The Washington herald., 1921-07-31

sang WIN tne Ufeut
And after that / always did.
had the b fat in my pocket as It
were, a good, sure note. Without a
thought OF anxiety. could sing
TRANQUILITY through the whole per-
formance. Even in my youth ! was
always fortunate to sing with great
people. who were more humble than
was i, and they taught me a lesson.
Battestini. the veteran and famous
Italian baritone. who holds strong
place in the affections OF his coun-
trymen. sang In the same company
| that / did during my early career IN
Italy. His dressing room at the
/ theater was next mine. Now. after
an opera performance in which a
singer has given his utmost, he Is
tired and stirred to the very depths.
When many come at such times tn
his dressing room to shake hands
and some merely TO say trivial
things that show his efforts have
not really touched them. the artists
patience is rather sorely tried.
One night after an opera in which
Battestini and / appeared together
people came to congratulate me.
was very tired. and fear that was
brusque. From my dressing room
they went next door to Battestinis.
! could hear him welcoming them
genially. and saying just the right
thing to every one. And he must
have been as tired as !. So said
to myself: "Hackett. take a lesson
from that man. He is bigger than
you. Instead of being brusque. he
is interested and friendly" A sing
er's career must be of the stage as
well as on IL.
Before going to Italy TO sing in
! opera all my preliminary vocal
training had been made in America.
Worcester. Mass, is my birthplace,
and from boyhood / sang. My first
engagements were at the Arlington
Street Church in Boston and then St.
Thomas. New York. Soon after this
/ voyaged to Italy. studying roper
tory only for time at Florence with
the famed lombard. Presently my
operatic debut came at Pavia, near
Milan.
My next engagement was at Genoa,
where / made a really wonderful
success that carried me straight to
the goal desired by every tenor, the
stage of La Scala at Milan. Before
those happy days arrived. an anus
ing experience occurred. and of the
kind that may come plentifully to
an aspirant before people have
learned to believe in him.
A New Interpretation.
But once in my life had / seen a
I performance OF Rossini's Barber OF
Seville" And in that one a bleating
tenor as Count Almaviva had not
predisposed me toward the opera. BY
! chance l picked up the score OF il in
an Italian music shop. and glancing
through the pages. thought what
| fine vocalises some Of those things
would make for me. My voice is
vibrant and robust. To my surprise.
the fiorid music of Count Almaviva's
role. which at first went a little
muddy, came out so finely that IL
fascinated me. Then and there the
| idea seized me to sing the counts
role in the Barber"
In Italy IL seems this role had
been claimed from time immemorial
| by peewee tenors OF the gently
warbling kind. This 1 did not then
know. But the fact would not in
the least have changed my intention
/ to sing its lovely music. However
to announce myself as an enthusi-
astic claimant of Count Almaviva's
part carried with IL no great recon-
mendation.
In those days I had TO go after
engagements, instead of having
them brought to me. Hearing from
| a manager that a tenor was needed
at Genoa, / went with him for a try
out of my powers. When / arrived
for the seance, the very first remark
/ made came near to wrecking the
situation.
What would you like to sing?'
asked the manager. settling back to
listen as the accompanist took his
place at the piano.
Something from the Barber" ]
answered. promptly.
What is this?" Queried the opera
director, disgustedly, of the agent
who had brought about our meeting.
II tell you I want a tenor to sing
'Boheme.' and you bring me one who
talks about the Barber"
The agent well knowing the spine-
less type of tenor joying in Alma
viva, and with perhaps visions of his
vanishing percent IL l failed of an
engagement whispered, angrily,
why did you say anything about
the Barber"
Well, let IL be something else,
then. Suppose I sing an aria from
'Mefistofele.' Ny proposition met
with approval. 1 sang that aria and
some others. Then 1 was engaged
Now let me sing something from
the Barber" / persisted.
With resignation and a general air
Of IF you must, you must" the man
ager consented. Before / had fin
ished they all walked up. At Genoa
the Barber OF Seville" was put into
performance for me. and IL brought
splendid success. That same opera
was destined to bring me yet anoth-
er musical adventure. In the course
of those early days OF mine in opera
Pini-Corsi. a genuine artist in Buffo
roles. as he so long proved himself
at the Metropolitan, undertook a
tour through Italy, where he was a
great favorite. The opera selected
by him was the Barber" / was en-
gagged for Almaviva. The tour was
to include Parma PiacenIa and a lot
of other places where people know
their opera scores by heart. And II
those people are net pleased. the
singer gets the lemon, literally.
In the FIRST performance of the
! tour had to repeat every aria Of