The evening world., 1911-04-01
Real Cause of Tenor's Alb
sence from Opera a Fortune
Teller'S Evil Prediction.
THROAT is ALL RIGHT.
But He Won't Appear in Pro-
duction Where Gun or
Knife Is Used.

II 10 superstition. not tonsiiitis. which
Is keeping the greatest Of ,enors way
from the Metropolitan opera stage.
There Is nothing the matter with the
golden voice. but the owner Is suffer-
Ing from a severe attack Of fear which.
according to Psychologist. 10 more
deadly than colds or sore throats.
Tho Evening World has been in
formed Of tho very best authority that
Caruso has refused to sing solely be-
cause he has been told by Q fortune
teller he Is to meet with some injury,
possibly fatal. on the stage in an opera
in which shooting or stabbing ccurs
C~uriously enough tho most popular
operas in which the tenor appears in
the present repertoire depict either
shooting or stabbing Of the leading
character. and It is generally the tenor
who is killed.
Since early in February the great
tenor has been missing from the casts
at the Metropolitan. Gloom settled
both on the audience and on the box
office. but he remains adamant. He re-
fuses to be shot or stabbed or to stab
another.
10 Shot In "rosea."
Since the prophecy. 'Tosca," one Of
the best drawing operas. has been sung
without Caruso. and It has been sung
very seldom. As Mario Ca~varadossl,
the hero. Caruso has to stand against
the prison wall and be shot at by a
thrilling enough. even when one knows
the soldiers are the best natured supers.
eagerly waiting to get through their
evenings work and retire to the little
Italian cafe on Eighth avenue. and
that they are enthusiastic admirers Of
Csruso. Sometimes. as he has stood
up against the wall waiting to fall Nat
on his face as tho shot II fired. no has
joked under his breath. for the great
tenor II as full Of fun as a child. and
after 10 has sung his great solo his
work for the evening 10 over. He waits
only the signal of the gunshot.
Artistic triumph and huge sums Of
money seem unable to entice the tenor.
AllolhCi Rdhh az nav SaIusO u oNs
lighted so many audiences II that Of
Canio in "~Pagliacci." No one who has
heard him sing "Vesti Ia Juba" a ever
forget the marvellous beauty OF his
voice and pathos OF his singing. Ys;
this may never be heard again on the
operate stage. IL thu tenor insists on
refusing to sing where a knife Is used
20 stab one OF the characters. Though
Canio does the stabbing. killing his wife
and her lover In the last act. the fate
full prophecy might be thought to work
even In his case.
Might Work Either Way.
Fortune-tellers are clever In imi-
tating he Delphic oracle. and make
their utterances read backward md for
ward, 50 that any construction may be
put on tho words. II the forecast warns
Caruso against an opera with a knlfs
in II, almost the eatire repertoire must
go. since there are but few popular
operas which do not end tragically,
with an effective and lingering death,
usually by dagger. in full sight OF tho
audience.
"Madarha Butterfly" for instance,
with the p!tiful death scene of the poor
little heroine. "RIgo.etto," where G!lda
meets her fate. aad even "Cavalleria
Rusticana" has KNIFE pay in II, t.;ousa
the rea. duel IN tnA; opera occur o.
a.nd the scenes.
freulstaG, As Tosca, stands at the
other side or ;ne sage, waiting Tor the
nring, Tor the negoIne, too, as well az
the actress, believes the guns are not
loaded. since, as the story goes. sne
has been promised by Scarpia that the
execution OF her lover snail be only
make-beiieve. ~ appease the soldiers,
an execution with blank cartridges.
But Scarpia lied. and after the soldiers
ieaye sne mas mat Mario has been
really killed; that the guns we're loaded.
Sics the fogtune-teller's prophecy the
gruesOmeness OF the story has been too
much for the enc After "A long sea-
son Ot singing, tired nerves. adued to
his supcrstltIous fear. 1t is said. have
determined Caruso not to sing IN
'"rosca.'' lie will not stand u against
the wall and be fired at.
"Perlls" in Other Operas.
The great novelty OF the operate sea-
sou was Puccini's Girl Of the Golden
West" The composer. an ardent ad
M.rcr of Caruso. wrote the tenor part
OF Johnson especially for his great
cOuntryman's voice. IL the persistent
runors are correct, Caruso Will not s.ng
Johnson again. It's bad enough 10 b.
shot at, hut YOU don't want to have a
halter around your neck. too. And the
imminent possibility OF being hanged,
oven from "A papier mache tree, does MOI
appeal 20 him, who has frequen.e ed tna
booth OF the seer.
Caruso's Phenomenal success on the
operate stage, his unrlyalled voice,
have not been able to save him from
much distress, from threats OF black
man u worse, from continuous law
suits n Black Hand plots. that would
make even the bravest man inclined Ia
superstition, and would unnerve and
PROSTATE 4 man physically less strong
than Caruso. He has been threatened
by an acid ,hrower. pursued by men
who had deadly Weapons concealed
about them, and annoyed In many way
mich would excite a vivid ,magination
10 believe the worst possible.
Has Met Accidents.
on his last appearance IN Munich,
when Ee was singing Ia "Boheme," after
he had been Sreeted win wild enthu-
slasm by the audience no vas struck