The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-12-26
SCOTT, IDOL
OF OPERA, TO
QUIT JAN. 20
Famed Baritone Asserts He
Wants to Give Youth
a Chance.
WILL RETIRE TO ITALY
Friendship With Caruso Is
Beacon Light in Career
of Singer.

of Singer.
BIZ Times Special
NEW YORK, Dec 26.-Scotti, thu
beloved villain of opera, has sad
dened New York with the an.
nouncement that he is going to re.
tire. Like Farrar and handful O
other famous singers in the past, ht
plans to quit while still at the
height of his powers.
His organ-like baritone will las
be heard at the Metropolitan Jan
20, according to his present plans
On that afternoon ne will be once
more his favorite villain-Chim.
Fen, the opium den maestro o.
Franco Leoni's "L'Oracola."
Then the stage of the Met, tt
which ne calne in 1889, will see anc
hear him 40 more. Instead, on the
eve of his sixty-seventh birthday
anniversary which falls on Jan. Is
he will retire to spend his summers
at Lake Como in his native ITALY
and his winters at the beloved Ma
pies of his birth.
Close Fried of Caruso
He made the announcement in
his apartment at the Vanderbilt,
which he has occupied ever since
his old friend CaruSo died. The two
had formed one of the great friend
ships of the operate world.
For many years they had occu-
pied corner suites on the eighth and
ninth floors of the old Knicker-
booker in Times Square.
When the Knickerbocker was
RACED they moved together to the
Vanderbilt. And when Caruso lay
dying there Scott was in constant
attendance at his bedside.
Frequently he FASTENED from the
Metropolitan stage in costume and
grease paint in order not to waste
a precious minute away from his
bosom friend.
only year ago, on his sixty-fifth
birthday, Scott was pooh pooling
the idea of retirement. It was not
for a man in the full tide of his
powers. But today he was looking
at is differently.
l want to retire to time" he said.
and give the young people a
chance"
English Still Broken
Thirty-three years at the Met
nave not conventionalized the IA
nous baritone's English.
If [ learn the good Engleesh. -
he once remarked, my friends saw
This is no Scotti.'"
In a way, the remark was a kew
note to the characteristics which
endeared Antonio Scott to the
singers Of his own world and the
host of other friends he has ac-
CURED during his perennial seasons
of life in New York.
into his retirement, Scott will
take gallery of unmatched memo
RES where he may stroll, recalling
OLD days and friends and triumphS
Born in Naples
They date back to those youthful
Gays in Naples, where he was born
on Jan. Is, 1866, and to the house
oVerhoW1ng with seven children. of
whom he alone remains. He was
destined for the priesthood. but his
love of drama and song carried him
past the black robe to the stage.
His father, still alive-the picture
OF him, muStached, with a heavy
gold chain across his chest. hangs
on the Vanderbilt hotel apartment
Walls-used to tell him to stop that
noise when he sang around the
house.
He lived to see his son become the
most famous baritone of the world
His mother, likewise living. heard
him in opera only once. She Travelled
IRON Naples to Rome to hear his
Falstaff.
Mother Sheds Tears
Il get her a box near the STAGE
so she won't miss anything" Scotti
once said Then when everybody
is laughing at Falstaff, I look IN
Ihere she is crying
Another door in the gallery of
memories swings wide on the bril-
liant night in 1898 when Scott made
his debut at La Scala in Milan
Jointly with Giulio Gatti-Casazza.
and Arturo Toscanini.
He sang the lead in Die Meister-
singer. The next year he came to
the Met, where he has been the
great baritone standby ever since.
All the great of the opera world
we're his friends--Jean and Edouard
de ReSzke, Nordica, Sembrich. Milka
4ernlna, CaruSo-a golden roster.
Of most of them he has vivid
recollectionS.
De Reszke Was Friend
1t was Edouard de Reszke who
was a father to him when he ar
rived young stranger, nervous
over his debut.
But of all his friendships. that
with Caruso was greatest. He re-
cauS that their careers ran parallel
Tor 1t was when he was a little
known singr struggling up in Italy
that CaruSo was singing at a sec
ond-rate opera house in Naples, and
sometimes being Missed.
In fact. Scott arrived at fame
before CaruSo, and used to urge
impresarios to go hear the young
tenor sing.