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Show Were Driven to Big Triumph i Colonel Mapleson'8 Story of the Cast That First Sang the Opera "Carmen" In the United States. The cast that first sang the now celebrated opera "Carmen" in this country consisted of the world famous tenor, Italo Campanini; Del Puente, the baritone, and the American stars, Minnie Hauck and Alwina Valeria. They sang the opera and scored a great triumph therein under the direction direc-tion of the late Col. James H. Maple-son, Maple-son, the operatic impresario; and one of the most amusing stories of the troubles of an impresario that Colonel Mapleson ever told me related to this famous "Carmen" cast. "I had seen the opera in Paris," said Colonel Mapleson, "and deciding that it would be a great success in London and the United States, made arrangements to produce it in both countries at Drury Lane, in the early summer, and at New York's Academy of Music in the autumn. Then I sent I for Minnie Hauck, Alwina Valeria, , Campanini and Del Puente. ; opera. "Carmen," ' I said to them when i they had arrived at my London office, ' 'and I have selected the cast. Madame Hauck, you are to take the part of i Carmen. You, Valeria, are to sing Michaela. You, Campanini, are to take the tenor part, Don Jose, and you, Del Puente, the part of the bull fighter. Here are your parts. Come to me with them two days from now.' "When the four appeared before rae forty-eight hours later, I saw at once that there was trouble ahead, for Minnie Min-nie Hauck was the only one who looked look-ed happy. It was easy to see that she was delighted with the part of Carmen, Car-men, and that she agreed with me that it suited her both physically and tem-permentally. tem-permentally. But even as she smiled upon me the storms broke. "Colonel Mapleton," cried Valeria, "it is an insult to give me this part. It is too trifling. Get one of your chorus girls to sing it. I won't take it." " 'Yes, you will take It,' I said, 'and you will make a great hit in it. Take the part home and learn it.' And, bursting into tears, poor Valeria took her departure. " T glanced at Campanini nd saw he was in a rage. 'What do you mean by giving me that insignificant part?" he fairly shouted. 'I won't sing it. It is beneath me. I had rather go back to the army.' " 'Camp,' I said, 'don't be a damn fool. You sing it and act it, as you can, and you will find that you have made one of your greatest triumphs after it is all over.' " 'You are trying to give me a dose of soft soap.' he retorted, using the equivalent of that expression in Italian, Ital-ian, which he was speaking to me. " 'You take that part, Camp,' said I, 'or you won't sing with me any more here or in America.' "He g'ared at me, muttered something some-thing beneath his breath and walked out. Then up shot Del Puente. " 'You make a monkey of me, Mapleson,' Maple-son,' he screamed. 'Go out into the street and get an organ grinder to sing your bull fighter. I will find many who will sing it for you, but I, Del Puente, I will not sing it.' " 'Yes, you will sing it, Del," I retorted, re-torted, and forthwith told him the day of rehearsal. "It wasn't a happy affair, that rehearsal, re-hearsal, nor were Valeria, Campanini and Del Puente other than gloomy all through the preparaf-ory period. But I keep feeding them managerial plums judiciously, and at last they were ready for the first . night's performance. perform-ance. "It was a superb success. Campanini Cam-panini was magnificent in the last act. Valeria was recalled twice in the first act and three times after sing ing her aria in the third act. I raw Del Puente's white teeth gleaming and his face all wreathed in smiles when he was recalled again and again after the toreador's song. "After the performance the three, together to-gether with Minnie Hauck, who, of course, was flushed with her triumph as Carmen, came to my office. Valeria fairly hugged me in her joy. Campanini Cam-panini was superb; he apologized and berated himself for a fool for not recognizing rec-ognizing that Don Jose would be one of his greatest parts. Del Puente actually embraced me as he announced. an-nounced. T, Del Puente. will sing that part as many times a week as you want me to sing it.' And during the reran in der of the season those three artists were the most tractable singers I ever hd to deal with." (Copyright. 1910, by B. J. Edwards.) |