The Washington herald., 1921-08-14

force themselves to do what I did
then. because they will get no re-
ward for 1t. / have never gotten
consideration from impresarios. !
undertook what 1 did to bring
money into the theater; had not
sung so often the company would
have gone bankrupt. In Munich, in
Nuremberg and in Breslau, where
We had sung. was pronouncea the
greatest living baritone. These re-
ports preceded me to Leipsic, where
l arrived exhausted from unceasing
work and travel. For the nrst time
On that hard tour 1 refused to sing.
Another baritone was put on in my
place. Ny name instead of his.
however, was printed on the pro-
gram and no explanation given that
l was not singing.
After the performance, audience
and cities of that musical city went
away in rage and disappointment,
thinking they had heard me. Next
morning 1, or rather my name, was
severely handled. My wife, who
spoke better German than did /,
wrote an explanation to the papers,
to it. The theater remained almost
empty for the rest OF our engage
ment. 1t does not pay to do those
things, and in the end the impress
srio ruined himself by his greed.
The fortunes of the company, wan
ing at Leipsic, vanished at Prague,
where 1t was disbanded.
Later, in that same Germany
where 1 had toiled almost to the
breaking point for 900 marks a
month, received 5000 marks
rightly, while yet another contract
for 1914, which I was not able to
fulhll owing to the world war,
called for 4,500 marks for each per-
Iormance. Again, along the same
lines and as tangible token of my
growing fame, in my first South
American engagement / was paid
$500 francs for twelve performances
a month; in my NTH and last year
there I got 1900 francs nightly, or
double the amount which l had re-
ceived for an entire month during
my first engagement.
With my debut in Milan at La
Scala in 1906 began my world car
reer. Very early in it, though, a
sad happening came to me on that
same La Scala stage, where. during
performance, my voice left me.
In almost hopeless days that fol-
lowed. days, too, when want and
hunger stared US in the face and
my devoted wife stood always
bravely beside me, there was one
friend whose sympathetic interest
and encouragem mt never failed.
the great conductor Toscanini. AL
hn col
would be well. His prophecy, thank
God. came true In perfect voice
returned to that same stage on
which my life had seemed to end
Presently South America called me
to its shores, and then. fourteen
years ago. the happines of reaching
the United States was mine.
feel myself an American. For
long time to come I shall not re-
tire But when the day arrives I
nave in mind a plan by which I
hope to be of help to American
music students. and to show my
gratitude to the country which has
granted me so many wonderful emo
tions. And this America 1t was that
gave me the possibility of looking
forward to old age with tranquil
content. shall always have a
piece of bread to eat which / shall
eve to the American people.
The war. to me, was a very ter
rible thing, constant anxiety Tor my
four brothers who were in IL added
to the long strain through which I
have passed. My nerves need rest.
am going to go back to Italt to
get II. But I do not go to stay.
Nothing on the other side could
tempt me to do that. 1t is back
here that shall come, and to the
people who have made this land
home to me.