The Mapleson Memoirs, 1848-1888 Volume Ii Part 2

We afterwards returned to New York, performing there the first three weeks of January, business still being very light indeed; and it was not until my benefit night, on the 18th, that a fine house was secured, when over 11,000 dollars were taken. After giving a Sunday concert we left for Philadelphia, where I arranged for three special performances, it being three days before Mr. Abbey's arrival there with his Opera troupe.

The three performances were extremely successful. We afterwards left for Baltimore.

On arriving there Mdme. Gerster accidentally saw a playbill in which Mdme. Patti's name was larger than hers; further, that they were charging only five dollars for her appearance, whilst they demanded seven dollars for the Patti nights. Without one moment's warning, and unbeknown even to her husband, the lady went to the station and entered the train for New York. When dinner-time arrived Dr. Gardini was in a great state, as his wife was nowhere to be found, and it was by mere accident one of the chorus told me that he had seen her going in the direction of the railway station.

I thereupon telegraphed to Wilmington--the first station at which her train would stop--requesting her to return, as all matters had been arranged. There was no train by which she could get back. But through the kindness of the manager of the road, who happened to be in Baltimore, a telegraphic despatch was sent to Wilmington to detain the express--in which unfortunately Patti happened to be seated--until the arrival of Gerster's train, so that she could return immediately in time for the performance. I afterwards learned that Mdme. Patti, on inquiring the cause of the delay, was excessively angry at being detained for upwards of three-quarters of an hour on account of Mdme. Gerster.

Nicolini was enraged for a different reason. He had ordered a sumptuous dinner at our hotel, where there was a new _chef_; and he knew that, having to wait for Mdme. Patti, his terrapin and his canvas-back duck would be spoiled.

All endeavours to induce Mdme. Gerster to enter a train in which the state-room was occupied by Mdme. Patti were useless, and I afterwards received a telegram that she had gone on to New York.

I thereupon put up the following announcement at the opening of the doors, not wis.h.i.+ng to make a scandal:--"Owing to the non-arrival of Mdme. Gerster from New York she will be unable to appear this evening.

The opera of _Ernani_ will be subst.i.tuted. Money will be returned to those desiring it."

In a short time the entire Opera was closely packed with ladies in full evening dress. All were in a high state of excitement, and seemed unable to decide what to do, whether to go into the theatre or take their carriages and return home. The ladies shrugged their shoulders, and the gentlemen gesticulated indignantly, looking at me as if they would like to say something forcible but impolite. "Outrage!" "disgrace!"

"shameful!" and other excited utterances born of polite anger were heard on all sides. About one-third of the indignant ones left the theatre, whilst the balance remained to hear _Ernani_, which was exceedingly well played. Two minutes after the curtain rose on _Ernani_ I hurried down to the railway station and entered the train for New York in quest of the fugitive prima donna. As I had eaten nothing from early morn I was placed in a very disagreeable position. I could not get even a gla.s.s of water or a piece of bread until some six or seven o'clock the next morning.

On reaching New York I went in quest of Mdme. Gerster at all the likely places, and at length discovered her at her brother's. It took the whole of the day to get things into shape, and I succeeded towards night in bringing back the truant, and inducing her to appear the following day, at a _matinee_, in _L'Elisir d'Amore_, when she attracted an enormous audience.

I was placed in great difficulty with regard to the public and the press, knowing that the reports would be greatly exaggerated, and injure the business in all the other cities to which we were going. I thereupon circulated the news that Mdme. Gerster's baby in New York had taken a cold in its stomach, and that she had been hurriedly sent for.

This got repeated during the next four or five weeks in the papers at all the cities we visited, and afterwards gradually died out.

Before leaving Baltimore I had a bill presented to me for return of money in consequence of the Gerster disappointment as follows:--

Two opera tickets at five dollars ... $10.00

Carriage ... ... ... ... 5.00

Gloves ... ... ... ... 2.50

Necktie ... ... ... ... 0.25

Overlooking and pressing a dress suit 3.00

Flowers for _her_ corsage ... ... 3.00

Two return tickets ... ... 14.00 ------ Total ... ... ... $37.75

Legal proceedings were resorted to, but I ultimately settled the matter by giving a private box for our next visit.

On arriving at Chicago we found ourselves not only in the same town with our rivals, but also in the same hotel.

