THE OPERATIC STAGE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 2647, 29 June 1889, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE OPERATIC STAGE.

It is commonly believed that tho most favoured personago of the nineteenth century is an operatic singer. The multitude applaud her, millionaires and titled individuals bid high for her smiles, impresarios pay fabulous sums of money to her for sinking a few bars of music ; while poets, critics and authors sing her praises from one end of the civilised globe to the other. In a word, a prima donna is a being standing apart from the rest of humanity, and there is no social or public triumph impossible to har. She is petted by princes and monarclis, even grey beards forget their dignity and are carried away by the magic of a voice which makes them young again, and awakes those smouldering fires of enthusiasm which age slowly extinguishes. It is said that the hardy Briton may gain the prize—a seat in tho House of Lords—for which so many men sacrifice the best years of their life, either by great deeds performed on the battle-field, at the bar, or in the senate. But an Englishwoman who has a career to make can only honourably reach the peerage by the Btage. It is popularly regarded as the crowning episode in a prima donna's romantic career that she may marry some prince or duke, with whom she is supposed to " live happy ever afterwards," like the heroine of a fairy tale. The tragic end of poor lima de Murska is the exception, though the generality of her class are spendthrifts, and few end their days midst smiling plenty. TIIE FIRST PRIMA DONNA IN ENGLAND. The prima donna was unknown to the sturdy Englishman of the days of good Queen Bess. She is essentially tho product of modern times. Italy possessed a few noted singers in the 17th century, but none of them visited England. In fact, Italian opera was not then established in Loudon until the beginning of the 18th century, when Margarita de l'Epine visited the country, in which she finally settled, and for 34 years beheld the public at her feet. Probably no other prima, donna ever enjoyed so long a career in England. She was notorious for her ugliness, but despite this fact had a chance of marrying a British nobleman. The Earl of Nottingham fell desperately in love, with her, and on one occasion is said to havo thrown himself at her feet and publicly declared his undying attachment. But the homely looking Margarita bravely withstood his coronet, and upon her retirement from the stage gave her handsome fortune—some £10,003 —to one Dr. Pepusch, who was said to have been philosophic enough to set no particular store on youth and beauty. In allusion to his wife's plainness he used to call her "I-Iccato," and this doubtful piece of pleasantry was not taken amiss by the thrifty Margarita. Her great stage rival Mrs Tofts, married the British Consul at Venice. Colley Cibber praised the fair Tofts for her " exquisitely sweet silver tone," and also her " peculiar rapid swiftness of the throat." The end of this beautiful woman was sad. Her brain gave way, and the small wits of the day attributed this collapse to extravagant joy at her stage triumphs. Steele, in one of his incomparable Tatler papers, writes of the charming Mrs Smith, niSe Katlierine Tofts, thus—" This lady entered so thoroughly into the characters she acted that when she had finished her part she could not think of retrenching her equipage, but would appear at her own lodging with tho magnificence that she did upon the stage. This greatness of soul has reduced that unhappy priucess to an involuntary retirement, where she now passes her time amid the woods and forests tninking of the crown and sceptres she lias lost'"

Anastasia Robinson, another reigning queen of song was secretly married to the eccentric Lord Peterborough, That valorous but unscrupulous nobleman on one occasion caned behind the scenes at Milan, a male soprano for unseemly familiarities with the fair Anatasia until the offender fell upon his knees and yelled for mercy Before his death Lord Peterborough summoned his relations to his bedside and for the first time acknowledged the marriage he had contracted. That Lady Peterborough was a woman of discretion is shown by tho fact that she declined to publish her husband's memoirs, which came into her hands after his death. Thoy are said to havo contained his confession that beforo attaining the age of twenty, he had committed three capital crimes. TIIE FAMOUS POLLY PEACHAM. More remarkable was the career of Lavinia Penton, who at the ago of eighteen came out at tho Haymarket, and such was tho effect of the beauty and grace of this fascinating woman that she took the town by storm. Those were not tho days when a prima donna was paid £500 a night for singing. The beautiful and thoughtful Lavinia thought herself sufficiently remunerated by the munificient salary of 15s a week. She is reputed to havo ensured sncccss to Gay's ' Beggars' Opera" by her vivacious representation of Polly Peacham, and bec ime tho favourite toast at every convival gathering; and the gilded youth of the day formed themselves into a body guard to escort her safely homo of an evening from the theatre. The Duke of Bolton was her special conquest, and made her as near a duchess as was possible to a noble Duko already married. Swift tolls the story of tho elopement in his own cynical way "The Duko of Bolton has run away with Polly Peacham, having settled £400 a year on her during her pleasure, and upon disagreement £'200 more. Swift further speaks of her as a "very accomplished and most agreeable companion." Signora Durastanto, who flourished in London in the year 1733, attained'to such a height of popularity tint the King stood godfather, for one of her children. She appears to have been

iiti eminently proper sort of person. Her successor, Cuzzoni, had the honour of having a number of airs composed by Handel to suit the peculiarities of her voice. But she treated the distinguished composer in a most capricious fashion, and oven had the audacity to alter his music. Matters reached a climax by Handel threatening upon one occasion to throw her out of the window unless she sang the music as set down for her. She is said to have refused a salary of 240,000 francs for one season from a manager in Italy. For some years she was 'Vie idol of London, and earned vast sums of money, all of which she squandered. Her domestio life was unhappy, and her fate very sad. She married a harpsichord maker, and after a few years poisoned him, for which crime she was to have been beheaded, but received a pardou. Her days ended in Holland, where she was imprisoned for debt. The prison authorities allowed her to go out every night and sing at the theatre. With the money thus earned siie eventually procured her liberation. Then her voico failed her, aud after maintaining herself for some time at Bologna by buttonholemaking, she died in obscurity and extreme poverty. KttOM PALACES TO I'OVKKTV. One of the most remarkable singers of the eighteenth century was Caterina Gabrielli, the daughter of a cook in the service of the celebrated Cardinal Gabrielli. His Eminence had the young singer trained, and at the age of 17 she took the whole continent captive by the marvellous quuiry ut h«r voice. Sinwas clierishe 1 by the powerful, an I ndored by the beautiful in all the courts of Europe. At Vienna the ambassadors

of France and Portugal were the chief competitors of her favours. According to a chronicler of the times, " she is supposed to have achieved more conques's than any woman breathing." After a time she bccanie so capricious that it was difficult to make her sing at all. At Parma she became the reigning favourite of the hunchback Infante Don Ferdinand, whose munificence for a time won her heart. After a stormy and most eventful life, she died forgotten in an obscure part of Italy.

THE STORY OP MADAME FAVART'S LIFE and her connection with the famous Marshal Saxe is well aown, and th 9 story of her life has V-jen made the Bubject of more than one romance. It is related that when Madame Favart fled, one dark and stormy night, from the operatic troupe which followed Marshal Saxe and his army into Flanders, the Marshal was inconsolable. So tempestuous was the night that a bridge which formed the communication between the main body of the army and a corps on the other side of the river was carried away, leaving the detached regiments quite at the mercy of the enemy. An officer on the following morning found the marshal in his tent in a state of great grief. "It is a sad affair," said the officer, " but can be remedied." "No. all hope is lost," replied the distressed hero. "1 am in despair." The officer thereupon showed how the bridge might be repaired, but was interrupted by the Marshal sayidg, " Are you talking of the bridge ? That can be mended soon. I was thinking ef Favart—perfidious girl she has deserted me."