March 9, 1918 MUSICAL AMERICA 11 who had no idea whatsoever of .how to accompany the voice. In one town I r.e­ member calling to account the flute­ When Campanini and Maurel Stirred New York; player, who became highly offended and Il eft r ight then and there, and it took all of Signor de Vivo's savoir faire to "Touring the Provinces" With a Noted Troupe'" make him return. He happened to be the only flute-player in that town. I succeeded in getting them to accompany most of the pieces fairly well, after hours Max Strakosch I n t r o d u c e s of rehearsing. However, in one instance "Aida" at Academy of Music the local orchestra insisted on playing the "Shadow Song" from "Dinorah" in in the Eventful Season of '73- strict waltz-time and, of course, this w,as in horrible conflict with Mme. de Mur­ , 7 4-Adventures on the Road ska's tempo and interpretation. To avoid further trouble, I decided to 'do with Carreno, Sauret and without the orchestra for that number at Other Artists-The "Hun­ least. Of the other members of this company garian Nightingale's" Strange I have little to add. Carreno and Sauret played somewhat better than when they Retinue-Precarious Days for were with the Patti-Mario troupe. Signor Braga, for many years well the Traveling Company­ known in Paris, was a master of his Reminiscences of a Dis­ instrument, with a good singing tone. Altogether a fine ar.tist, but a very bois­ tinguished Musician. terous man! Of Herr Theodore Habel­ mann I will quote what was said in a By EDUARDO MARZO Rochester paper, as it gives the real impression that I have retained of him: T HE interest of New York music­ " Habelmann's voice has not changed, lovers during the memorable sea­ though his face looks much older and his son of 1873-74 seemed to center in the manner in concert is simply funereal." opera and certainly there was good cause As a contrast to Habelmann's manner, Signor Ferranti kept the audience in a for it. Max Strakosch had at the Acad­ continual uproar of laughter from the emy of Music an extraordinary company moment he appeared on the stage. His of artists and among many new works singing of "Femine, Femine" from "Cen­ produced two operas which made an erentola" was extremely comical; in f act, he was the only bright and lively spot in epoch in this country. all our programs. That was the winter in which Italo Signor de Vivo was in for business Campanini made his first appearance in and did not give us any rest.· Instead America and I remember well the en­ of five concerts a week, for which we were engaged, we often had to play thusiastic reception they accorded him. seven, including Sunday concerts and He sang Gennaro in " Lucrezia Borgia," two matinees, and these often in as which was considered his best role, many different towns. Maresi, soprano; Annie Louise Cary, con­ Disbanding the Troupe tra:! to, and Nanetti supporting him. Such work was beyond reason a~d The next great debut was that of Maurel this, together with the lack of congenial­ in "Ernani," and he also made a tre­ ity in the company, made the situation mendous sensation. a 1-'11ost intolerable for most of us. The In December, 1873, "Aida" had its first one to give up and leave the com­ first performance in America, with the pany was Habelmann. Shortly after this following cast: Torriani, A ida; Cary, I lef t and, if I remember cor rectly, Amneris; Campanini, Rhadames; Mau­ Signor Ferranti followed us soon after. rel, Amonasro, and Nanetti, Ramfis. After a few more cities in northern During the following March "Lohengr\n" New York State the company went was produced for the first time in Italian, South, and in New Orleans Mme. de with Nillson, Cary, Campanini, Nanetti Murska sang in opera with the French and del Puente, a newcomer at the time. opera company of that city. I must not forget Capoul, another The following winter Signor de Vivo member of the Strakosch company, who took Mme. de Murska to Australia, with made quite a sensation, especially in Carreno and Sauret, and I believe did light roles such as "Mignon," "Fra a fairly good business. Diavolo," etc. Later on he became a After my return to New York, I re­ "matinee idol." sumed my work at the New York Con­ While the Strakosch Opera Company servatory of Music and private teaching was having its well deserved success at and coaching. However, during the ·re­ the Academy of Music, the Kellogg Eng­ mainder of that season I had occasion lish Opera drew large audiences to an­ Above-Tommaso Salvini. Be1ow- Above-Gaetano Braga. Below-Ilma de