Evening star., 1936-02-23
bellboy in a New York hotel-not
Bentonelli's hotel.

DCAlUOy AL a 4NCW VI = AlOVC1-A4OS
Bentonelli's hotel.
LIS voice has something, assuredly,
= beyond the technical perfection
that wins the acclaim of music
critics; his voice has something that
goes beyond the assiduous develop
ment Of native talent. His voice
or perhaps it is Bentonelli. His voice
and Bentonelli, who lets "Old Lady
Fate do it because she has the edu.
cation"
Fate brought him to New York
before the scheduled date of his audi
ton. He told me about it, his knee
tucked under him and his hands
moving excitedly, with characteristic
animation.
"On the I'd of January" he said,
II had just finished singing at the
funeral of my old friend, the dean
of the University of Oklahoma, when
I received telegram asking me to
come to New York to sing on COM
mercial radio program with Lawrence
Tibbett. I wired him I would come.
That was how it happened that
made my debut on the night when I
was supposed, originally, to arrive in
New York-January 10th.
MY doing? Not bit Of it! Old
Lady Fate. She has done many star
ting things for me in my life. Once
she delayed me so long that I missed
a train. That train was wrecked
few minutes later and II passengers
were killed.
"On another occasion I had agreed
to sing in South America tour of
opera-at several thousand pesos a
month These matters of contract
had to be arranged in designated CEN
tiers, in Rome or Milan. When went
to sign-and remember, my passage
was already booked learned Of the
deviation from the gold standard that
would have made by salary useless.
In fact, I had friend who was
stranded. with steamship companies
refusing to accept the currency Of
the country. What did I do? I de-
cided on the spur Of the moment to
return to America. Again, whose de-
cision was it? Fate's-and she proved
it was her doing, for when returned
to the hotel found two cablegrams
for me from home. urging my return
at once because of my fathers illness.
1T Cancelled passage to South Amer.
lea and I went. It meant two seasons
with the Chicago Opera Co. That, in
turn, meant the telegram from Tib-
bett. and that, in turn, meant my ar.
rival in New York and my Metropoli-
tan addition. Nobody's doing-just
the starting of a series of events. And
after the addition, Fate again.
IT HAD sung behind the binding,
= impersonal footlights Of the Met
the day before. The next morning !
received a telephone call to come to
the Office of Mr.. Edward johnson.
the manager, at once. Richard Crooks
was suffering from congested throat.
He and Charles Hackett are the only
tenors at the Met who sing the
role of Des Grieux in Massenet's
''Manon." Mr.. Hackett was in Mem
| phis, Tenn, fulfilling a concert en-
gagement. "Manon" had been an.
nounced, with Lucrezia Bori singing
the leading feminine role.
"Mr. johnson asked me If I could
sing Des Grieux, in French. But ]
hesitated. I knew if I didn't put 1t
across I would always be. both here
and abroad, that tenor who topped
at the Met I asked Mr.. johnson to
let his conductors hear me through
the entire role and that I would 60
on if they said so after hearing it. ]
had sung Des Grieux countless times,
but always in Italian, with the excep-
ton of one occasion when took the
place of Mario Chamlee for the Chi
cago Opera Co. Then it was the first
time I had sung it in French for six
years. To learn q new role would
have been easier. There would have
been no prior mental grooves"
When Louis Hasselmans, one Of the
conductors who attended that trial
performance on the roof-stage Of the
Metropolitan Opera House, heard the
last note die away, he pronounced
Bentonelli's tenor voice marvellous"
MIR. Johnson not only signed the
young Oklahoman up for the role OF
Des Grieux-to be sung, mind you
the following night-but he also
signed him up for the rest of the Met
ropolitan season.
II didn't know any one in the cast
when I went up on that roof" Ben.
toneli told me. "Lucrezia Bori, who
was to sing the next night, was not
present and Suzanne Fisher stood in
for her. Miss Fisher had sung 'Ma.
DANA Butterfly the night before and
was so hoarse she could scarcely speak
let alone sing Boris role. I had had
my addition only the day before. Ny
mind was concerned with remem-
brance Of the Italian role. And Mr.
johnson, fine soul that he Is, under
stood my difficulties. In fact he out.
lined them to the cast and he sale
something I shall never forget: q
want all Of ycu tomorrow night Il
help hold his hands up.'"
It is Bentonelli's opinion, frankly
expressed, that every one interested
in the destiny OF good music snoule
help hold Up the hands of Edwart
johnson. too. in what the young am
progressive new manager Of the Met
ropolitan Is accomplishing.