Garcia the Centenarian And His Times Part 26

As to the preface, I will see what I can add. It seems to me, if I am not mistaken, that Mr Ascherberg has the intention of adding an editorial preface to the work, with the idea of increasing the sale. That, I think, would be a mistake. Praise, if the book merits it, must come from without, unless one wishes to turn it into blame.

Send me, not those proofs which I have, but the corrected pages, including those in which I have corrected the accompaniments, and the whole shall be returned to you without delay. We shall be back again on the 18th (September), and if you care to come to me on the 19th we will prepare the index.--Bien a vous,

M. GARCIA.

"By the middle of October the work was complete and ready for the press.

However, a delay occurred, in consequence of the necessity for waiting until an American edition had been printed and published in accordance with copyright requirements. The dear old master grew a trifle impatient, although he knew the cause:--

_Translation._

DEAR FRIEND,--Business having called me back to town, I paid you a visit at your house, but did not find you at home. No other cause led me to do this than the simple curiosity to know what has become of the 'Hints.' I suppose Mr Ascherberg is having them prepared for publication in America? If you have time, send me a line.--Mes amities!

M. GARCIA.

"Eventually the 'Hints on Singing' were published in the last week of January 1895. The reception of the book generally afforded pleasure to its venerable author, and he was particularly gratified by the long notice of it which appeared in 'The Sunday Times.' Hence the note here appended. The one that follows it was elicited by some remarks concerning the 'real' inventor of the laryngoscope, which I, in due course, answered in the columns of my journal.

_Translation._

'MON ABRI,' CRICKLEWOOD.

MY DEAR MR KLEIN,--I owe you double thanks, first, for the cordial congratulations brought by your telegram, and again for the flattering article in 'The Sunday Times': two friendly emanations which have been greatly appreciated by the inhabitants of 'Mon Abri.' I trust your family are all well. Here we are in the best of health, and unite in warmest regards to you and yours, wis.h.i.+ng you all the prosperity that you can desire!--Tout a vous de cur,

M. GARCIA.

_Translation._

MY DEAR FRIEND,--Since you wish to come to the aid of the artistic reputation of the 'maestro di bel canto,' be good enough also to favour his scientific reputation by saying that he invented the laryngoscope, and that the Laryngological Society of London created him an honorary member.

Ascherberg would like me to do something to push the sale of the 'Hints.' What can I do?

This little book has given you more trouble than it deserves, and I am sorry on your account.--Tout a vous cordialement,

M. GARCIA.

"Acknowledging another notice of the book:--

_Translation._

'MON ABRI,' CRICKLEWOOD.

DEAR MR KLEIN,--Thanks a hundred times for the exceedingly flattering article you sent me. Let us hope, for the sake of the sale, that the public will accept your point of view. If Mr Ascherberg should think of bringing out a new edition (when need arises), I will point out two or three errors which still exist, even in the 'corrected' copies I have received. I had already altered them in proof, but they were inadvertently left in.

What frightful weather! I dare not go out any more. I hope you and your family are well.--Tout a vous,

M. GARCIA."

Here Mr Klein's contribution ends.

Two months after the publication of 'Hints on Singing' the subject of our memoir completed his ninetieth year, and with this the feeling was borne in upon him that at last he might enter on a less strenuous life.

Accordingly in the following September he relinquished his professors.h.i.+p, and members.h.i.+p on the Committee of Management at the Royal Academy of Music, and thereby severed a connection of nearly half a century. Already a middle-aged man when he first took up his work at the Academy under Cipriani Potter, he saw him succeeded as Princ.i.p.al in turn by Charles Lucas, Sterndale Bennett, Sir George Macfarren, and finally Sir Alexander Mackenzie, who was holding the position at the time of his retirement. Allowing for a possible break of a month or two, Senor Manuel Garcia was actively engaged in teaching singing at Tenterden Street for the long period of forty-seven years. The Chevalier Alberto Randegger, who was his colleague on the staff for the greater part of this time, sent me the following letter:--

"Although Senor Garcia and myself have been good colleagues for many years at the R.A.M., he was, as you know, so reserved, modest, and retiring that very, very few people were by him allowed to approach or frequent his society on very intimate terms."

What of musical London during the twenty years preceding Garcia's retirement from the Academy? Let us recall some of the artists who were most prominently before the public, and the more important musical events which were taking place in the operatic field. The glance need only be a brief one, for with the last quarter of the nineteenth century we are among events which are within the ken of most people.

With 1875, the year after Sarasate's _debut_, we find three events worthy of note. There took place the first performance in London of "Lohengrin," with Albani as Elsa, Cotogni as Telramund, and Nicolini in the t.i.tle part. Then in the following September the Carl Rosa Opera Company appeared in the capital for the first time at the Princess's Theatre. Lastly, during the season there was heard at Drury Lane a young Polish singer, who met with emphatic success in baritone parts such as Don Giovanni, Nevers, Valentine, and Almaviva. He appeared then under the name of "De Reschi": eventually he was to return and take the town by storm as Jean de Rezke.

Two years later we hear of the _debut_ of Gerster, and of Gazarre, a Spanish tenor, who bridges over the interval between the retirement of Mario and the advent of his famous successor.

In this year, moreover, Richard Wagner came to England to take part in the series of Wagner Festival concerts, which had been arranged with a view to paying off the debt on the new theatre at Bayreuth.

