The San Francisco call., 1910-12-13

phrase added to my Joy and excite
ment. and by the time the curtain
fell on the first act I knew that
had just heard God-given voice.
knew that I had heard the voice
that 7 had always hoped to have
the exquisite pleasure of finding.
Coming back to a realization of
the work had In hand, knew that
must communicate with the ONCE,
for I was we'll aware that there was
no preparation befltting the occasion.
: Rushing to the nearest available
telephone, and getting the editor,
exclaimed. joyously excited:
"Tetrazzini is the greatest sensa-
tion we have had IN years. There
is a picture Of her IN the ONCE.
Please get 1t out. Believe me, she
Is great" This and all else I had
to say convinced the editor, whose
word Is always final. The cut was
rushed through the various pro-
eesses and was ready for the story
which l was almost too excited to
write That night l was not In the
prescribed judicial state Of mind. l
was simply convinced that / had
found a great voice. My greatest
wonder was that she had been un-
heralded. But I found that back of
it were jealousies in her own coun-
try and that she had been travelling
and singing in the far away places
of earth.
It was a surprise to me later when
1 found that I was standing quite
alone among the local critics in my
estimate of the new colorature
singer. Very good. they said,
but there is no comparison between
her and Sembrich and Melba." And
so the partisan, good natured con-
troversy commenced. Peter Rob-
ertson, with whom it had been my
pleasure and profit to work for sew
eral years, went to ear~Tetrazzini,
but could not get my point of view.
His loyalty to the worlds idealiZed
singers, from Adalina Patti down
through the famous colorature ar
lists, qualified the things he had TO
say of the newcomer. Ashton Ste
vens held out for some time. Finally
one evening he reached across the
seat between his and mine and said:
Il give in Then he wrote his
prettiest about her and his prettiest
was singularly interesting.
One night. after hearing one act
of Lucia" by Terrazzini, / hastened
to the old Alhambra to hear Melba
in concert. Her great. beautiful
crystal voice left me still true to
Tetrazzini. Then came the Conried
season right on the heels of Tetraz-
zinis first enga cement at the Tivou.
Beloved Sembrich opened it in "Lu-
cia." Tetrazzini was in the audi
ence
AT the close of the first act I
came down by appointment into the
foyer to meet Peter Robertson, with
whom l was sharing the responsi-
bilities of the evening. At the foot
of the stairs stood Mr.. Meltzer, Ash
ton Stevens, Peter Robertson and
others. alert and excited over the
inevitable comparison. I was ac-
costed with an air of pleasant de-
fiance.
And what have you to say now?'
Nothing, except my heart is still
true to Tetrazzini."
There was some patronizing for
my wrong headedness, my lack of
discernment, all good natured, but
positive. And 1T was that night
that Charles Henry Meltzer, he
whose word was something of a
law, made that prophecy that did
not come true.
My apprecia ton for other Lucias
was reverential. They, too, had
God given voices, but none OF them,
at least at that time in their ca
reers, had the charm of Tetraz-
zini's Interpretation. Her voice
and her ability to handle it placed
her quite by herself. Last night
came under her spell as completely
as l did when all the thrill of dis
covery was mine.
But speaking of discovery! The
, first and all the credit really be-
longs to Manager William II.
Leahy. He found Tetrazzini in the
City of Mexico, and without an un-
usual word of any kind presented
her to San Francisco. He knew
what was going to happen. His
modesty about the prize he had Sc
cured left the way open for me and
for every one else, for that matter.
to have the real joy of discovery,
that unusual experience which is
delightful heritage for all the years.
open contract between the America