DEATH OF GUSTAVE GARCIA

Evening Star, Issue 19062, 3 October 1925, Page 19

DEATH OF GUSTAVE GARCIA

Gustavo Garcia died in London on June 12, at the ago of eighty-nine. Ho came of a family of noted musicians. His father, Manuel Garcia, who died in 1906, at the age of 102, was a celebrated vocal teacher, the inventor of the laryngoscope and tho author of tho ‘ Traito (Jomplet de I’Art du Chant.’ His grandfather, Manuel Vicente Garcia, was born in 1776, over 150 years ago. This remarkable succession of professional musicians bridged over the traditions of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Madame Maria Malibran, the 1 greatest singer of her time, a'nd Madame Pauline Viardot Garcia, belonged to this extraordinary family. Gustave, son of Manuel the younger, was born in Milan on February 1, 1837. When ho was about six mouths old his parents returned to their home in Paris, and Gustavo remained there until he was seventeen, receiving his education at the College of St. liarbe. In 1850 ho went to England, and was sent to a private school, kept by a clergyman, to learn English, remaining there for six months. His father had decided to make an engineer _ of him, but he showed no more aptitude for that than the shipping business, of which he had, alter a term at an engineering school, a brief taste in Manchester. It was about this time that his aunt, Paulino Viardot, went to Manchester to fulfil some concert engagements. Young Gustavo appealed to her, told her of his incapacity and distaste for business, and begged her to ask his father to allow him to follow tho profession of a singer. This ,she did, his father consented, and ho was packed off to Paris to study, first with Busine, a baritone, and then with Bataille, a bass, both well-known artists of the Opera Comique. He remained in Paris a year, returned to London to study with his father for three years, and made his debut in the title role of ‘ Don Giovani ’ at Her M'ajesty’s/l'hoatre at tho age of twenty-throe. After a short season at that theatre he went to Italy, and sang in various operas at La Scala, Milan. At the Carcano Theatre lie produced ‘Don Giovanni,’ which had not been produced in Milan for thirty-two years. For live years lie toured that country, singing at the principal theatres, with an interval of five months at tho Opera-house, Athens. At tho age of twenty-nine ho returned to London, giving several, concerts in Paris on his way hither, and shortly afterwards married Miss Linas Martorelli, an accomplished soprano, with whom he gave nany concerts in London and the provinces In 1830 he was appointed professor at tho Royal Academy of Music, remaining there ten years. Ho taught at the Guildhall School of Music from 1883 until 1910, and in 18S4 lie joined the staff of the Royal College of Music, teaching there until his final brief illness.