The Washington times., 1919-12-21
MUSICIANS MOURN
CAMPAN|N| DEATH
0peratic World Suffers Irrepar.
able Loss, Say Devotees Of
Fine Music.

time, the passing Of this greatest Of
most notable music careers in the his
tory Of both European and American
1 opera.
General Director Campanini Of the
Chicago Opera Association had been
| suffering with an affection Of the
! heart for two years. but the opening
Of the Chicago season in November
! found Campanini present. He was,
however, in his box at the opera in
| stead Of at the conductors desk for
| the first time In the operas history,
although already last year he con-
| Quoted infreQuently.
Unusual Figure In Music.
Campanini was essentially that un-
| usual figure In music. the "prima
donna conductor His brother was
the most famous tenor. 1talo Campa-
| mini. 1t Is an interesting circum-
stance that these brothers rose to
fame together.
Cleofonte Campanini made his
debut as conductor at Parma, italy,
his native town, in September. 1882.
he then being only twenty-five years
| old. The opera was Carmen" and
| his brother, Italo, was the Don Jose
III thC hVW ldIuouo OPOI0 ludI WdS
| unknown in Italy and had Not then
achieved its present popularity. It
was great success.
There was present in the audience
| leading American impresario, none
other than Henry E. Abbey, and he
was so much impressed by the ability
with which the opera had been inter
preted under Campanini's magnetic
batin that he engaged him on the
spot to conduct during the first sea-
| son of opera at the New York Metro
politain Opera House.
Campannini's American debut was
| made on November 3. 1888, just TWEEN.
| ty-eight years ago to the day. mig
non" was the program, and the cast
included Christine Nilsson. vaIleria
and Schalchi. The next day all the
papers were loud in their praise Of the
young conductors performance and
his artistic position was straightway
assured. On June 8, 1884, he con.
Quoted Carmen" at Boston for the
first time in this country. CampaninL
Del Puente. Valleria and Trebelli were
in the cast, and the comment OF the
Boston newspapers was no less lauda-
tory than had been the comment in
New York.
First American Produetion.
Al 1000 SlSnOI S6upaulu1 IcIuIueQ
to the United States at the instance of
the composer himself for the purpose
of directing the first American produc-
| tion Of Verdfs opera Of "Otello" with
his brother, 1talo, in the name part
| and his wife as Desdemona
What he did during bis association
| with the late Oscar Hammerstein at
the Manhattan Opera House Is still
current history. It Is no exaggera-
| ton to say that he was the principal
| factor in the success Mr.. Hammerstein
| achieved. or to aver that the great i'm
provement in the standard of operatic
performances here and elsewhere has
been largely or even mainly due to hsi
influence and to his efforts.
From the Patti Of that day to the
Tetrazzini Of this, the Tamagno and
DeReszke of that time to the Caruso
Of this, from Joachim and Sarasate
| to Kreisler and El.nan, all have play
| ed under him. Composers, too, have
| learned the advantage Of having their
works launched under his mastery
! direction. Thus Puccini had him pro-
| duce butterfly. at La Scala, Milan,
| where 1t was at first a flasco:
| and when 1t was reproduced at
| Brescia after being revised, Puccini,
unlike other composers who blame
| the conductors for their failures, in
| sisted upon Campanini producing the
| revised version. Giordano, the COM
| poser of Siberia" made it condi-
| tion OF the production of this opera
/ that Campanini should have the mu-
sical direction. So, too, Cilea, and.
| indeed, all the modern school of Ital-
ian composers. 1t was Campanini who
gave a memorable performance of
| THE Girl of the Golden West" in Chi
cago after only one months prepara-
| ton.
Suffer. Great Loss.
The first two weeks of this years
season of opera in Chicago was held
to the schedules made up before Cam
panini's removal to the hospital. and
the efficient work OF Herbert NJ.
Johnson, Alexander Kahn and Eugene
| Swayze, have kept things going at
| normal.
Giulio Gatti-Casazza, managing di-
rector of the Metropolitan Opera Com
pany, New York, with which Cam
| panini began his American career.
| was greatly shocked to learn of
Campaninfs death.
"Campanini was a man Of great
ability. Z born director" said Gatti-
! Casazza- THE musical world has ex-
| perienced a great loss"
Early in his career, Campanini
worked under Gatti-Casazza