2 MUSICAL AMERICA October 4, 1913

And then in Paris I heard 'Julien,' which nation in the world have profited me in a MME. OATTI.CASAZZA' MAKES I liked." case of that 'kind? But I do grow angry The Diplomat Aga in when my maid is slow and does not fasten DIPLOMAT OF-FRANCES ALDA my dress quickly enough. And I do gr0w "Do you think it will succeed here?" the angry at these New York telephone oper­ singer was asked. "Consider its half­ ators." Being the Wife of an Opera Director Has Taught Prima Donna hearted reception by the Paris critics-how The singer had occasion to be right do you account for that?" wrathful a few days after her arrival from How to Be Nice to the Newspapers and Still Keep Them at Mme. Aida's diplomatic tendencies came Europe. A friend had rung her ' up to to the rescue. inquire if he might not send her a 'box of Arms' Length- Two New Roles Added to Her ' Repertoire in "One cannot easily account for these candies. She assented. Summer Abroad- Concert Plans- Is Present-Day Operatic critical differences of opinion," she said. "What kind of sweets do you prefer?" "And as far as its success here I feel fairly she was asked. Study as Thorough as It Once Was? confident. But we must wait and see." "Huyler's are the best," replied a femi n in ~ "And 'Rosenkavalier?' What are likely voice from Central before Mme. Aida had to be its fortunes at the hands of the time to express her preference. IPLOMACY is one of Frances Aida's portunity fo r a good singing actress. American public?" Half a dozen canceled "" , per­ D specialties. It was not always so "I am not like other singers who can "I have never heard the opera," replied fOJ;mances could not have stimulated the leave the study of new roles to the five or Mme. Aida pithily and with an emphasis artist's anger to more picturesque effect! (she is frank in this admission), but dur­ six weeks immediately preceding the per­ that invited no further speculation as to H. F. P. ing the past five years she has cultivated it formance. How can one give one's atten­ possibilities. sedulously and, to all intents, with success. tion to the subtle details of a part when Whereupon, after a momentary silence, Now a diplomat, ·as a person of one has constantly to be thinking of the the soprano suddenly took a different WIDOW OF MARC A. BLUMENBERG a necessarily superior order of mental­ SUES ity, must inevitably command the respect (at least) of any , one reasonably con- • Brings an Action Against the Executors stituted as regards intellect. Ofttimes of Her Husband's Will and Claims he further stimulates boundless admiration. That She Is in "D ire Necessity'! Doubtless -Mme. Alda;s talents in' this line provoke both of these sentiments in full On Saturday last Mrs. Ruth Blumenberg measure among aU those with whom she (widow of the late Marc A. Blumenberg), . comes into contact except- except, perhaps, of Paris, who is now ' at the Waldorf­ those newspaper people deputed to inter­ Astoria, appealed to the Supreme Court view her. 'To such she is always gracious, in to order the executors ,Q,eni.gn, condescending but-ever on her under her husband's will to pay to her ' guard.,' Conscious of the strange and fear- something in advance in order to relieve ful semblance that certain seemingly innoc­ her "dire necessity." Mr. Blumenberg died in Paris on the uous Xtatements have a habit of assuming . 27th of March, and in his will left the when disposed black on white she takes ~o widow a legacy of $1,000 a month. In her chances. No revolutionary or otherWise application to the court Mrs. Blumenberg. sensational asseverations emanate from ­ says that she has several times requested her however much she may be plied with the administrators to pay her something w acies which he left in his will. This is how statements are distorted or else mlsm- · reported to be the reason why the execu­ terpreted. I remember how on one occasion tors have not met the 'demands of his I made some innocent remark about Amer­ widow for payments under the annuity ican singers in general, and was guote.d as which she was to receive. havi.ng ~l?o ken more or less. off~ n SlVe l y It is stated, 'furthermore, that the Blu­ agains.t one particularly promment 'Amer,­ menberg estate, as weI! as the corporations iean a.tist. So experience has taught' me to "" in which the late Mr. Blumenberg was be wary and five years of practice have interested, have been affected through the effectually made me so. I know that heavy legal expense that they have iJeen sensational statements are regarded as put to in defending the various civil and good advertising. But I could never en­ criminal suits which have been brought dure any sort of advertising that was not and which are now in the courts. absolutely dignified. I should owe myself that consideration as the wife of the great­ Mrs. Blumenberg's Statement est director of the greatest opera house in the world-if I had no further incentive." When asked by a representative of Mu­ SICAL AMERICA,Wednesday, concerning her And yet if Mme. Aida underwent 110 Frances AIda (Mme. Gatti-Casazza), Who Returned Early electrifying experiences and formulated no a Concert Tour Before the Opera Season Opel;ls application to the Surrogates' Court at startlingly novel theories of this nature or New York for an advance to herself of of that she succeeded none the less in pass­ funds from her late husband's estate, Mrs. lines and the music? I was working on course. "Singers to-day are not studying Ruth Blumenberg, widow of Marc A. ing a tolerably pleasant Summer. In fact last May. I make it