New-York tribune., 1922-12-10

ters OF Opera" page 27); There is
something Of puzzle in the fact that
in the midst OF her first triumph the
girl should have married NJ. Maiibran,
who was only apparently wealthy, was
surely forty-three years her senior, and
of a nation which was bound to de-
velop lack Of sympathy and eongeni-
slity between the pair. The popular
version OF the story Of her marriage
is that she was forced into IL by her
father. and it is more than intimated
that he was induced TO act as he did
by the promise Of 100000 francs made
by Malibran as a compensation for the
loss Of Of his daughters services Did
Garcia oppose his daughters marriage
and did she wlfully have her own way
In a matter in which she was scarcely
proper judge? Or was the marriage
repugnant to her and was she saeri-
feed to her fathers selfishness? I
cannot tell, but 1t has been limited that
there was danger OF her marrying a
member Of the orchestra in London
before she came TO New York. and II
Is ss like as not that the affair Mali
bran was Of her own wishing" We
thought we had made a shrewd guess
at the truth when ten years after the
book was written we found the fol-
lowing remark in Josiah Quincy's
Figures Of the Past" Che Is speaking
Of the frst season Of Italian opera in
New York;; Il will also spare the
reader any enthusiasm over Garcia in
opera, who cast lsnguishing glances at
the box Of Mr. Malibran, a gentleman
OF hfty 20 whom she Is engaged" The
gentleman Of fifty must have been
older than that II we were correct in
saying that he was forty-three Maria
FelicitA's senior.
We are inclined TO be skeptieal about
some of Nine Calves "reminiscences Of
her first days az the Metropolitan
Opera House in New York She says
that despite her personal triumph in
"Cavalleria Rusticana" (in which opera
she made her New York debut in No
vember 20. 1899. the work was not
liked. and that the directors OF tho
metropolitan Opera House insisted
upon her appearing in an Italian YER
sion Of Carmen" She wanted to sing
1t in French, but there was no tenor TO
sing the part Of Don Jose in French,
and she had TO appeal TO Coquelin 70
persuade Jean de Reszke TO undertake
the role. though it was not in his rep
ertore. The opera may not have been
in NJ. de Reszke's contract, but 1t GER
tainly was In his repertory, for he had
sung Il in Paris With Emma Eames,
fresh from her Paris studies; Jean de
Reszke and Lassalle in the company
of Abbey & Grsu il seems strange
that the help Of NJ. Coquelin should
have been necessary to save Carmen
from being performed in Italian.
Another aneedote Of the period
pioues our curiosity. Nine. Calye re-
lates that one night, when she was to
sing il "Cavalleria Rusticana,' Salig-
nae. the tenor, took i'll, and she was
persuaded TO 90 into the performance
without seeing his substitute. When
she saw him on the stage, in the pres
ence Of the public, she found TO her
horror that she was to sing her love
and jealousy to hunchback. What
to do? o, admirable presence OF
mindl She made him sit down while
she sang, and as this somewhat con
cealed his dfarhshness all went we'll
and the hunchback wept tears OF graft
tude over his artistic salvation. BUY
what kind Of figure did a hunchbacked
Turridu cut before Santuzza got him
into n chair or on the church steps
And does anybody remember a hunch-
backed substitute for Salignac at the
METROPOLITAN Opera House? Our OLD
statistical friend "A. E. G. should
come TO our rescue or Nine. Calves.
A fortnight ago we disclosed the
quality of Nine. Calves narrative
powers in q story about the mistaken
and perfunctory honors paid to her
dressing maid in Venice. There are q
score more tales equally vivid WIN
,,hich she illuminates the record OF her
triumphs. all Of which may be reaa
With Measure and proht-of KIND
Instead Of quoting some OF them' "
seems 70 US best for the sake oi De-
lievinq veterans and ineredulous nov,
ices in operas going to print some u
her comments on her colleagues A' s"'
Metropolitan Opera House twenty-five
years ago;
"How many artists Of the very hrie w.
- there were in this remaIkaDle
oarnnarvI Jean de Reszke, the unioI-
,ottsble master Of the art OF slhsiHs
',,hose stvle and finish have never oee.
ecnnlcd He was the Romeo OF cue
Sreares the ideal Lohengrin, the per
feet Siegfried. ~. o,oriops
,,oice was his brother. Both admlra,
HE singers, they were an UNI 80
ns;r each the complement Of the otheI'
aMarcella Sembrieh, marvellous
singer. impeccable vocalist in the arr
Of bel canto, has left in the memory
~ ali those who had the privilege OF
Ss.rino her an impression Of perfect
nvscptIon in all the coloratura roles
ssh;cb she so admirably interpreted.
aMelba. whose pure voice scared hAe
sLvlark. intimate Of heaven.
aIilli Lehman, that noble sihget'
whose authoritative style, selentlne
knowledge and perfection ooth ID sihs-
hAo" .f.., .rorteed .he admiration