42 smile at the reference to Rossir ""Rossini was so lazy. . . . They use to say that he always composed re dining, either in bed or on a sof. and that if a sheet of music papc slipped to the floor, he would write over again, or even write somethin else, rather than exert himself to pic it up." In her childhood Tebaldi mu; often have been told this story, fc she became an ardent worker. At fir; she studied the piano. The famil hoped Renata would become a con cert pianist, and she studied for si years before it was discovered the she had a voice. A family council wa held. "Renata might become a concei pianist, and she might not. The what? She would be a piano teacher. They decided she should start to trai] the voice, but she was too young. Sh continued her musical studies at th Conservatories in" Pesaro and Parm; (depending on where her father wa working), and at eighteen became ; pupil of Carmen Melis, formerly well- known in America as an operatic so­ Tebaldi Up to Date prano. Giuseppe Pais is her only othei singing coach, who even now fron time to time "checks" on her voice Her dramatic coaching, Tebaldi says Walter to take my name and address. By VICTOR SEROFF she owes mainly to Melis. Other stage I was chosen to participate in a con­ T IS not too often that a writer cert he gave at La Scala." Among the directors from whom she learned E can look back over nine years and six artists who sang the night that La great deal include Roberto Rosselini I find a prediction verified by Scala was "re-consecrated" after the who directed her in "Otello" ir events. Thus, a recent reunion in New shooting, Tebaldi was the only "new" Naples; Tatyana Pavlova, with whon York with Renata Tebaldi, the Met's one. She was heard in excerpts from she worked in a production of "Eu­ newest soprano sensation, was a spe­ Rossini's "Mose." gene Onegin"; Herbert Graf, at the Roman amphitheatre in Pompeii in cial pleasure for me, and I hope for She made her debut in Rovigo her, too. In 1946 I had written from (J944) in Boito's "Mefistofele," but "Julius Caesar"; and Pierre Berlin, Milan that this then youthful, inter­ the war was still on and it was no from Comedie FranQaise, who staged nationally unknown, soprano would time for a career. Since then Tebaldi her "Andrea Chenier." She has no have a triumph if and when she came has sung with triumph in practically favorite role in her large repertory. to New York. every country west of Italy, but suc­ "They all are like my children." We had met during that summer cess has not turned her head. More­ "This is my first visit to New York," when she was "the talk of the town." over, she does not want to be treated Tebaldi ventured. "I was here once She was then almost twenty-five and as a prima donna. Mind you, this does before, in 1950, on my way to San the most striking-looking girl on the not mean she would encourage any Francisco, but it was just between Italian stage. The tall, dark-haired, familiarity or disrespect for her po­ planes. I like New York. This is real­ blue-eyed diva radiated so much sition as an artist. She simply is not ly America. Not San Francisco. . . . beauty, grace, and charm that, as she ready for the trappings that go with San Francisco is isolated. . . . New went through routine answers about it: secretaries, press conferences, in­ \''ork is very impressive.". She was herself and mentioned "I am affidan- terviews, pronouncements of opin­ "impressed" by the wealth, the tempo zata" ("engaged"), one who would ions—hence the meager amount of of life, the dynamic force. "First it not give up his happiness for her was information that she is willing to give frightened me. I felt like an ant." not a man. about herself. "But," she went on, "I like some "Maestro Toscanini came after the Renata is the only child in the Te­ American ways. The women, for in­ war to Milan. It was in the spring of baldi family. Teobaldo Tebaldi, her stance, wearing expensive fur coats 1946," Tebaldi relates, "and he asked father, teaches cello and still plays in and—boots on their feet and scarfs the people at La Scala to send orchestras at the Pesaro and Parma on theii' heads! No Italian woman him for audition the most promising opera houses. "My mother?" Tebaldi would do that—she would be afraid young singers. I was in Brescia and repeats the question, "My mother is she would not look cfiic. I like the arrived among the last to sing for my mother. . . . All the Tebaldi are American way. It's practical." Maestro. The man who was calling musicians even if not all are pro­ Tebaldi had not seen much of New out the names from a long list prob­ fessionals," she explained. (She is York in the short time she has been ably knew nothing about me, for he devoted to her mother, who accom­ here and she does not have any called for Signore Tebaldi. I sang 'La panies her wherever she travels.) friends, just acquaintances—she made mamma morta' from 'Andrea Chenier' "I was born in Pesaro . . . you a point of emphasizing the meaning and then Maestro let me sing the know, Rossini was born there. . . ." of the words—but when I asked if she whole last act of 'Otello.' Toscanini I waited for her to go on, for I could would like to live here she said with- said, 'Brava, hrava,' and told his son see her eyes light up, with a faint (Co7itinned on page 62) PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED 43

The Voice and the Temperament

