The Mapleson Memoirs, vol II

eir appearing constantly together in the same works. Under the new system, by which the prima donna stipulates that s

rovatore was being performed, I remember the baritone soliciting the honour of an introduction to Mdme. Patti at the very moment when he was singing in the trio of the first act

general idea of the conditions a manager is expected to accept from a leading prima donna, I here su

HENRY MAPLESON Operatic Manager, henceforward described as Mr. Mapleson

irection from Sixteenth June and ending the Sixteenth July One thousand eight hundred and eighty five in London in such manner that two of such Representations or Concerts (as the case may b

nd for all additional Representations or Concerts the sum of Five hundred pounds each; such payment to be made in advance in su

oletto, Linda, Carmen and Don Giovanni; and thereof 'Il Barbiere,' 'La Traviata,' 'Martha' and 'Zerlina' in Don Giovanni shall be assigned ex

of the Operas to be given at the several representations shall be Tuesdays and Saturdays, and the days of the week on which Concerts (if any) shall be given shall be fixed by the mutual agreemen

e to attend Rehearsals, but shall not

er own expense provide all requisi

as well as in the Operatic Casts or Concert Programmes in all Journals in which he may advertise his Operas or Concerts and likewise that her name shall appear in a separate line of large letters in all Announc

at liberty to sing elsewhere during th

continues during a period longer than two succeeding Operatic or Concert nights provided by the first Article the number of non-attendance nights shall be counted off the Eight agreed for Representations or Concerts as if Madame Patti had actually appeared thereat. In the case of such postponement the payment of the Five hundred pounds shall be postponed until the morning of the day on which the substituted Representation or Concert shall be given;

be at liberty to cancel this Engagement by notice in writing as provided in the Twelfth Article, and thereupon she shall be no longer required nor bound to continue the Representations or Co

r Counting-house in New Court, St. Swithin's Lane, London, on or before the Tenth June One thousand eight hundred and eighty five to the credit of Madame Patti, as part guarantee for Mr. Mapleson's fulfilment of this engagement. Such Two thousand pounds are to

s to put an end to this Engagement by lodging with Mr. Mapleson's Solicitors, Messrs. J. and R. Gole in London, a letter signed by her, announcing her determination of this Engagement; and thenceforth this Engagement shall be at an end except so far as regards the Agreement next following, that is

INA P

he contract lies for the manager, pecuniarily speaking, in the clause which empowers the singer to declare herself ill at the last moment, while guaranteeing her against all the consequences sure to arise from her too tardy apology. The manager has suddenly to change the performance, and, worse by far, to incur the ch

ime prescribed the whole of the sum payable to her for all the performances she binds herself to give, he will by such

members of the cast who did not even know Mdme. Patti by sight. Under such circumstances all idea of a perfect ensemble was, of course, out of the question. It was only on the night of performance, and in presence of the public, that the concerted pieces were tried for the first time with the soprano voice. The unfortunate contra

many in the gallery. How, it will be asked, can such an illustrious lady have friends whom she would like to send to the gallery? The answer is that the distinguished vocalist wishes to be su

their ordinary suite. Tenors are, at least, as particular on this score as prime donne; and if one popular tenor travels with a staff of eight, his

the following paid officials: A secretary, an under-secretary, a cook, a valet, a barber, a doctor, a lawyer, a journalist, an agent, and a treasurer. The ten attendants, apart from their special duties, form a useful claq

in case a clause in any existing contract should seem to have been broken. The hire of all these attendants causes no perceptible hole in the immen

the following of a vocalist with a world-wide reputation will not be considered complete unless it includes

t appeared to be a theodolite, and accompanied by a gentleman who I fancy was a great geometrician, looking intently and with a scientific air at some wall-posters on which the letters composing Mdme. Patti's name seemed to him not quite one-third larger than the letters composing the name of M

smaller than they should have been with the slightest intention of wounding the feelings or damaging the interests either of M

was taken out of it transversely, so that the middle stroke of the letter E disappeared altogether. When I pointed out my revised version of the name to Signer Nicolini in order to demonstrat

nd reached it on Monday morning, where we opened with Semiramide to as large an audience as the Academy had ever known. On the F

uitting the stage, with Adelina Patti on my right and Scalchi on my

o establish Italian Opera in this city. It is seldom that public men are understood. It is very seldom that they are offered an acknowledgment beyond the few earnest friends that cluster around them. Those citizens to whom I refer recognize that your career amongst us has no

ond and ruby slides, diamond and ruby charm in the shape of a harp, a pair of large solitaire diamond sleeve buttons, a diamond collar stud, a horse-shoe scarf pin

everything else, went to keep the Company together during the disastrous retre

y with difficulty, because at that critical moment, as I was picking up a bouquet, the buckle of my pantaloons gave way; and as my tailor had persuaded me, out of compliment to him,

creature unable to write his own name or even to read the love-letters which, in spite, or perhaps in consequence of his empty-headedness, were frequently addressed to him by affec

xed for the marriage, and the coming event was announced and commented upon in all the papers. The marriage, however, was not to take

eiving letters from his Frisco fiancée. Not being able to decipher the caligraphy of the former beloved one

esentations; and one day, when he had taken the girl whom he had met at New York to a morning performance, he asked permission to leave her for a moment as he had to speak to a friend. This friend turned out to be a lad

he season on the 2nd May, on which day Mdme. Patti sailed for Europe, followed by the Company. These frequent voyages across the Atlantic were my on

rvices the previous year by reason of my having, in conjunction with their own general manager, engaged Mdme. Patti. Otherwise I should have been obli

n that for want of ￡2,000