Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-27


the harp, the practical instruction began. AS
| look back now on the work of those first
six months, | cannot but feel that earned
every penny of the twenty dollars month
allowed by the city.
Meanwhile my pupils advanced famously.
had some piano pupils outside the conserv-
atory, and twice week went to the neigh
boring city of Canossa to drill the Philhar-
moniC Society of that place. What spare
time | could find devoted to the score of
"Ratcliff.' After two years and a half |
had it fairly complete; but not as | wanted
it, However, laid it aside, and have never
touched it since.
The notion had come to me that it might
be easier to impress the public with work
of more popular appeal and of less ambl-
tious construction. For several years the
main idea of "Cavalleria Rusticana" had
been in my head, and now decided to take
some steps toward working it out. When
Now Lena, Deputy for Leghorn, died in
1888, | avaied myself of the reduced rail
road rates granted to electors and returned
to my birthplace to request my great friend
Tergione to compose libretto for me. He
was not enthusiastic, and | returned to
Cerignola very heavy hearted. Professor
Michele Sinischalchi then tried to persuade
his friend Master Rocco Pagliara to furnish
NOoAA
give up the time to the work without some
positive assurance of compensation. He Of
fered to do so if l could find publisher to
buy "Ratcliff."
lust at this time the publisher Edward
Sonzogno offered his great prize for an oper
attic competition. To win it meant not only
relief from poverty, but the performance of
my work by the best artists, and therefore
the fullest opportunity to show what talent
possessed. | was frantic for libretto, and
rallied at my lack of money to procure one.
Finally, after had bombarded my friends
in Leghorn with letters begging them to in
duce Tergione to help me, | was overjoyed
by receiving solemn assurance that l should
have the libretto for "Cavalleria.'
Then indeed l began to dream in real
earnest My head was full of the music of
the various scenes as l had conceived them.
And all the time buzzng in my ears were the
words, "They have murdered Neighbor
Turridu" l wanted big effect for that
scene to close the work with a strong dra
matte impression.
One morning as l walked the main street
of Canossa on my way to a lesson, the finale
burst upon me, swift and vivid as light
ming stroke. could hear those words, not
sung but shouted with surprise and horror,
which was echoed by crashing theme in
the orchestra as OanCuZZd reeleQ on Lne
stage and brought the work to close with
her despairing cry for her dead lover. The
whole scene was clear before me- and it went
into the opera without alteration. | can say,
therefore, that the end of the opera was it's
beginning.
When l received by mail few days later
the first verses of the libretto Git was the
Siciliana"; for the prelude was an after
thought), was very happy, and in a jok
ing mood said to my wife:
1--WE have great expense to meet"
what is it," she asked with anxiety.
1--WE must buy an alarm clock
And for WHAT"
Tomorrow | must rise before daybreak
and begin to write 'Cavalleria Rusticana.
That ended all possibility of protest, and
with reckless disregard of our scanty finan-
cial hoard, we went out joyfully together to
make the big purchase. l remember to this
day that Our shopping expedition resulted in
the extravagant outlay of nine lire.
set the alarm, and we retired early. But
our purchase proved an unnecessary luxury,
after all; for during the night, February 3,
1889, our little angel Mimi was born. In
spite of that kept my promise to myself,
and day was just breaking when with a