A ROMANCE OF THE OPERA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2707, 16 November 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

A ROMANCE OF THE OPERA.

The death, at the ripe old ago of SI, of Madame Puzzi will recall one of the prettiest little romances of operatic history. It was in that the celebrated horn-player, Signor Puzzi, was, on the recommendation of Rossini, engaged by Ebers, then director of the King's (now Her Majesty's) Theatre, to travel over the Continent in the search for new artistes. Puzzi went, among other places, to Milan, believing he was there to hear the celebrated vocalist, Mdlle. Toso. The lady who actually sans;, was, however, Mdlle. Toso. Puzzi seems to have fallen in love with the young prima donna at once. He engaged her at the not very extravagant salary of £350 for the London season, and wrote enthusiastically to Ebers that his new prize was " belle conune une ange, jeune de dix-neuf ans, eleve du Conservatoire de Milan." Mdlle. Toso, thanks to her great beauty, achieved greater success in society than at the Opera-house and in course of the season Puzzi married her, whereupon she withdrew from the stage. But for upwards of CO yeai'3 Madame Puzzi lias been a successful teacher of singing, and for a long time she exercised enormous influence in the engagement of vocalists at our Italian Opera-houses.