The San Francisco call., 1910-11-26
Tetrazzini to Sing Here

That Nine. Tetrazzfni viii sing next
month in this city is absolutely assured
by Frank w. Tealy, business manager
for the Florentine diva. Healy, who
was formerly treasurer of the TivoH
opera house and who has been secured
by w. II. Leahy Tetrazzini's impress
sario. in the forthcoming tour, asserts
the diva's freedom from obligation to
Hammerstein, and intimates that it is
not the former manager of the Metro
politan opera house who is standing in
the way of TetrazZini's western tour,
but the Metropolitan opera house,
which bought Hammerstein's contracts
and gave him Sl,O00,oG0 to keep out of
the grand opera business in America
1t is certain, however. that Nine.
Tetrazzinis appearance in San Fran
cisco, the city which discovered her,
will be postponed The writ issued
against her by Hammerstein's attor-
neys is retnrnable December 2. She
can not leave for the west before that
time and possibly not for several days
thereafter. That would put her arrival
here somewhat about December Is, and
counting the singers desire to rest and
recuperate. and to see the Streets as
she expresses it, her first appearance
here vii be delayed until about Decem-
Der 20.
APPEARANCE PROMISED
But she positively will appear.
said Healy last might. "Hammerstein
has no contract that by any stretch of
the ina gination could be considered
legal tie. Hammersteins contract en-
gagged the great sopranos services
from 1908 TO 1910, inclusive, with a
mutual option to renew the contract.
1t was not renewed instead Ham
merstein wrote a letter to Nine. Tet-
razzini, expressing his regret for hav-
ing to sell out to his rivals, the Met
ropolitan opera house. and declaring.
in effect that if all the singers he had
engaged had showed him the loyalty
that Tetrazzini had given, he would
have been able to win his operate
war hands down
1t is proba BILE that in the transfer to
the Metropolitan of the contracts held
by Hammerstein the agreement with
Tetfazzini was regarded as a big asset.
At any rate, according to Healy, the
Metropolitan mana cement negotiated
with Tetrazzini for a season of Is per-
formances. She demanded $50 900
(which was as much as she had re-
eeived from Hammerstein for 20 per-
formances.
BLUFF FAILS TO WORK
The Metropolitan refused to accept
her terms and the negotiations were
off. During this time. Healy points
out, Hammerstein was cognizant Of the
negotia tions and encourage them. He
did not claim any equity in the con-
tract, which was, according TO Tetraz-
zini and her advisers, void. But when
Tetrazzini refused to sing for less than
the price she demanded of the Metro
politan. the mana gers of the latter in
stttution began their scheme to force
her into the ranks Of their artists.
It is said that had it not been for
teh fact that Doc Leahy. who dis
covered Tetrazzinf, and introduced her
to San Francisco five. years ago. the
bluff" of the Metropolitan might have
succeeded AS it Isl according to Leahy
and his treasurer. Healy, the Metro
politan opera house hase merely Sc
cured from Hammerstein a contract
with Tetrazzini. the terms of which
have run out. and in their desire to
secure a sensation for the next grand
opera season in New York have at-r
tempted to bluff the great diva into
resuming her relations under an old
and expired contract which Hammer
stein turned over to the Metropolitan
when the latter bought the former out
of the grand OpAra fiald in Now York