The Mapleson Memoirs, 1848-1888 Volume I Part 24

An Interval of Half an Hour.

PART II.

Trio--Qual Volutta (Lombardi) _Verdi._ Mdme. Fursch-Madi, Signor Frapolli, and Signor Gala.s.si.

Cavatina--"n.o.bil Signor" (Huguenots) _Meyerbeer._ Mdme. Scalchi.

Romanza--O tu bel astro (Tannhauser) _Wagner._ Signor Gala.s.si.

a{Air--"Pur dicesti" _Lotti._ b{Song--"Robin Adair" ---- Madame Albani.

The White House.

February 28, 1883.

At the conclusion of the concert a splendid supper was served in the banqueting hall. As I had to attend upon no less than five ladies, the President observed at the close of the feast that I had had nothing to eat myself. He, therefore, gave orders that on the departure of the guests another supper should be served, at which he occupied the chair.

The repast was really of the first order. It was interspersed with excellent Veuve Clicquot, and the President afterwards ordered in cigars and related to me some most interesting anecdotes of his earlier career.

He also gave me an account of the alarm felt at New York when one Sunday the _Merrimac_ was expected to come up the bay in order to levy contributions on the city; there being no powder in the forts and but few cannon b.a.l.l.s, all of the wrong calibre. Fortunately she met the _Monitor_, who soon gave a good account of her.

We gave a grand _matinee_ the following day, with Patti as "La Traviata," when people paid even for standing in the pa.s.sages, where they could only occasionally hear sounds.

At the close of the morning performance our special train started for Boston, where we arrived late the next day.

Here further calculations were made in the daily papers as to the value of Patti's notes, _Semiramide_ showing 30 cents. for every note she sang, whilst in "Lucia" the rate of 42 1/2 cents. per note was reached.

We afterwards performed _Faust_ with Albani, and some of the grand operas, such as _L'Africaine_, _Les Huguenots_, _Lohengrin_, and _Aida_.

Towards the close of our engagement Wagner's _Flying Dutchman_ was given for the first time on the Italian stage at Boston.

A rather startling event occurred during the first act on the arrival of the Phantom s.h.i.+p, which, after sweeping gracefully round, broadside to the audience, suddenly capsized, casting the Dutchman and his crew promiscuously on to the stage, the masts going straight across the occupants of the stalls and the sails covering Arditi, who was then at the desk.

At this juncture loud screams were heard. They came from the wife of the princ.i.p.al baritone, who, witnessing the accident, had fears for her husband's safety. The choristers, who were thrown pell-mell into the water, and on to their stomachs, began with a great deal of tact to strike out as if swimming, until--as soon as possible--the curtain was lowered. The s.h.i.+p was soon set on its keel again, but nothing could induce Gala.s.si to board the vessel.

At the close of the Boston engagement, which was highly successful, we returned to New York, where we remained some five weeks, performing a different opera almost nightly.

About this time I learned that the Was.h.i.+ngton and Lee University for promoting higher education in the South was in great need of funds. I, therefore, notified General Lilly, of Virginia, who had been interested in that inst.i.tution for years, my willingness to a.s.sist by giving a miscellaneous performance for that purpose. A committee of distinguished ladies was formed to superintend the distribution of the tickets, including Mrs. General Dix, Mrs. Franklin Edson, Mrs. August Belmont, Mrs. G. Rives, Mrs. Livingstone, Mrs. Jay, Mrs. Pierre Lorillard, Mrs.

Frederick Kernochan, Mrs. Henry Clewes, Mrs. Pryor, Mrs. General Hanc.o.c.k, Mrs. Barton French, Mrs. W. C. Whitney, Mrs. Vanderbilt, Baroness de Thomsen, Mrs. Bowdoin, Mrs. Alonzo B. Cornell, Mrs. Benjamin Willis, Mrs. F. B. Thurber, etc., etc.

The appearance of the Academy, on this occasion filled by a most brilliant audience, was a thing long to be remembered. The evening commenced with an act of _Trovatore_, which was followed by the appearance of Mdme. Albani in the first act of _Norma_. A more beautiful rendering of the lovely cavatina "Casta Diva" could not have been heard, Mdme. Albani's vocalization being really the perfection of art. She was recalled several times, and covered with flowers. An act from Meyerbeer's _Dinorah_ came next, with Mdme. Patti and Scalchi. Both left the stage loaded with flowers, Patti coming forward at the close and afterwards good-naturedly singing in front of the drop curtain "Home, Sweet Home."

