The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1936-01-21

tan engagement was worth the
agOnieS of SeaSic ness. Even the
encouragement of my young
bride availed nothing. But since
then we have made over 40 trips
across the Atlantic and have
turned into much better sailors
than we started out.
The Metropolitan in the old
days put on opera il. the grand
style. Such names as Media, Far.
rar. CaruSo, otti graced the
weekly programs; Toscanini stood
at the conductors podium and
Gatti was known as GiuliuS the
Silent, communicating his plans
to no one. But We singers were
gay! After the opera we all used
to gather at Del PeZzoS on West
Fortieth Street, where CaruSo
would roar his commands about
how the spaghetti was to be pre-
pared, and dash off some of his
famous caricatures On the menu
and the tablecloth while waiting
for the antipasti. l myself am a
great spaghetti enthusiast, and
still use a precious recipe for a
meat sauce which Caruso taught
me. On day at Del Pezzos Scotti
and had a great Set-to as to the
amount of cheese to be used on
the spaghetti. which threatened
to disrupt the harmony of ''Tosca"
which we were tc sing that eve
ming. Finally my wife interviewed
and somehow convinced us that
we were both right. Tenors' wives
are accustomed to playing the role
Of Portia.
NV wife has had to fill so
many roles in this half.contin-
entail, haIf-American life that
we live. We still keep our home
in Rome and spend the Summer
months there and on the Lido,
where my children love the mag
nificent bathing and boating in
the Adriatic. But America was
the birthplace of my three chill.
dren, and the American side Of
their lives is equally important.
Bettina, my oldest daughter.
was educated in this country
and last year made her debut at
a party I gave her at the Wal
dorf-AstOria. But although she
is only 10, she is Italian
enough to have completely en-
shaved a young lawyer in Rome,
Mario LibOtte. son of one of my
greatest friends. and they are
to be married in the Spring. As
for my other children, Antonio
is II. Giovanni is 81 don't
want musical careers for them
one singer in a family is plenty,
my wife SayS-but do want for
both of them the type of active.
vital lives which their American
education and spOrt-filled boy
hood is fitting them for.
My man Friday Naomio Guidi,
who comes to every performance
with me, reverts to the old 1tal'
ian superstitions whenever 1 sing
the role of EleaZar in La Juive."
To Guidi the role has i'll omen,
because it was during the singing
of Eleazar's lament in that opera
that Caruso collapsed, and never
sang again. Even for me, Eleazar
has been hoodoo role. for once l
fell i'll of typhoid fever just after
singing the aria. Hence Guidi,
who is as intense in his supersti.
lions as he is in his art of spa
ghetti making. carries the tiny
cross of st. Filipino. the patron
saint Of the sick in Italy, and
kisses it fervently before begin
to sing. But the role has had good
omen for me, too, for I have had
great success in it, and in the
character of Eleazar lies an op-
portunity for intense dramatic eX-
preston. which 1 like.
Another of my favOrite roles
is that of the heroic Cavara-
dOSsi in "TOsca," a part which
used to sing with the lovely
Geraldine Farrar, and which
last year 1 sang for the first
time with the radiant Austrian
soprano, LOtte Lehman. Far
rar has -.IwayS been one of my
friends, and I revere her lowell
ness and musicianship now as I
always did; l knew her as
young girl; I heard her debut
performance and sang at the Op-
era with her for many years.
Things certainly have changed
for opera singers since my early
ADVANCEMENT