thing certain. Music
makes occidentals all akin When you
hear the Japanese national hymn and
then the Russian you know that Russia
and you are brothers"
So Battain told me how he sang be-
fore the tyrant of st. Petersburg. and
how in "Favorita" he made Russian
fame.
..But my voice is getting heavier
said Battain. Each year it gets
stronger and bigger"
AT Moscow he essayed the role OF
Canio in "Pagliacci." aud now he sings
the tenor roles in the heavier Italian
and French operas. such as Aida
; ''HuguenOts" and the like. Incredible
as it may seem-and il seemed so TO
me-Battain's repertoire includes
variety of roles stretching from The
Barber of Seville" 10 "LAfricaine.
LA Tosca, he said with enthusi-
asm; that is my favOrite. IL is
the superb opera and Puccini has done
nothing so fine. There is not only
music in that piece, but there is drama
and there is an orchestra such s no
one else has placed in front oS an
opera except Wagner. There is traS-
edy and fire. and there is truth, too
do not translate accurately what
Battain said. for no one could do that
without his gift of gesture and accent
II sang La Tosca' before Emperor
william" said Battain. "and when the
king OF Italy went 70 Greece i was
chosen to sing in GiOeOnds. in the prin-
clpal tenor role. These things arc not
worth much here. perhaps, but they
! please the artist; you understand
I said 1 did
( Signora Battain, fearful lest her hus-
band might not get his need of admira-
ton perhaps. took from her purse a
/ gold medal She handed II TO me with
T fine and pardonabIe pride. could
make out that it was gold, but could
hardly discover what il was. about.
They explained it. Battain had sung
before the sultan of Turkey and his
royal party. His role was that OF
Canio and the sultan presented him
with the medal. which was struck of
from the dies in his particular honor
That was the best thing the sultan
ever did, said 1.
.GraciaS." said Battain