Such a galaxy of talent had never before been congregated together under one roof. The ladies consisted of Adelina Patti, Etelka Gerster, Christine Nilsson, Fursch-Madi, Sembrich, Trebelli, and Scalchi, whose rooms were all along the same corridor.

It was here that our great battle began; and I have much satisfaction in quoting the following account of the conflict from a leading journal:--

"The Mapleson season opened with a brilliant house on Monday evening.

The opera and cast were not very strong for an opening night, but Patti's name proves a drawing card on all occasions, and she was given a flattering reception as she once more presented herself to Chicago.

_Crispino_ is not a strong opera, the music being of the lightest order.

She was finely supported by the other artists. Mdme. Etelka Gerster as 'Adina' was very charming; she appeared the following evening in _Elisir d'Amore_. At the rival house Ponchielli's _La Gioconda_ attracted a large but not a crowded audience on the opening night. Both Opera Companies continued vigorously throughout the week, giving a series of the finest performances. The palm must readily be awarded to Mr.

Mapleson's able management, as Mr. Abbey closed probably the worst-managed opera season Chicago had ever had. It opened amidst a flourish of trumpets, which heralded great conquests, but the results did not justify the reports."

I must now mention that when I organized the first Cincinnati Festival I stipulated with the Directors, in case of any repet.i.tions, that the terms should be the same, and that I should have the sole control. The three preceding Festivals had been given under my direction, with distinguished success, and with large profits. But I now found that here, too, Mr. Abbey had stepped in and secured the great Festival for himself. It was useless going to law with a body of directors. I, therefore, trusted to injustice meeting with its own reward, as it inevitably does. I could ill.u.s.trate this by many hundreds of cases.

I now hastened to conclude engagements for another Opera Festival at Mr.

Fennessy's elegant theatre--one of the most beautiful in Cincinnati--in order that Mr. Abbey might not have the whole affair to himself.

The sale of seats for my contemplated performances at Cincinnati the following week opened grandly, no less than 235 seats being sold for the whole series quite early in the day. The number had increased before the close of the office to 653, the total sale realizing 6,000 (30,000 dollars). Bills were duly posted announcing for the opening night Meyerbeer's _Huguenots_, with Nicolini as "Raoul," Gala.s.si as "St.

Bris," Sivori as "Nevers," Cherubini as "Marcel," Josephine Yorke as "The Page," Etelka Gerster as "The Queen," and Patti as "Valentine."

This, it seemed to me, was presenting a bold front against anything Mr.

Abbey might produce.

About this time grave rumours got into circulation with regard to Mr.

Abbey's losses. It oozed out that prior to the entry of his Company into Cincinnati he had dropped on the road some 53,000 dollars.

The Abbey Company opened their season at Chicago with _Gioconda_. But the tenor was bad, and the princ.i.p.al female part quite unsuited to Mdme.

Christine Nilsson, so that little or no effect was made. I opened with _Crispino_, Adelina Patti appearing in the princ.i.p.al _role_; which was followed by _L'Elisir d'Amore_, with Gerster. On the third night _Les Huguenots_ was performed, with Mdme. Patti as "Valentine," and Mdme.

Gerster as the "Queen," when the following scene occurred:--

Prior to the commencement of the opera numbers of very costly bouquets and lofty set pieces had been sent into the vestibule according to custom for Mdme. Patti, whilst only a small basket of flowers had been received for presentation to Mdme. Gerster. Under ordinary circ.u.mstances it is the duty of the prima donna's agent to notify to the stall-keepers, or ushers, as they are called in America, the right moment for handing up the bouquets on to the stage. That evening Mdme.

Patti's agent was absent, and at the close of the first act, during which "Valentine" has scarcely a note to sing, whilst the "Queen" has much brilliant music to execute, he was nowhere to be found. There was a general call at the close of the act for the seven princ.i.p.al artists. At that moment the stall-ushers, having no one to direct their movements, rushed frantically down the leading aisles with their innumerable bouquets and set pieces, pa.s.sing them across to Arditi, who sometimes could scarcely lift them. Reading the address on the card attached to each offering, he continued pa.s.sing the flowers to Mdme. Patti. This lasted several minutes, the public meanwhile getting impatient.