to play at a number of private and pub­ other theater, and toward the spring of Teresa Carreno, Emile Sauret Murska lic concerts. I recall in particular one 1874 Max Maretzek started an opera given at the hall of the East Side Asso­ season at the Grand Opera House, with accompanist. This tour, which, like is a drawn, worn look about her eyes, but ciation, Eighty-si}l:th Street and Third artists just come f rom Havana, among many of Signor de Vivo's ventures, did the melting magic of melody inclines t he Avenue, by Clara Louise Kellogg in con­ whom were Pauline Lucca, Tamberlick, not end very happily, began in New eye to favor her and such is the influence junction with Matilda Toedt, violinist; the world-famed tenor, and Ilma di Mur­ York on Sept. 24 at Steinway Hall. Fol­ of her voice that she almost seems pretty Miss Luckardt, pianist, and Signor ska. Another great attraction of that lowing the opening concerts in New before her song is through." Giorgio Ronconi, who was at that time winter was the appearance of Salvini, York, the company visited· Boston, Phila­ Her repertoire was similar to that residing and teaching in New York. the great Italian tragedian, who also delphia, Baltimore, . Washington, Syra­ of Carlotta Patti, with the addition of Another not able concert of that sea­ played at the Academy of Music, alter­ cuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Day­ the arias from "Semiramide," " Linda" son was given at Steinway Hall by the nating with the opera performances·. ton, Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis and and the "Air Hongrois" by Dopier, with New York Conservatory of Music, of Both Tamberlick and Salvini I had many smaller cities. We returned to flute obbligato, which she sang faultlessly which I was the conductor. At this con­ known in Italy and because of my asso- · New York at the beginning of December and I can vouch also for her beautiful cert a quartet by Beethoven was played ciation also with Max Strakosch I h ad for a special concert at the Park The­ singing of Schubert's " Serenade," "The by Edward Mollenhauer, J . Lewenberg, the opportunity to meet almost all of the G. Matzka and F. Ferriere, and the other artists and' know them intimately. ater and for two weeks' rest, as the man­ Angel's Serenade," both with 'cello ob­ ager put it, but, in fact, to re~uperate bligato by Braga, and the "Ave Maria" Schumann Quintet, by the same players, The delights of that season shall never with the addition of August Arnold. be forgotten. 'fo spend almost every financially, as business had been poor by Gounod, with violin obbligato by evening in the company of one or an­ almost everywhere. On Dec. 18 we went Sauret. At the Brooklyn Philharmonic other of these great artists was an ex­ to Portland, Me., and thence we started concer t she sang "Ah! Perfido," Beetho­ Capital Stirred by "Carillon" at Concert once more f or the West, touching Water­ ven, and received unstinted praise from by Damrosch Forces perience replete with delightful emo­ town, N. Y., and Ogdensburg. Several the public and t he press. tions for a young musician. of the company became thoroughly dis­ Whenever I think of Mme. de Murska WASHINGTON, D. C., Feb. 26.-At the Concerts Also F lourish couraged on this last trip for the reason I cannot fail to recall .that she always third concert of the series by t he New , All these attractions did not seem to that our salaries were far behind, and had accompanying her on her trips a York Symphony Orchestra, Walter Dam­ detract from the success and enthusiasm I managed to obtain a release from parrot, a duefia .and a Count (her rosch introduced a novelty in the form of the concert season. The Philharmonic Signor de Vivo and gladly returned to homme d'affaire, soi-disant), who habitu­ of a dramatic reading with musical set­ had its usual orchestral concerts, al­ my friends and pupils in New York. ally wore the undress uniform of a Hun­ ting. This was "Carillon," by the Bel­ ways so well patronized. Of other con­ For the ·benefit of my readers I shall garian officer. We had many comical gian poet, Emile Cammaerts, with music certs I recall those given by Matzka, Dr. give a brief description of the artists experiences in our trip because of Ma­ by Sir Edward Elgar, interpreted by Leopold Damrosc}l, Bergner, the 'cellist; who made up that company. dame's retinue, which made quite a sen­ Frances Starr. The innovation was en­ Anna Mehlig, pianist, and Antoinette sation among the people of the small thusiastically received.