1878, in which the deaths of Charles Mathews and Frederick Gye are chronicled, is important for the London production of Bizet's "Carmen"

on June 22. Hermann Klein went to this _premiere_ in the company of Garcia, and in his reminiscences has set down an interesting description of the evening. On the distributing of the parts for "Carmen," Campanini returned the _role_ of Don Jose, stating that he could not undertake a part where he had no romance and no love duet except with the seconda donna. Shortly afterwards Del Puente, the baritone, declined the part of Escamillo, saying it must have been intended for one of the chorus; while Mdlle. Valleria suggested Michaela should also be given to one of the chorus. For some time things were at a standstill, till at length the princ.i.p.als were, by persuasions and threats, induced to attend a rehearsal, and all began to take a fancy to their _roles_, and in due course the opera was announced.

The receipts for the first two or three nights were miserable, and Mapleson had to resort to the same sort of expedients as in "Faust" for securing an enthusiastic reception, knowing that after a few nights it would be sure to become a favourite.

"It was no easy matter for a performance at the opera to satisfy the maestro in these days," writes Hermann Klein; "the singing rarely pleased him in comparison with the part. Upon my reminding him that 'Carmen' had been nearly a failure at the Opera Comique in Paris three years before--'I know,' he replied; 'and the poor composer died of a broken heart three months later. That is the way France generally treats rising talent, including her own. I place little value on the opinion of Paris about a new work.'

"Garcia was enthusiastic over the opera. The subject and treatment appealed to him to a singular degree, while the story he thought intensely dramatic, and was astonished and delighted at the Spanish colour in the music."

During the same year the Gatti brothers gave a series of Promenade Concerts at Covent Garden, with Sullivan conducting.

We may note here a piece of theatrical news. In December Ellen Terry first appeared at the Lyceum under Irving's management, taking the part of Ophelia in that memorable production of "Hamlet." 1879 sees the Italian Opera season given under Ernest Gye (whose father had died from the effects of a gun accident in the previous December), and the superb Jean La.s.salle is added to the company. Concert-goers find an interesting fact in this year in the establishment of the famous Richter Concerts.

These were the outcome of the Wagner Festival of two years before, and were announced for this preliminary season as a series of three "Orchestral Festival Concerts."

With 1880 comes the _debut_ of the great ba.s.so, Edouard de Rezke, as Indra in "Le Roi de Lah.o.r.e."

Next year Anton Rubinstein was in London for the production of his opera, "The Demon."

In 1882 (bringing with it the death of Wagner), we may examine the list of stars at the Opera House once more, so as to note what names have disappeared, and by whom the gaps have been filled. Among the fair s.e.x we find Patti, Albani, Trebelli, Sembrich, Valleria, and Lucca, who had returned after ten years' absence; while the men include Gazare, Mierzwinski, Faure, Maurel, Nicolini, Soulacroix, and La.s.salle. 1882 was further noteworthy as London's great Wagner year, for details of which I am once more indebted to Mr Klein.

"Early in the year a troupe had been formed by Herr Neumann for the purpose of performing 'Der Ring des Nibelungen' in the leading cities of Germany, Austria, Holland, England, and Italy. The months of May and June were chosen for the London visit, and Her Majesty's Theatre was engaged. In all, four cycles of the tetralogy were given. The casts included not a few of the famous artists who had taken part in the initial performance of the 'Ring' at Bayreuth in 1876--among them Niemann, Unger, the Vogls, Hill, Schlosser, and Lilli Lehmann (who sang 'Woglinde,' 'Helmwige,' and the 'Bird' music); with Reicher-Kindermann as _Brunhilde_, while Anton Seidl conducted."

During the same month Herr Pollini arranged with Augustus Harris for a series of performances at Drury Lane, by the entire troupe of the Hamburg Opera House, and with the very popular Viennese _chef d'orchestre_, Hans Richter, as conductor.

The Hamburg artists comprised at the time several who were to earn world-wide reputations.

"Imagine the advantage of hearing 'Tristan und Isolde' and 'Die Meistersinger' for the first time," writes Mr Klein, "with such a n.o.ble singer and actress as Rosa Sucher, as 'Isolde' and 'Ena'; with such a glorious 'Tristan' and 'Walther' as Brangaene, with that fine baritone, Gura, as 'Konig Marke' and 'Hans Sachs!'"

In 1883 there are two new productions at Covent Garden, Boito's "Mefistofele" and Ponchielli's "La Gioconda." Then, again, Joseph Maas makes his _debut_ in Grand Opera as Lohengrin, while Carl Rosa inaugurates his first season at Drury Lane, and brings to a hearing two new operas by English composers,--the "Esmeralda" of Goring Thomas and the "Colomba" of Sir Alexander Mackenzie.

In 1884, the year of Sir Michael Costa's death, the great names are Patti, Albani, Lucca, Tremelli, and Edouard de Rezke.

In the next year Mapleson is once more in command, and the season closes with the presentation of a diamond bracelet to Adelina Patti, in commemoration of her twenty-fifth consecutive season at Covent Garden.

In 1886 Ella Russell made her _debut_, while both the Abbe Liszt and Rubinstein paid their last visits to England. It was on this visit that Rubinstein gave that wonderful series of seven historical concerts at the St James's Hall, which realised no less than 6000 gross receipts.