PRICELESS RELICS-

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20583, 5 December 1928, Page 6

PRICELESS RELICS-

SOUVENIRS OF THE GREAT. ~ STORED FOR SAFETY’S SAKE. NEW MUSEUM WANTED. ' A collection of relics, the value of which in hard cash it would be impossible to estimate, \ is hoarded away in the heart of London, locked, bolted, and barred, hidden ” from the eyes of , the thousands who,would delight in cxamihing it. Every unit of this collection has some connection .with the history of the Royal Covcnt, Garden Opera Theatre and the famous singers and conductors who hare appeared there. The ownership of thesis relics is split up among many people who have to store them for safety's sake, but who would gladly help-to stock an ; operatie museum in London such as exists at the Paris and Milan Opera Houses. . . ..

Mr Richard Northcott, the archivist of the Royal Covent Garden Opera, who is pleading for such a national collection, recently allowed an interviewer to examine his own personal collection. I am going for this tooth and nail,” sa,id Mr Northcott. - “ There is Jenny Linds daughter living just round the corner. She owns a priceless collection- of relics and would gladly lend them. At present they are warehoused . r i , ct y , a “ d a ° one ever sees them. • 18m y oddments * T call them, for want of a better word?’ Mr Northcott’s “ oddments ” make a valuable collection! in themselves. Included in it are Caruso’s favourite walking buck and the tiny horseshoe mascot 'which he always wore; the gold watchpear shaped—given by George 111 to Angela Catalini, a replica of which Nelson gave to his daughter; and a , priceless miniature of Catalini so lasmoncd as to contain a pocket mirror., 1

ONLY TWO COPIES EXTANT. Brahma and Handel are both, represented, the former by one of his visiting cards, autographed, and the latter by an excellent print of his cook, who, besides singing the bass part in the first performance of the “ Messiah ” in Dublin, was a capablp ’cellist. Only two other copies of this print are extant, one of which is in the British Museum.

There are also the batons of three famous conductors, one of Nikisch who . conducted _ the first performance of ‘Lohengrin ” at the Royal’ltalian Opera House, one used by Richter when he conducted “ GotterdammeruDg,’’ and the actual baton used by Michael Coat* at' the opening performance of the Opera House on April 6, 1847, when " Semiramide ” was given. Another interesting relic of Costa ip a card on which are mounted six miniature razors of different sizes. This was presented to him by “ the members of the orchestra ” when, beardless at the age of 24, he was appointed assistant conductor at the Royal Italian Opera House. Probably the most unique relic in Mr Northcott s collection is a gold fob sOal, small enough to be concealed in the palm of -the hand, containing a musical box which plays " Bon Voyage, M. Dumollit,” an ; old French air, dating from 1820. Tliis was presented to the composer Donizetti in 1805 by Fanny Persiam, for whom ho wrote “ Lucia di Lammermoor,” the first performance of which was given at 1 the Covent Garden Opera House in 1835. OTHER INTERESTING RELICS. From a further quantity of relics, each one ot which ie of interest to the public, the music lover, and the general collector alike, one might mention particularly a porcelain model of Mrs Billineton, tho world-famous soprano, and a collection of her letters, the intimacy of which is so pronounced that it is doubtful whether they should ever have been published. A casket forged from metal taken from the groat bell of the Royal Italian Opera House after it was burned down in 1838. with a part, of the box office containing some of the lead pass-in checks in use at the time; a lock of Rossini’s hair, many Caruso relics, a jewelled crown worn bv Patti, the dagger worn bv Mario when ■ impersonating Romeo, and a complete model of a performance of “ The Merry Wives of Windsor,” with scenery, actors, orchestra, and audience complete in coloured paper executed by Beverley, the famous scenic artist, who must have exceeded Job in the matter of patience. This work is particularly interesting in that the artist ran out of paper and the bottom right hand corned of the prosficenium is constructed nut of a visiting card of Percy Bysshe Shelley. These are just a few examples of the hundreds of valuable- and interesting relics which, Mr Northcott declares, could be got together in a fortnight if only a suitable building could be obta.aed.