The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-02

an American flag huge in diameter of American beauties and other flowers which was hoisted on the stage-a gift to the beloved prima donna. She is in splendid voice now" That was the evening she kissed your cheek-eh?" l asked teasingly
 "Si-si" answered MT Scotti-and veering from the subject he said: "Yes, the New York papers are full of the stories that Farrar will be under the management as an actress of MT. Belasco."
 And Jeritza and Chaliapia?" I in- qulred and their great successes and the realism of the former as 'Floria Tosca' to your Baron Scarpia?'"
 "Yes, Jeritza is a great artist with all that Viennesse fervor and fire-and she is very beautiful. Chal- iapin--seven feet high and measur- ing above his own head his hands aloft Is ever so much higher than I am-ah, he is a wonderful artist his Boris'-a great achievement
 And your opera company" l asked.
 My orchestra-under Gennaro Papi-is beautiful; picked from the very best of the Metropolitan-a perfect gem. You know the Metro politan opera orchestra-like every thing that Gatti has anything to do with 1t is wonderful. Ah-Gatti is a great man; a gentleman from the crown of his head to the sole of his feet-his father great sena- tor in Italy---he is cultured and re- ba for ney. No, no, no; it is art with him,'
 "Yes-I have many young singers in my company fresh, youthful voices-and the little girl just six years old-who does the childs part in IfOracolo' is wonder. She knows the story as well as any grown person and runs to me jumping into my arms and says: MT Scotti when do we play again?' She's darlins'
 And then the conversation veered round to our mutual late beloved friend Enrico Caruso-and when l tell you that the pathos of MT Scottis love for his lifelong friend was so touching--so appealing-that scarcely dared tread on such sacred ground-you will know that all or the 23 years which Scotti has sung at the Metropolitan and the l9 years that CaruSO SdHS iiicl w sS O PNAA in their lives which cemented friendship which was without Jeal- ousy and without ripple on the face of the waters.
 Scotti,s eyes were moist as he said:
 "Alaws 1t hurts me so to talk or e.aruso: he was so dear to me-more like a brother-and miss him more than can ever say. We were pals he always called me 'Toto-from the very beginning of our friendship, z4 wears ago. It was what you Amer cans call his nickname for me. Goo I seem even now to hear that dear voice. as he used to slap me on the hack in one of his jocular moods! Yes. it was 24 years ago. Both or us are native sons of Naples, but It was in Milan we met. l was singing III La Scala, my first season there' Curiously enough, it was the HTS. year of Giulio Gatti-CasazZa as oi- rector of La SL9la and also the HTS. season in which Arturo Toscanini conducted in that opera house. We were producing Die Meistersinger, German opera, but we sang 1t Tn Italian.
 "From that time until his death we were always together-always sing : ing together both on the stage anu in the phonograph.
 mentioned to MT. Scotti just here my favorite of all the "Scotti-Caruso records the duet from La Forza aei Destinos and he said:
 "Yes. that" said he was our great est duet. though we sang many others m opera together. It may seem strange to you, but we never sang if in the opera La Forza del Destino. The opera itself did not particularly appeal to us, but the duet became one of our great features In concert
 My God. the people went crazy over it. In London, we had to sing II. before the king and queen ana the