Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-03
SONG BIRDS FLY
FROM WAR Zone
TO MARBLE HERE
Metropolitan Stars Arrive,
After Many Trials, to Give
Americans Usual Season of
Opera.

BOSTON. Nov 3.-The steamship Cano-
pic has arrived here from Naples with
about 20 principals and IS members Of
the chorus OF the Metropolitan Opera
Company which will open Its season in
New York on November l6
General Manager Giulfo Gatti-Casazza,
to whom is due the fact that New York
alone will have season of opera in
German, French and italian, headed the
list Of operatc passengers.
Among the stars with him were Enrco
Caruso, Geraldine Farrar, Emmy Destinn
Frieda Hempel, LucrezIa Bori, Raymonde
de Launnos, a young Belgian contralto.
who is making her first visit to the United
states, and whose husband is with the
French army on the firing line; Elizabeth
Jacques Crlus, Adamo Didur, Senor Botta
a new Italian tenor; Conductors Arturo
ToscanIni. Giorgio Polacco and Richard
Hageman; Chorusmaster setu and As-
sistant Conductors Romei, Papi and
Marchcsi.
MICS II anna II = EN- f44NN EsNs
Miss Tsrrar had by far the most trying
experiences Of the few singers who were
In the war zone when hostilities broke
out The hardshp5 she underwent as
related by the prima donna, affected the
ships news reporters, hardened lot as
they are.
Miss Farrar pinned down one story re-
gardinE herself with considerable EN-
phasis-that which told OF her being
showed off the Paris sidewalks and hooted
at by ungulant Frenchmen because she
Is supposed TO have once been Chummy
with the Crown Prince of Germany.
Nothing of the sort happened" de-
clared Miss Farrar FOR the simple rca-
son that | have not been in Paris at all
since weeks before the war This yarn
was nothing but a cheap fake.
Seriously speaking, we had a terrible
time getting to Naples. When the war
broke out l was in Munich with Mrs.
Newman, a New York lady who went
abroad with me as travelling COM
panion. In company with some German
singers we made our way to Amsterdam
as best We could, expecting to take pas
sage for New York on the steamship
Amsterdam.
I'VE got into a train and for II days
human beings could and still breathe.
For hours our train would be held up on
sidings to allow troops to pass, and again
we had all the experiences of being or
dcred about by soldiers, OF showing our
passports. exhibiting our personal belong
ngs and undergoing lack of food and
sleep, until finally we arrived-where do
you think? Why right back in Munich
We were in despair, but made a fresh
start and eventually reached Naples by
way of Switzerland"
Nine. Raymonde de Launnois, the Bel
gian contralto. was in despair when the
ship arrived, but glad to reach a land of
peace. Her native place Is at Mons. one
of the cities first bombarded by the Ger
mans.
When the war broke out sho was in
Paris and her husband was ordered to
join the colors. Hearing of the destruC-
ton of Mons, she tried to get trace Of
her family, but she never heard a word Of
either her mother. grandmother or two
uncles who were there when the shells
began dropping into the city.
GATTI-CAsAZzTs TRIALS.
Manager Gatti-Casazza said he was
glad to get back to America. and related
some of the difficulties he encountered in
collecting the company.
WAR is a terrible thing" he said "and
to try to get an opera company together
under such conditions as prevailed is
something that | would not care to under
take again. Every country had to be
pleaded with to grant releases and pass
ports and ! had to go through immense
quantities of red tape to convince the
Italian authorities that it was all right
for the Germans and Austrians to embark
at Naples.
And in the case OF German artists.
who will shortly arrive in New York on
the Duca d'Osta. / had to get a special
release from Kaiser Wilhelm, for a num-
ber of them are OF military age and
would otherwise be Rmenable 10 the
charge OF desertion.
1T was only when / put to Emperor
William In the light of It's being an eX-
cellent thing, almost a necessary thing
that the German art and music prestige
should still be maintained and kept alive
In this great American country that the
special despensation was forthcoming.