Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1913-03-14
ROMANO DISRUPTs AN OPERA COMPANY
Musical Circles of Two Continents Thrown Into Turmoil and Arts
tocras of Vienna Merry War Over Love Afair-Ends in
Marriage in New York of Prima Donna and Conductor.

Il have the woman" said de Reszke
She is young, she is beautiful, she is
graceful. and she has the voice OF an
inspired angel"
Lucille was retained. Strauss met
her in Vienna and introduced her to
Felix Weingartner. The rehearsals
began.
The conductor then was forty-1ve
years old. To musical Europe he was
known as "the wandering genius" Un-
like most musicians OF talent, he had
never been content to settle down In
one OF the various imperial orches-
tras, which are scattered over the con-
tinent. He had ut one time been q
conductor of the Berlin Opera Royal,
the kaiser's official company, but, fail
ing to adjust his musical convictions
to those of his royal patron, had un-
tremendously resigned His posts,
as conductor, had ranged from vi
emma to New York. In 1905 the New
York Symphony paid him $4,000 to
conduct eight concerts. Prohibited by
royal decree from playing within 20
miles of Berlin, he had filed suit
against the kaiser for an annulment of
the agreement which the German en-
peror declared still bound him to the
Berlin Opera Royal. The suit was
promptly decided against him, and he
gave a series of concerts in a little
village just outside the limits set by
the emperor's decree. Some idea of
his German popularity may be gained
from the fact that, despite their dis
lance from the capital, these concerts
were an immense financial success.
This was the man who was fated
to inspire love, for the first time. in
the heart of Lucille Marcel. With
each rehearsal of Strauss tremendous
opera their mutual interest grew deep
er. Their souls shook as the mad
gusts of Elektra's death dance whirl-
ed them together through the wild
realms of nethermost harmony. Their
passion fed on the fierce flames of
the Strauss masterpiece. When Luz
ellie sang her voice, shrilling with the
rapture of love and youth and hate
and desire, was not for the audience.
but for the lean, erect, leonine-fea-
tured man whose brain swayed the
harnessed passions of a hundred in
struments.
There could be but one result They
fell In love, madly in love-a love so
wild and engrossing that its existence
was perceptible in every word and
movement. Other members Of the
company began talking.
The gossip, spreading daily, soon
Now, in Vienna, like Berlin, the az
fairs of the imperial orchestra are
guided, more or less directly, by the
hand OF the court The baroness was
powerful. In a short time it was
delicately suggested to the new prima
donna that she discourage Weingart-
ner in his attentions The new prima
donna delicately told the suggestion
givers to mind their own business.
Thereupon they became insistent and
Marcel, furious at that which she con-
sidered an Intrusion upon her private
affairs, resigned.
Vienna was outraged. It demanded
that she be reinstated. 1t denounced
the baroness, the archduchess, the
whole court. And at the height Of
its Indignation. Weingartner brought
suit for divorce
| Then he resigned lis post 1t was
whispered that there was nothing else
for him to do. The public vas more
furious than ever against the eGici,