By CARL VAN VECHTEN the entrails of the electric lights." theatres, but usually of short dura­ Anyone who has known Margue­ tion. OLLOWING shortly after her rite can recall a hundred examples death in Italy, Rupert Hart- as good or better. Her conversa­ i\.LTHOUGH she devotes only a few F Davis has published in London tion was enriched with these figures pages of her book to her career on "'Forsaken Altars," by Marguerite of speech, as, indeed, her book is, but the concert stage, she was much more d'Alvarez, an almost perfect example in her book she gives no indication successful in this branch of her ca­ of what the autobiography of a singer that talking as she wi'ites she held reer. However, even here, she exag­ ought not to be. Every age has its the occupants of many a drawing- gerated her emotions; she made un­ share of neurotic, exotic, and quixotic room enthralled by her enlivening and fortunate' gestures and forced her characters, but the opening years of poetic descriptions of practically any­ voice until she sang sharp. These the twentieth century were extremely thing she cared to describe. were faults of temperament. She had rich in this respect. Some of these Her enormous size limited her stage other faults of taste and sometimes unusual personalities are still with appearances. She regarded her portly sang modern English ballads which us, but the majority have passed away. figure with affection and speaks lov­ scarcely measured up to the art songs A few of the names of this epoch ingly in the pages of "Forsaken Al­ in her repertory. Paradoxically, her that readily spring to mind are Ga- tars" of her "voluptuous hips." When best singing occurred when she at­ brielle Chanel, Serge Diaghilev, Rob­ she first came to America she was a tempted the most difficult music. The ert W. Chanler, Polaire, the elder huge woman, and she informed me high spots in her programs were songs Oscar Hammerstein, Norman Doug­ once that as a younger girl she was like "La Chevelure" from Debussy's las, Mary Garden, Jimmie Walker, the even larger. I once possessed an early "Chansons de Bilitis" or "De Fleurs" Marchesa di Casati, Feodor Chaliapin, picture of her (now in some perma­ from his "Proses Lyriques." Occa­ Mistinguette, Marcus Garvey, Mabel nent collection) that offered proof of sionally she sang both suites in their Dodge Luhan, D. H. Lawrence, Ger­ this statement. It pleased her to boast entirety. Her Spanish songs were an­ trude Stein and Alice B. Toklas, King that she had a "line," and once when other electrical experience for the Edward VII, the Princess Violette another prima donna with a somewhat auditor. True, she made too many ges­ Murat, George Ivanovich Gurdjieff, spotty reputation urged her to lose tures for so large a woman, but her Isadora Duncan, Alastair, Emma weight she replied, not without hau­ style was faithfully flamenco, and she Goldman, Avery Hopwood, A'Lelia teur, "I've needed my body so little tore her throat to pieces in guttural Walker, Sigmund Freud, Hetty Green, in my career." fashion after the manner of the gip­ Will Rogers, Carrie Nation, Florenz As a matter of fact, her "line" was sies, as they sing by will and main Ziegfeld, Eva Tanguay, and GBS. so vast that it actually defeated in force (rather than through education Among these (and occasionally she many instances her persistent ambi­ and the study of vocalises). She was must have been literally among them) tion to sing in opera. It certainly most compelling on these two grounds. Marguerite d'Alvarez, who has left limited the character of the roles she On the opera stage she lacked true us this highly emotional autobiogra­ sang. Her operatic appearances were passion and fire, but in the concert phy (with its overtones of Bertha M. so infrequent, indeed, that she never hall she lacked restraint and became Clay and the Baron Munchausen), really mastered her few stage roles. elemental. She does not refer, in her held her undisputed position. As a So far as I can discover, she never book, to a concert of popular music personality, it is probable that she "created" a role in opera and seldom, which she attempted with George surpassed her reputation as an artist. if ever, sang a hitherto unsung song. Gershwin at the piano. At any rate, it may be said justifiably Her voice was magnificent and rolled She was indubitably beautiful, in that in this respect her autobiography out like the waves of a mighty ocean, a noble, tragic, Spanish way. At her has done herself scant justice. For but her stage action was conventional. best her massive appearance gave her example, her conversation was bril­ She does not mention many of her a Rubensesque quality. She dressed liant and inventive, studded with opera roles in her book, but I can in excellent taste and frequently with original figures like "angels' saliva," testify that in New York she sang unconventional genius. Cooking was which signified anything that tasted Fides in "Le Prophete" (in which she one of her most attractive habits, good. Her use of metaphor and simile made her American debut), Herodias usually something with rice and olive was expert and spontaneous. Her in "Herodiade," Dalila in "Samson et oil. For her most amusing moments autobiography abounds in this kind Dalila," and Jean's mother in "Sapho.'' an audience was required; any kind of literary genius. She writes for in­ She was not heard here as "Carmen" of competition or divided attention stance, "Her teeth had quarrelled and and her records do not give evidence irritated her, but I do not believe she were so separated that she lisped and that she was as great in this part as was unique in this regard. Beginning private fountains, of which she did her personal opinion would indicate. with her first year in America, when not seem at all conscious, shot out Her repertory elsewhere included oc­ I saw her nearly every day, I have of her mouth"; "She looked at me casional appearances as Azucena, the spent many fascinating hours in her with interest through a tortoise-shell Mother in "Louise," Amneris, Car- company, and my wife and I fre­ lorgnette hanging on a silver chain, mela in "The Jewels of the Madonna," quently invited her to come to our so heavy it could easily have tied a and Laura in "La Gioconda." It is apartment when we wished to give liner to the dock"; "The callboy came even possible she may have sung guests a special treat. Marguerite was to fetch me and led me towards the Genevieve in "Pelleas et Melisande" sui generis; you were obliged to ac­ stage, holding the tips of my fin­ in Boston or Chicago. She appeared cept her as you found her, but many gers, so that I should not trip over in many of the best-known operatic were enchanted to do so. PRODUCED BY UNZ.ORG ELECTRONIC REPRODUCTION PROHIBITED