New-York tribune., 1913-11-19
NINE. De MARCHESI DEAD
Famous Vocal Teacher and
Discoverer of Melba and Calve.

London Nov 1S.-Mme Mathilde de Cas-
trone Marchesi. one OF the most famous
vocal teachers, died to-day at the age or
eighty-seven. She was originally a con-
cert singer. but joined the Vienna Con-
servatory as a teacher as long ago as
1854. she afterward taught in Paris, then
in Cologne and later returned TO Vienna.
which she left finally in 1881 to establish
herself in Paris, where she had since
lived.
Nine Marchesfs husband. Salvatore
Cavaliere de Castrone. Marchese della Ra-
jata. also was a singer, who made his
debut in New York in 1s4S. Her daughter.
Blanche Marchesi is a concert and opera
singer. who has sung much In Canada
and the United States. but has recently
assisted her mother in teaching.
Nine. Marchesi was born In Frankfort
on March 26. 1896, OF a family of means,
which in 1874, suddenly lost its fortune.
Mathide was sent to Vienna to visit
her aunt, Baroness Won Ertmann, who
was herself a distinguished pianist and
a friend of Beethoven. The young wom-
an, after studying with Nicolai, made her
first public appearance at Dusseldorf.
under the patronage Of Mendelssohn.
Shortly afterward she went to Paris 10
study with Manuel Garcia, and In 1873
she made her real debut.
She then went to London, where she
sang with marked success. and In 1852
she married the well known barytone, the
Marchese Salvatore de Castrone, an Its!-
ian political refugee, who had taken the
MarchaSi nd her
husband sang together in Vienna, and in
that city the conservatory offered her the
position of professor OF singing, a place
she held at different times during
period of twenty years. At the begin
ming OF her career as teacher In Pails
she wrote as follows:
Our journey toward Paris was A
most painful one, for little Clara cher
daughter) only a few months old. sud
denly became very Ill, and died In my
arms at the hotel five days after our al
rival In the capital. This unexpected
blow almost drove me to despair; my
powers seemed paralyzed and yet |
could not give myself over to my natural
grief, as l had to start afresh and make
new position for myself
"Rossini whom we visited soon after
our sad loss, assured me that my nomi-
nation in the Conservatory was fat
accompli and that Auber. the director.
was prepared TO receive me. Accordingly.
one dark, rainy autumn morning. before
s o'clock-Auber received only at that
early hour-I went to call on the cele-
brated musical composer. our IN
terview led to no result whatever. Aubcr
insisted on my adopting the method then
in use at the Paris Conservatory and
would not allow any singing to Italian
words. 1t was impossible for me to ac-
cept these conditions. A sad feeling crept
over me as | descended the stairs. My
home in Vienna and the position | had
held there rose before my mind and now
II vas to be a question Of incessant work
to climb the ladder afresb and make a
new artistic position for myself in Paris.
" But | succeeded beyond all expec-
| tatons"
Nine Marchesi's pupils were legion.
| Among those she discovered and taught
was Nine Nellie Melba. Besides Nine.
Melba. some the most successful were
Emma Calve, lima di Murska, Etelha
Gerster. Gabrielle Kraus. Emma Eames,
Sybil Sanderson and Emma Nevada.