MUSICIANS AMD COMPOSERS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2677, 5 July 1905, Page 68

MUSICIANS AMD COMPOSERS.

— The death is announced of Mr Frank Celli; the well known baritone, at the age of 65. His first appearance wf.s at the extinci Marylebone Theatre as Mat o' tho Mint, in the "Beggar's Opera." Subsequently he was eng-iged by J. H Mapleson to sing; baritoae parts in Italian oppra in the provinces, and later on at Covent Garden and Drury Lane. After s.nginj in France and It,ily he joined the Carl Rosa Opera Company sis an original member. Of late Mr Celli had been engaged at the variety halls. His last engagement was at the Tivoli, Manchester, some few weeks ago.

—At the Royal Institution on Saturdayafternoon the President of the Royal Academy of Music delivered an interesting lecture on music of the early twentieth century. The voices of Melba, Patti, Clara Butt, Caruso, Lloyd, and Pantley were reproduced from the priceless gramophone records in possession of the British Museum. Next Saturday a paper will be read on British dialects of the Edwardian era, and the official records will be heard. — From the Daily Mail, January, 2005. A great step that will make the foregoing possible (says Music for May) has been decided upon by the trustees of the British Museum. The London Evening News advocated a national collection of voice records in March last, and Lord Avebury and the Archbishop of - Canterbury, two of the trustees of the British Museum, agreed that the records of voices of the most eminent singers and publicists of our time — men and women whose voices will interest future generations — should be collected and stored with other of the nation's treasures. A difficulty confronted the Museum trustees — the difficulty of obtaining imperishable records. But no sooner *was it raised than it was overcome. Mr S. W. Dixon, manager of the Gramophone Company, at once offered to make imperishable records of the voices of such persons as a committee approved by the British Museum trustees shall select, and supply them free of charge. This offer the trustees have decided to accept, and before long the first of the records should be lodged in tbe archives at Bloomsbury.

AN ANECDOTE OF A GREAT SINGER. It would seem unbelievable that Madame Patti could ever have bean hissed. Nevertheless, once an audience would have none of her. The story, given in Les Annales-, took place in 1885 at Barcelona. Madame Patti, then the musical idol of Europe, was advertised to appear in "La Traviata," supported by the Italian singer Stagno. Unfortunately, a few weeks before a Spanish tenor, Gayarre, had sung in the same opera, and with such amazing success that Sfcagno suddenly felt the inevitable competition impossible. From the first note to the last he would be compared with the recent favourite. His courage failed, and he went to the diva and begged for a change of opera. Patti was inflexible. Stagno, in despair, appealed to Nioolini. Would he take his placo? It was eight years since Nicolini had taken i3ie part of Alfredo, but he was persuaded in the end, and a notice was put on all the boards notifying the change of singer, and stating that all who wished to change their tickets could do so. —An Astounding Reception. — The evening came. Patti had not tima to break into a single note before the whole house was one sustained hissing, shouting, and booing. She stood unnerved and dazed. Nioolini appeared to help her, but at his appearance the noise grew worse. The curtain had to be lowered. When the house was quiet it was once more raised, but the moment the singers reappeared on the stage the hissing was immediately started again. The performers stood their ground, and went through the. opera as well as they could. As soon as it was over Patti went to the manager, and, shaking from head to foot with the inexplicable insult, said, "We leave tomorrow." The manager tore his hair. He had already found out who was responsible for the evening's events. Stagno himself had bought back all the returned tickets, and, filling them with creatures paid for the purpose, had treated himself to the incomprehensible luxury of hearing Nicolini — and Madame Patti — hissed for once. — An Inspiration. — Next morning the manager roamed the streets of Barcelona sick with need of an inspiration. Patti was leaving before the evening's r.erformance. Suddenly _he ran into an acquaniiance — one of the aristocracy of the place. Rapidly he begged for tha other's calling cards— all those left by his friends. He got them, and rushed back to the theatre. With the help of his secretary he feverishly wrote under the titled names every .kind of delicate message. The handwriting varied in each case. Among them were, "Bird, do not fly away." "The scoundrels! are they deaf?" "To hiss Patti is to offend God." "It is enough to make one blush at being a Spaniard." These were left at intervals all tho day at the hotel of the creat singer. Late in the afternoon the ma <r called, ostensibly to beg once more 1 t change of decision. He was met by a radiant, gracious, docile creature. "My dear, w« stay, we stay."

Have you got a thorough chill, Goose all over, realy ill; Wheezing, sneezing, shrill and high, Furry tongue, and watery eye ; Oblivious to the world's affairs, All its sorrows pleasures, cares, Useless suffering, why endure? Take- Woods' Gbeat Peppeemiht Cde3»