At length, when these elaborate presentations to Mdme. Patti had been brought to an end, a humble little basket addressed to Mdme. Gerster was pa.s.sed up, upon which the whole house broke out into ringing cheers, which continued some minutes. This _contretemps_ had the effect of seriously annoying Mdme. Patti, who, at the termination of the opera, made a vow that she would never again perform in the same work with Mdme. Gerster.

Mdme. Patti had braced herself up sufficiently to go through the performance in very dramatic style. But after the fall of the curtain, when she had time to think of the ludicrous position in which she had been placed, she became hysterical.

On returning to her hotel she threw herself on to the ground and kicked and struggled in such a manner that it was only with the greatest difficulty she could be got to bed. The stupidity of the "ushers" seemed to her so outrageous that she could scarcely accept it as sufficient explanation of the folly committed in sending up her bouquets, her baskets, and her floral devices of various kinds at the wrong moment. At one time when she was in a comedy vein, she would exclaim: "It is all that Mapleson;" and she actually did me the honour to say that I had arranged the scene in order to lower her value in the eyes of the public, and secure her for future performances at reduced rates.

Then she would take a serious, not to say tragic view of the matter, and attribute the misadventure to the maleficent influence of Gerster. The amiable Etelka possessed, according to her brilliant but superst.i.tious rival, the evil eye; and after the affair of the bouquets no misfortune great or small happened, but it was attributed by Mdme. Patti to the malignant spirit animating Mdme. Gerster. If anything went wrong, from a false note in the orchestra to an earthquake, it was always, according to the divine Adelina, caused by Gerster and her "evil eye." "Gerster!"

was her first exclamation when she found the earth shaking beneath her at San Francisco.

Far from endeavouring to cure her of her childish superst.i.tions, Nicolini encouraged her, and, in all probability, took part himself in her quaint delusions.

Whenever Gerster's name was mentioned, whenever her presence was in any way suggested, Mdme. Patti made with her fingers the horn which is supposed to counteract or avert the effect of the evil eye; and once, when the two rivals were staying at the same hotel, Mdme. Patti, pa.s.sing in the dark the room occupied by Mdme. Gerster, extended her first and fourth fingers in the direction of the supposed sorceress; when she found herself nearly tapping upon the forehead of Mdme. Gerster's husband, Dr. Gardini, who, at that moment, was putting his boots out before going to bed.

Two days before the close of the Chicago engagement grave rumours reached me from Cincinnati, where we were due the following Monday.

Great floods had set in, and the water was still rising daily, and, indeed, hourly.

I received frequent telegraphic reports as to the sad effects of the flood, and I at last found it necessary to postpone our departure until the following day, hoping the water might then begin to recede.

On learning the state of things Mdme. Patti refused absolutely to enter the train now in readiness, and several of the other artists followed her example. The water still kept rising, and it at last reached the extraordinary height of 64 feet.

Cincinnati, I learned, was placed in total darkness through the gas works being submerged. The inhabitants were compelled to burn candles and oil lamps in order to obtain light, whilst the city was isolated from every other part of America. I was, moreover, informed by the railway authorities there was great uncertainty as to the train ever being able to reach the city at all. No Festival could possibly be given where such utter desolation existed; where the public was so far removed from everything festive.

I therefore telegraphed Manager Fennessy to postpone my week's visit until the 31st of the following month, and I now saw no alternative but to stay at Chicago, though I had no engagements whatever, and had all the people on my hands. On conversing with Mdme. Patti and Mdme. Gerster I found that they both sympathized with the sufferers from this sad calamity. I therefore decided that in lieu of attempting to get money out of the ill-fated city, it was our duty to raise funds and transmit them to the sufferers as speedily as possible. With that view I organized a morning performance in all haste at Chicago, in which both Mdme. Patti and Mdme. Gerster took part. The public accorded the most generous support. Henry Irving, who was staying in our hotel, gave 20 for a box with his usual characteristic liberality; and I had the pleasure of remitting the very next day to the Mayor of Cincinnati upwards of 1,200.

In order to keep the band and chorus employed, I arranged to perform for three nights at Minneapolis, which, although a considerable distance off, I determined to try. I therefore ordered my special train to be in readiness for our departure.

We opened at Minneapolis during the latter part of the week, giving the three performances to excellent business. Whilst there I heard fresh reports as to Abbey's losses, both at the Metropolitan Opera-house, and likewise on his tour.