| [CHAPTER I.] | |
Qualifications for the Career of Impresario—My First Appearanceas Violinist—Début as a Vocalist—Difficulties as aCritic—Engaged at Lodi and Verona—Radical Operationon my Throat—I start as Musical Agent—Meeting withMr. E. T. Smith—Management of Drury Lane | [pp. 1-12] |
| [CHAPTER II.] | |
Injunction against the Birds on the Trees—Drury Lane Seasonof 1859—Débuts of Victoire Balfe, Mongini, and Guarducci—MyContralto Marries a Duke—The Duke andDuchess at Naples | [pp. 13-22] |
| [CHAPTER III.] | |
Nocturnal Negotiations—Reopening of Her Majesty's Theatre—Sayersand Heenan Patronize the Opera—English andItalian Opera Combined—Smith and his Speculations—Discoveryof Adelina Patti—My Management ofthe Lyceum | [pp. 23-39] |
| [CHAPTER IV.] | |
At Her Majesty's Theatre—Verdi's Cantata—Ginglini at theSeaside—Pollio and the Drum-stick—An Operatic Conspiracy—Confusionof the Conspirators | [pp. 40-57] |
| [CHAPTER V.] | |
Running over a Tenor—Titiens in Italy—Cashing a Cheque atNaples—A Neapolitan Ball—Approaching a Minister—Returnto London | [pp. 58-65] |
| [CHAPTER VI.] | |
Production of Gounod's Faust—Apathy of the British Public—AManagerial Device—Damask Crumb Cloth and ChintzHangings—Heroic Attitude of a Dying Tenor—Prayers toa Portmanteau | [pp. 66-80] |
| [CHAPTER VII.] | |
Garibaldi Visits the Opera—Giuglini's Trouble at St. Petersburg—GiugliniVisited by Titiens—Alarm of Fire—Productionof Medea—Grisi's Last Appearance—AnEnraged Tenor | [pp. 81-98] |
| [CHAPTER VIII.] | |
Payment after Performance—Discovery of Madge Robertson—Marioand the Sheriff—Generosity of the Great Tenor—Débutof Christine Nilsson—Destruction of Her Majesty'sTheatre—A Great Philanthropist | [pp. 99-117] |
| [CHAPTER IX.] | |
Proposal for an Operatic Union—Titiens in Dublin—HerServices as a Pacificator—Autumn Season at CoventGarden—The Combination Season—Immense Success—Costa'sDespotism—An Operatic Conspiracy—Lucca andher Husbands | [pp. 118-135] |
| [CHAPTER X.] | |
Gye's Fraternal Embrace—Law-suits Interminable—Dissolutionof Partnership—Return to Drury Lane—Arrival ofAlbani—Début of Cainpanini—The Annual Onslaughtsof Mr. Gye | [pp. 136-149] |
| [CHAPTER XI.] | |
Adelina's Successor—A Prima Donna's Marriage Negotiations—Poundsv. Guineas—Nilsson and the Shah—Productionof Lohengrin—Salvini's Performances and Profits—MargueriteChapuy—Irony of an Earl | [pp. 150-174] |
| [CHAPTER XII.] | |
The National Opera-house—Foundation Difficulties—PrimævalRemains—Titiens Lays the First Brick—The Duke ofEdinburgh the First Stone—The Opera and Parliament—OurRecreation Rooms | [pp. 175-183] |
| [CHAPTER XIII.] | |
First Visit to America—Making Money out of Shakespeare—Chatterton'sSecret Agents—Bidding for Her Majesty'sTheatre—Illness of Titiens—Gerster's Success—Productionof Carmen | [pp. 184-198] |
| [CHAPTER XIV.] | |
First American Campaign—Difficulties of Embarkation—Concerton Board—Dangerous Illness of Gerster—Operaon Wheels—The "Dressing-room Row"—A LearnedThroat Doctor—Gerster Sings before her Judge—ThePianoforte War—Our Hurried Departure | [pp. 199-219] |
| [CHAPTER XV.] | |
Reception of a Tenor—Belocca and Lady Spencer—Marimon'sSuperstitions—Her Lovesick Maid—An EncouragingTelegram—Marimon in the Cathedral—Disappearance ofa Tenor | [pp. 220-236] |
| [CHAPTER XVI.] | |
Sir Michael and his Cheque—Six Minutes' Bankruptcy—Successof Lohengrin—Production of Mefistofele—Returnto New York—Lohengrin under Difficulties—Elsa's Tails—CincinnatiOpera Festival | [pp. 237-253] |
| [CHAPTER XVII.] | |
Production of Il Rinnegato—Ravelli's Operatic TheoryNegotiations with Covent Garden, "Limited"—A Searchfor a Prima Donna—Failure of Patti's Concerts—CincinnatiOpera Festival of '82—Patti's Indisposition | [pp. 254-272] |
| [CHAPTER XVIII.] | |
I Engage Patti—My Military Experience—Influencing Electors—OperaticJoint Stock Company—Objections to EnglishMonopoly—Patti in New York | [pp. 273-291] |
| [CHAPTER XIX.] | |
Non-Arrival of Scalchi—General Indisposition—King KalakauEnnobles Patti—Ravelli Consults his Dog—The CompanyVaccinated—Patti Eaten by Mice—Arrival of Albani—CincinnatiOpera Festival of '83—Freedom of theCity | [pp. 292-308] |
| [CHAPTER XX.] | |
Galassi Distinguishes Himself—Politeness of Prime Donne—EnglishWelcome to Canada—Concert at the WhiteHouse—Value of Patti's Notes—Phantom Ship Wrecked—Nilsson'sContract—Patti's Contract—Return toEngland | [pp. 309-327] |
| [Index to Volumes I and II] | |
CHAPTER I.
QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE CAREER OF IMPRESARIO—MY FIRST APPEARANCE AS VIOLINIST—DÉBUT AS A VOCALIST—DIFFICULTIES AS A CRITIC—ENGAGED AT LODI AND VERONA—RADICAL OPERATION ON MY THROAT—I START AS MUSICAL AGENT—MEETING WITH MR. E. T. SMITH—MANAGEMENT OF DRURY LANE.
BEFORE beginning my thirty years' career as an operatic manager, I had already had a large and varied experience of music in the character of student, critic, violinist, vocalist, composer, concert director, and musical agent. At the age of fourteen I entered the Royal Academy of Music, where the Principal was at that time Cipriani Potter. I took as my first study the violin, my professor being Watson, under whom I made good progress. Harmony I studied under Lucas. My compositions are limited to two pianoforte pieces and a song, which I published soon after leaving the Academy, where I remained about two years.
I made my first public appearance among the first violins at Her Majesty's Theatre, where, during the Jenny Lind seasons of 1848 and a portion of 1849, I played from the same desk as Remenyi, the famous Hungarian violinist. Remenyi, too, shared my rooms, and often kept me up at night by his loud and passionate declamations on the subject of Hungarian independence, and of liberty generally. He had taken part in the revolutionary movement of 1848, and on its collapse had fled for his life to foreign parts. Fortunately, he had his violin to depend upon; and it was in London, I believe, that he first turned his remarkable talent to practical and pecuniary account.
Mr. [afterwards Sir Michael] Costa had left Her Majesty's Theatre two years previously to take part in establishing the Royal Italian Opera at Covent Garden, and the new conductor at Her Majesty's Theatre was our eminent composer M. W. Balfe. It had already occurred to me to quit the comparative obscurity of the orchestra for a brilliant position on the stage; and this idea was encouraged by Balfe, who, during the intervals of operatic business, gave me singing lessons. I also received instruction from Gardoni, the tenor, and Belletti, the baritone. As I had a tenor voice, Gardoni's lessons were particularly useful to me; and I was led to believe by each of my distinguished professors that I had in me the making of a primo tenore.
Long before I had completed my studies as a vocalist, an opportunity, indeed a necessity, for making my first appearance as a singer presented itself. Not to remain idle during the long months separating one opera season from another, I took out in the English Provinces in 1849 a company in which were included Sontag, Calzolari, Belletti, Lablache, and the famous pianist Thalberg. On one occasion, after giving a concert at Salisbury, the whole party paid a visit to Stonehenge, where Sontag sang "Casta diva," and Lablache a portion of Oroveso's solo music among the Druidical remains, so suggestive of the opera of Norma. I have now before me a handsome little clock which Madame Sontag presented to me at the end of the tour. It is inscribed: "To J. H. Mapleson from Madame Sontag (Countess Rossi)." I may mention in connection with this charming vocalist, whose good nature and good temper were on a par with her talent, a peculiarity which will perhaps astonish some of the concert singers of the present day. Instead of avoiding, according to the modern practice, the task of either beginning or ending a concert, she was ready and even anxious to sing both the first piece and the last. "If I do not begin the concert people will not come in time," she would say; "and if I do not end it they will go away before it is over."
In the autumn of 1850 I took on tour a company which included Roger and Madame Viardot, the famous representatives of "John of Leyden" and "Fidès" in Le Prophète. Meyerbeer was in constant correspondence with them. To avoid the expense of postage, he used to send his music written on such fine paper that to be able to read it with any ease it was necessary to place it on a back-ground of ordinary writing paper.
In a subsequent tour my leading tenor was one night for some reason or other not forthcoming. There was no one to replace him, and as I was myself a tenor I plunged boldly into the gap. I sang with success, but it occurred to me even as I was singing that I had need of further instruction. On my return to London I called on Sims Reeves, and sang to him; when he at once recommended me to go to Milan, and place myself under Signor Mazzucato, director and principal professor of singing at the celebrated Conservatorio. Reeves was kind enough to give me a letter to Mazzucato, under whom he had himself studied, with results which need not here be set forth.