The San Francisco call., 1910-12-13
"CAPO NOME" RECALLS
THE OLD TNOLI DAYS
By ANNA PRATT SIMPSON

With the first phrases of "Caro
Nome" last evening Nine. Tetrazzini
sang me back five years and more
to the old-new Tivoli, the one In
which every loyal San Franciscan
had a proprietary interest. They
brought back every thrill of that
memorable night, save perhaps that
of discovery, but in its utend came
that intimate, tangible realization
of the singer gloriously v!ndieated
and a critic more than justified.
1t was as fitting as it wns Era,-
cious of Nine. Tetrazzini to open her
program with this aria. I was par
ticularly grateful for this bit of GEN.
timent on her part and I'm sure
that every one IN the vast audience
who heard Tetrazzini the first time
she sang in San Francisco was
equally so. 1t gave the right atmos-
phere for her home coming" Sure
ly this city welcomed her back as
Its very own and no one will gain
say that TetrazZini will not always
say in her sweetest Italian and her
very best English that this city is
nothing short of "the dearest spot
on earth" to her. OF one thing at
least there is no doubt-no music
loving San Franciscan Will ever re-
Iinquish ownership in Tetrazzini
My share in this ownership is
jealously cherished, for 1t came
through considerable good natured
and persistent contention. For some
time l stood alone among the local
critics in my joy of discovery and
/ had to stand my ground against
some of the men who came out of
the east With those at home the
Of aCt
have had the childish satisfaction
of talking it out with few of the
wise men of the east
'Tetrazzini will never get to New
York" said Charles Henry Metzler,
representative of Conried. on the
opening night of the Metropolitan
season here in 1905 Even if she
did" he continued, her voice would
be lost in the Metropolitan opera
house. She could not fill it,
Well. the world knows what hap
pened in New York What happened
in San Francisco apropos of Tetraz-
zini's first appearance / have been
asked to tell. 1t has seemed worth
while in the light of what has fol-
lowed and because of the contro-
versy that crept into print as to
who in San Francisco first said that
Tetrazzini was all that the world
has since credited her with being.
My pleasant friend, Gertrude Ather-
ton, gave an Interview in New York
in which she said that her brother
in law, Ashton Stevens, was Lne dis
coverer of TetraZZini. She was mis-
taken, and her more than talented
brother in law was not at hand
when she gave that interview. else
he would have told her how it all
occurred
Some weeks before the season
when Tetrazzini made musical his
tory. Manager Leahy of the Tivoli
opera house made the usual advance
notices of his annual Italian opera
season. He sent special notices and
Photographs of Tetrazzini to the
press, but they meant no more than
the notices throughout the years
that had preceded the long and in
teresting procession of excellent
singers that Manager Leahy had
brought to this country. Unknown
to this country. Tetrazzini's name
was passed over with the rest We
knew that the season would be good !;
II always had been.
Busy with other things, no special
preparation had been made to fea-
ture this particular opening night
of the Tivoli season AS musical
critic. [ went to the Tivoli that even
ing, as / had done other years, with
no other feeling than I had had
many times before when l was to
hear new voices-that of wishing
that might find the exceptional one
That was the night my dream came
true, Hearing many, many voices,
acknowledged great ones and those
seeking recognition. made this desire
to discover one all for myself the
dominant thought when / was busy
with things musical.
At the close of the first scene of
."Rigoletto" there was the comfort
able feeling that a good performance
was under way, but al the beginning
of the second scene, when Tetrazzini
sang 20 Milo Padre" I sat upright
and looked at my companion. / had
never heard five more perfectly
placed, more charmful tones. Every
ew York November 36 making the
ip in 19 days. The cargo was taken
ON San Francisco on the Nebraskan
Id up the Atlantic coast on the Cali
rnian. The trip is the fastest on rec
d by sea from here to New York. 1t
regarded as rail time"
The new schedule of the Bates &
lesebrough line will average about