New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-09-17
Musical Comment
Musicians and the Red Cross-War Music at the
Worcester Festiva-A Tribune Editor Opera
Singers of Long Ago-Americans and German
Opera at the Metropolitan
By.H. E. krehbiel

Nine. Malibran, and was the Ierl'na
of her fathers production, took part
and Mr.. II. Wallack, uncle OF Lester
Wallack, played the role Of the disso-
Lutte Don. In the English performance
in Philadelphia the opera was calleI
"The Libertine."
Apropos Of reference TO William
II. Fry, made in The Tribune Few
weeks ago, Mr.. Curtis writes: you
say he was a predecessor OF yours on
The Tribune. He was also the editor
of The Philadelphia Evening BuIle-
tim upon which paper | have an mum
bic editorial position. Leonore' one
Of Fry's operas) was first produced IN
this his native city and ran two weeks;
A friend Of mine with an hlstorica.
bug has a copy Of the vocal score ana
has promised to give IT to me: Inc
book OF 'Leonore' was by Joseph Fry,
the composers brother, who also trans
lated Norma into English for the
stock company of the old Chestnut
Street Theatre. Bellini's Druid opera
was given it's first American presenta-
ton, or presentations, on the same
night at the Chestnut and the old Ma
tional Theatre, two squares away, and
the result Of this competition, both
companies putting the opera on for
run, was financial disaster
Occasionally at the opera we see the
faces Of subscribers who have had
their seats mot in the boxes) ever
since the opening OF the Metropolitan,
in 1883, and whose memoirs run back
TO the seasons at the old Academy or
Music in the days when Mr.. Fry wrote
musical criticisms for The Tribune.
"Who were the singers OF the Acad-
envy Of Music in 1882 ?" asked writer
in 1.-The New Music Review some
time ago Ut can have been none other
than Philip Hale, whose memory, aid
ed by the books he loves, goes back
centuries), and he proceeded to an
swer his own question thus:
"Miss Kellogg, Miss Hinckley, Nine.
| Strakosch, Nine. de Lussan, Nine.
Elena d'Angri, Nine. Comte, Brignoli,
| Marchesi, Tombesi, Barili, Suslnl,
Ferri. Sbriglia Fanny Stockton, Nine.
| Lorini, Miss Morensi. Macaferri. Man
cusi and Nine. Arogardo sang at vari-
! Gus times. Who was this Nine. de
| Lussan? "A pure soprano, she
| nevertheless made her debut in La
| Favorita." What became of Emile j.
Bouphton, "a society lady" who APP
peared as Violetta? Carlotta Patti
/ came out In opera as Amina and sang
/ in Lucia di Lammermoor" and II
J Puritanj.' II is remembered that she
was lame. We heard her at the Acad-
| emv of Music in 1868 as the Queen or
Night and she moved about but little.
= How rs Amina did she cross the
bridge? 'Pyps' in Vanity FAIR OF
Sentember l3, 1852, wrote about Mr..
/ Nixon bringing her out in opera: !
suppose you know that she has at last
/ found a mechanical remedy for her
lameness.' Another singer that year
was Nine. Guerrabella, better known
to-day as Genevievc Ward. She Is
still acting in London
Is our memory playing us a trick OF
was not Nine. de Lussan the mother oil
Miss Zelie de Lussan. who began her
operatic career with the Boston Ideals
and was afterward one of the Metropol'
itan Opera Houses Carmens? We have
an impression that we recommended
her to the manager of the Ideals in the
carly sos. Nine. Lorini was also an
American singer, her maiden name
being Whiting.
Speaking Of American singers. our
curiosity 70 see the prospectus OF the
Metropolitan Opera Company for next
season is growing. What allotment OF
/ service will be made TO them and what
| to the enemy aliens in the troupe
Among the Americans whose engage
ments have been announced there are
several who won their spurs Cif the
metaphor may be pardoned) in the
Wagner operas at German theatres
| Among the foreigners who have been
singing for us for years there are some
whose attitude in the war has not only
been an affront TO Americans, but an
insult TO every living human being not
made morally callous by the philoso-
! phv of the Germans as cxemp!ited IN
/ their conduct of the war. Are we to
continue to give safe harbor and re-
wards 10 a singer who thought the
murder Of American women and chill
/ dren by the pirates who sank the Lusl-
/ tania fit subject for scornful jest
and send American men across seas to
| give him protection, security and gen
erous wage? The question is not one
/ Of depreciating German art, but OF sac
/ rifcing American men and women and
preserving and maintaining German
artists.