New-York tribune., 1919-12-20
Brilliant Career of Chicago
Opera Company's Direc-
tor, Famous as Conductor
and lmpresario, End S
Was Aid to Hammerstein
Indicated on Deathbed That
Marinllzzi, His Assistant.
S hould Succeed Him

CHICAGO, Dec. 19.-Cleofonte Cam
panini' director of the Chicago Grand
opera Company, died of pneumonia
this morning at st. Luke's Hospital
after an illness of several weeks.
He was in weakened condition
when he came here to open the opera
season on November 20, and few
days later he was compelled to take
to his bed. Three weeks ago he was
taken to the hospital, where pneu
monia with cardiac complications set
IN and baffed the efforts of his four
physicians He is survived by his wife,
formerly Miss Eva Tctrazzini. whom he
married in 1887.
Herbert NJ. Johnson, business mana
ger OF the opera company, says the
program of the opera season in Chi
cago, New York, Boston and elsewhere
will be fulfilled.
enjoyed so much affection and love
from their friends and fellow work.
ers as Mr.. Campanni. No man has
done so much to forward the inter
ests and ideals Of grand opera during
career of forty years"
Question Raised as to Successor
No steps will probably be taken by
the board of directors of the opera
company to select Mr.. Campanini's
successor for several weeks 1t is
said, however, that few days ago, in
anticipation of his own death, Mr..
Campanini indicated his young assist
ant, Mr. Marnuzzl, as destined to be
his successor. Antonio Scott, the
barytone, of the Metropolitan Opera
Company of New York, also has been
mentioned as a possible choice.
Cleofonte Campanini, long a favor
lte conductor and impresario in New
York and other American cities, was
younger brother Of Italo Campanini,
the foremost Italian tenor Of his day
and the associate OF Adelina Patti,
Christine Nilsson and other famous
singers in the most notable perform
ances at the old Academy of Music
and at the original Metropolitan Opera
House. He was born at Parma, Italy.
on September !, 1860. and under the
care of his brother ltalo studied music
at the conservatory in that city. His
chief attention was given at first to
the violin. under Ferrarini. and then
to harmony and countcrpoint under
Rossi. Among his fellow students was
Arturo loscanlnl the opera conductor.
Starts Performing Early
While yet in his teens he became the
first violin player at the Parma Opera;
then he gave series of violin con-
ccrts in the chief Italian cities; and
at the age Of twenty-three he was CON
ductor of the Parma Opera. where he
directed performance of Carmen" in
which his broher 1talo sang Don Jose
In 1884 he conducted orchestral con-
certs at the Turin Exposition, and later
conducted the opera at La Scala, Milan,
where he attracted the favorable at
tention Of Verdi, and where he was as
sociated with Giulo Gatti- -Casazza. now
director of the Metropolitan Opera in
this city.
Mr.. Campanini was first brought to
tAis country by Henry + Abbey.
then director Of the Metropolitan
Opera. and conducted the performance
of LA Sonnambula" which was given
for the American debut Of Marcella
Sembrich.
In a subsequent season he directed
the first American production of
Verdi's "Otello," in which his brother
ltalo appeared in the title role and his
wife, Eva Tetrazzini. sister Of Luisa
Tetrazzini, sang Desdemona. For sew
eral seasons he was one of the fore
most operate conductors in the chief
capitals of Europe and South America.
and for nine successive years welded
the baton at Covent Garden London.
Comes as Hammerstein Aid
Finally at the full height Of his
fame abroad, he returned to America
for the final stage Of his career in
1906, under the patronage of Oscar
Hamme erstein, to help that daring i'm
presario in his rivalry with the Metro
politan Opera House and the success
of the Manhattan establishment, in in
PRODUCING many striking novelties of
the modern French school and in bring
ing forward number of the worlds
finest artists, was due largely to his
enterprise and genius. 1t was, however,
because Of Mr.. Hammersteins incli-
nation to exploit modern French opera
over Italian works TO what Mr. Cam
panini regarded as an undue extent
that the two men differed and finally
parted company,
On resigning his place at the Man
haitian Opera House Mr. Campanin re-
turned to Italy and became director of
the famous San Carlo. at Naples, only
to hasten back to America to take
charge of the Chicago Philadelphia