A scene then followed not put down in the programme, in the shape of a presentation to myself of two large and handsome silk flags, one English and the other American, the gift of the ladies of the committee; each of the white stars on the blue ground of the American flag having been inserted by a member of this committee.

I thanked the ladies in a grateful speech, shouldered my lofty flags, and left the stage amidst loud cheering. The receipts amounted to some 1,800. About a fortnight afterwards I was informed by General Lilley that a chair of English literature had been established at the University bearing my name.

The following Sat.u.r.day morning _La Traviata_ was again given, the house being even more crowded than usual. The bank having closed prior to the termination of the performance, the monies were all placed in the iron safe.

Early the following morning I was informed that one of the doors leading to the treasury had been forced open, the floor of which was strewn with tickets and furniture. Worse still, the iron safe had been opened and rifled of its contents; over 21,500 dollars having been carried off.

Fortunately this amount was for the most part in cheques, which I succeeded in stopping at the bank; but the loss in hard cash exceeded 1,600.

About this time further rumours were in circulation as to Mr. Abbey trying to take away several of my best singers, notably both Patti and Gala.s.si.

During the New York season I sent Mdme. Albani to sing in a concert at Montreal, the railway directors providing a special car for her. On her arrival she was received by the Mayor and Aldermen of the city; also by a guard of honour of 200 men in uniform, besides the members of four snow-shoe clubs in their beautiful and picturesque costumes.

A reception was afterwards held at the Hotel de Ville, when a formal address was handed to Mdme. Albani on a beautifully illuminated scroll.

All the tickets being instantly sold out, two more concerts had to be given; and Mdme. Albani returned to New York in time to sing the following Friday, having netted for the treasury 16,000 dollars by her three days' visit to Montreal.

Shortly afterwards I gave a combined performance for the benefit of the New York Exchange for Woman's Work. Again I had a ladies' committee to work with, including the charming Mrs. F. B. Thurber, who acted as secretary, the president being Mrs. W. G. Choate, while the vice-presidents consisted of some forty leading ladies of New York. The entertainment consisted of a concert in which Mdme. Adelina Patti, Mdme.

Albani, Mdme. Scalchi, Nicolini, and others of the Company appeared.

I append the programme, in which will be found several features of interest, including, in particular, the singing of Mozart's delightful duet by Patti and Albani.

PART I.

Overture--"Egmont" _Beethoven_ Orchestra.

Romanza--"O lieti, di" (Etoile du Nord) _Meyerbeer_ Monsieur Durat.

Aria--"n.o.bil Signor" (Huguenots) _Meyerbeer_ Madame Scalchi.

Ballade et Polonaise _Vieuxtemps_ Herr Brandt.

Cavatina--"Qui la voce" (Puritani) _Bellini_ Madame Albani.

Romanza--"Vien, vien m'e noto" (Velleda) _Lenepreu_ Signor Nicolini.

Valse--"Nell' ebrezza" (Romeo e Giulietta) _Gounod_ Madame Adelina Patti.

Ballet, Silvia _Delibes_ Orchestra.

PART II.

L'invitation a la Valse _Weber_ Orchestra.

Ballade--"Ouvre ta porte" _Grieg_ Signor Ravelli.

Hungarian Fantaisie _Liszt_ (With orchestra) Herr Rafael Joseffy.

Duetto, "Sull aria" (Nozze di Figaro) _Mozart_ Madame Adelina Patti and Madame Albani.

Gavotte--"In veder l'amata stanza" (Mignon) _Thomas_ Madame Scalchi.

Romanza--"M'appari" (Martha) _Flotow_ Signor Ravelli.

Rakoczy March _Berlioz_ Orchestra.

After the concert the ladies presented me on the stage with a magnificent gold badge, bearing the English arms on one side, surmounted with diamonds and rubies, and the American arms on the other; also an elegant walking cane with a ma.s.sive gold top, crowned by a very large uncut sapphire of great value.

The next morning Mr. Gye came to me with the alarming intelligence that the lease of the new Metropolitan Opera-house had been given to Mr.

Abbey. He complained bitterly of the treatment he had received at the hands of its Directors after the trouble he had taken in furnis.h.i.+ng them with the interior plans and workings of Covent Garden Theatre, in order to a.s.sist the architect to get as complete a building as possible.

He had been negotiating with the Directors on behalf of the Royal Italian Opera Company, Covent Garden, Limited, and, in fact, those negotiations had never been broken off. He was still awaiting an answer from the Committee, to whom the matter had been referred.