New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-03-02


the other in truly glorious fashion.
Suddenly a man passed us-it was our
impresario. My host now lost his
head completely. My impresario bad
seen me drunk and he would blame my
host for it. I was dragged into q cafe
and then my host insisted on pouring
down my throat stiff glass of hot
grog. He had gone crazy with fear
and had taken this method of SOLDERING
me up. The result was, of course, that
| became dead to the world and had to
be carried home and put to bed. This
was at 2 o'clock-the dress rehearsal
was at s. Meanwhile I slumbered on.
Eight o'clock arrived and the public
with it, but I arrived not Eight fif-
teen, S:30-still no Caruso. Despair,
tears, the impresario making explana-
ton, the barytone questioned, confess
ing. Five minutes later I was pulled
out of bed, dressed and hurried to the
theatre-but, alas, the wine was still
with me.
"rhe Fox of Scotland"
THE performance nearly an hour
late, the audience angry, was hustled
onto the stage. I knew my music, but
| could not pronounce my words. Sud-
denly / came to the words 'Sorti della
SCOTIA and what l sang was 'Volpe
della Scotia; instead of singing
Coming from Scotland,' sang Fox of
Scotland Then pandemonium broke.
He's drunk, this fox of Scotlandn
roared the audience. I stumbled off
the stage. The impresario tried to ex-
plain that 'Signor Caruso was suffering
from sea voyage (Yells Of derision.
| went home and to bed, and the dress
rehearsal continued without a tenor.
The newspapers the next morning re-
ferred to my indisposition, and re-
marked sarcasticaI1y that it is to be
hoped that Signor Caruso will take no
more sea voyages. But at the first
performance I was sober, but the au-
dience had not forgotten. On my en-
trance l was greeted with yells of
Fox della Scottia! Then there were
counter yells of encouragement. L
battled through the tumult, but
couldn't finish the last act. My nerve
was gone.
IT was awakened early the next
morning by pounding on my door. /
opened it. 1t was the dramatic tenor
of the company. He was very excited
and explained that he had been told
that he would have to sing Edgardo
that night. Why was l not singing it?
If ne sang 1t he would make terrible
tiasco. He was desperate, and begged
me on his knees to sing. explained
that was only too willing to sing, and
that | didn't understand. But later in
the day did. The impresario's sec
rotary met me in the street and handed
me letter. 1t was from the Municipal
Council. I was 'protested' | was
penniless and my career was ended. I
was truly in despair. But how should
| get back to Naples? hadn't enough
money to take the train or the regular
steamer, SO searched the docks. At
length l found a sailing vessel which
was leaving and which agreed to take
me for so lire. But as it was against
the law to take passengers on sail
ing vessel, the boat would have to
leave at night. This was what saved
me.
His Luck Changes
cat o'clock that night l was sitting
down to dinner in the cabin, when I
heard some one shouting my name on
the quay above. + ran up on deck and
met the impresario's secretary, and
from him l heard some extraordinary
news. The new tenor had, as he feared,
made a disastrous appearance, the au-
dlence was in revolt, and was yelling
madly for the Fox della SCOTIA
was tumbled into q cab to the theatre
and onto the stage. By the time l ar
rived had grown immensely popular.
| was a triumph
But my troubles were not vet ended
The impresario had already sent for
another tenor, one lido, to whom he
paid in advance $50 lire. lido arrived.
appeared two nights later and was met
by an audience yelling for the Fox
della Scottia! Again | was summoned
and again | was triumph. To this
day Trepano remembers me as the
Fox Of Scotland don't really know
whether 1t was my voice or my drunk
enness which appealed to them. Sicljan
audiences have n scnse Of humor. From
that day on my career went smoothly.
! appeared ut tho new opera house In
Palermo, and went from there to all
tho Italian opera houses, to Russia,
to England and finally TO America"
From Mr. Caruso's account OF opera
In Sicily II is easy TO zoe that II lacks
neither color nor incident. 1t In no
doubt hard school. perhaps "a cruel
ono. but ono which has Its virtues. TO
sing before an audience no terribly
alive as the one In Trepano is to bring
1t home to the singer that opera Ia not
thing for the museum, but a throb-
bling, vital force. Such audiences do
not exist in America, or If they did
would speedily be suppressed by the
police. Indeed, a book might be writ
ten on the influence Of police powers
on artistic history, with several chap
tiers devoted to the United States