my duty to as their elders did. T hey are neglecting she accomplished things even more impor­ Blumenberg, said: learn my new roles not weeks but months to ground themselves as thoroughly as did "I merely wish to make the adminis­ tant to the cause of humanity at large than before the works are scheduled for produc­ the past generation of singers iil vocal the loss of those twenty pounds of flesh trators of . Mr. Blumenberg's estate live up tion. That gives one time for a carefully fundamentals. Just now one finds many to the terms of his will, which was pub­ upon which the newspapers recently. wrought characterization from the outset, singers who whi.1e highly successful inter­ dilated delightedly. Naturally this valiant lished after his death. So far I have not one devoid of roughnesses and crudities. preters of modern operas cannot sing a taken any active part personally, or by deed was not a thing to be despised. "I am not anticipating fatigue on my scale correctly. Somehow or other they "Has one ever heard of a stout person," agent, in the management of the paper or concert tour, in the first place because I seem ' able to carry the burden of these properties, but I may be obliged to do so inquired the singer, "who did not cherish am not giving the program unassisted (I heavy latter-day scores without that train­ ambitions to reduce? No. 1 am frankly to protect my interests. We haven't got shall have Mr. La Forge and Mr. Casini, ing that their ancestors had for simpler that far yet, and as the matter stands now pleased about it all. Don't I 100'1< thinner? the 'cellist ) and I shall sing not more than operas. On the other hand their task is it is a civil case of equity at court, which Now it does not necessarily follow that about fourteen songs on each program. more difficult, inasmuch as they have to because I swam every day for a few will come up there to be settled. I do not This is less arduous than the usual twenty­ sing in many languages and many styles say that my brother-in-law and the other weeks this exercise was the only cer­ two or twenty-five. Then the trip has been 6f opera, whereas formerly only Italian tain cause of my good fortune. The only administrators are seeking to dispossess so arranged that there will be no long was necessary for a singer's purposes. me, but I do say they have not paid over definite thing I know is that I did grow jumps, while in such places as San F ran­ "All of which does not mean that I thin. to me the amounts provided expressly by cisco and Los Angeles we stay a full week. think young singers would not sing con­ the terms of the will. All I want is my A Summer of St udy "I was not so fond of concert work temporary works a gooa deal better if they rights in the matter, and I think the court when I began it three years ago as I am did have the thorough grounding that was will protect those." "I was in Marienbad, in Rothenburg, in now. My incentive to such an undertaking required in an earlier day.'" Munich, Niirnberg, Bayreuth, Rappolo, came originally in the form of an urgent T he Singer's Temper Venice, Paris. I spent much of the time request from a manager who had heard me Carreno to Be Soloist at F irst New working- and working hard. W ith my sing at a private entertainment. But then A quick temper is widely supposed to be York Philharmonic Concert accompanist, Mr. La Forge, I worked up five I had no repertoire of any account. I one of an opera singer's most distinctive new recital programs for use on my con­ knew no classic German lieder. Now I attributes. And when last season Mme. At the opening concert. of the N ew York cert tour which begins in a few days and do, and with three years of solid training Aida was called back to New York from Philharmonic Society in Carnegie Hall on extends· across the length and breadth of behind me I have come to love the work. Texas in order to sing in a performance of Thursday evening, October 30, the "S'ym­ the country. Besides, I added the roles of I did some singing in Europe this Sum­ "Cyrano," which was canceled just before phonie Fantastique" of Hector Berlioz will Eva in 'Meistersinger' and Madeleine in mer- not in opera nor in publtc recital, but she reached this city, many a person be given and Teresa Carreno, the cele­ 's new opera to my reper­ at several drawing-room affairs. shuddered instinctively and shook his head brated pianist, will be the assisting artist. toire. I love the Wagner role, which will "In Munich I went to the opera once to at the thought of what towering propor­ be the first part I shall have sung in Ge r­ 'hear 'Figaro.' I was surprised at the in­ tions the wrath of the artist must have man. Yet it' is not my first Wagnerian feriority ,of the performance and its sheer assumed. But according to her own very V otive Lamp at Verdi's Grave character as· I have already sun;; Elsa­ mediocrity was all the more pronounced frank confession Mme. AIda was not in the MILAN, Sept. 25.-'-A votive lamp pur­ but in French. I am intent on singing it when I contrasted it with that superb pres­ least perturbed. chased by public subscription was placed in German eventually. The Victor Her­ entation that it enjoyed at the Metropol­ "I never grow angry over big things," to-day at the grave of Giuseppe Verdi, the bert opera is a delip'ht. The libretto is itan some years ago when Mahler con­ she observed. "Why should I? What's to composer. On it is an inscription in Ital­ adorable, and the title role a rare op- ducted and Sembrich and Eames sang. be gained by it? What could all the indig- ian meaning "Always burning."