THE MAPLESON MEMOIRS
Reading edition
1848-1888
IN TWO VOLUMES
WITH PORTRAIT OF THE AUTHOR
VOL II
CHICAGO, NEW YORK, AND SAN FRANCISCO BELFORD, CLARKE & CO., PUBLISHERS. 1888 [All rights reserved].
COPYRIGHT, 1888, by JAMES H. MAPLESON
TROW'S PRINTING AND BOOKBINDING COMPANY, NEW YORK.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
My Connection Severed—Musical Protective Union—American Orchestras—Rival Opera-Houses—Operatic Trial by Jury —St. Cecilia's Day—The Feast of Father Flatterypp. 1-21
CHAPTER II.
Patti and her Shoes—Patti Seized for Debt—Flight of Gerster —Conflict at Chicago—Bouquets out of Season—Cincinnati Floods—Abbey's Collapse—Resolve to go Westpp. 22-39
CHAPTER III.
Gerster Refuses; Patti Volunteers—Arrival at Cheyenne —Patti Dines the Prophet—Threats of an Interviewer—Arrival at San Franciscopp. 40-49
CHAPTER IV.
The Patti Epidemic—Gerster Furore—Tickets 400% Premium —My Arrest—Capture of "Scalpers"—Death of my First "Basso"—"That Patti Kiss"pp. 50-69
CHAPTER V.
Luncheon on H.M.S. Triumph—Opera Auction—Concert at Mormon Tabernacle—Return to New York—Return to Europe—Sheriffs in the Academy—I Depart in Peacepp. 70-83
CHAPTER VI.
Royal Italian Opera Liquidates—Getting Patti off the Ship—Henry Ward Beecher's Cider—Patti's Silver Wedding—A Patti Programme of 1855—A Black Concertpp. 84-100
CHAPTER VII.
Panic at New Orleans—Thermometer Falls 105 Degrees—Banquet at Chicago—The "Count di Luna" at Market—Coffee John—An American George Robins—My Under-takerpp. 101-117
CHAPTER VIII.
Patti and Scalchi—Nevada's Début—A Chinese Swing—A Visit from Above—Rescued Treasure—Great Chicago Festival—American Hospitalitypp. 118-139
CHAPTER IX.
"Count di Luna" Introduced to "Leonora"—A Patti Contract —The Sting of the Engagement—A Tenor's Suite—A Presentation of Jewellery—My "Don Giovanni"—A Profitable Tourpp. 140-154
CHAPTER X.
My Covent Garden Season—Patti's London Silver Wedding—Return to New York—Difficulties Begin—Rival Rehearsals—Grand Opera and Operettapp. 155-167
CHAPTER XI.
House Divided against Itself—Rev. H. Haweis on Wagner—H.R.H. and Wotan—Elle a déchiré mon gilet—Arditi's Remains—Return to San Franciscopp. 168-184
CHAPTER XII.
The Retreat from Frisco—Hotel Dangers—A Scene from Carmen—Operatic Invalids—Murderous Lovers—Ravelli's Claim—General Barnes's Reply—Clamour for Higher Prices—My Onward Marchpp. 185-214
CHAPTER XIII.
Del Puente in the Kitchen—Scalding Coffee—Californian Wine—The Sergeant takes a Header—The Russian Mother—I Become a Sheriff—A Dumb Chorus—Dynamite Bombspp. 215-228
CHAPTER XIV.
Subterranean Music—The Striker Struck—Tuscan Taffy—A Healthy "Lucia"—I Recover from the United States—A Beknighted Mayorpp. 229-243
CHAPTER XV.
Back in the Old Country—The London Season—Sluggish Audiences—My Outside Public—The Patti Disappointments—The "Sandwich's" Storypp. 244-257
CHAPTER XVI.
Master and Man—Don Giovanni Centenary—Mozart and Parnell—Bursting of "Gilda"—Colonel Stracey and the Demons—The Hawk's Mountain Flight—Ambitious Students and Indigent Professors—A School for Opera—Anglicized Foreigners—Italianized Englishmenpp. 258-275
CHAPTER XVII.
Fight with Mr. and Mrs. Ravelli—An Improvised Public—Ravelli's Dangerous Illness—Mr. Russell Gole—Reappearance of Mr. Registrar Hazlitt—Offenbach in Italian—Who is that Young Man?—Fancelli's Autograph—Ristori's Aristocratic Householdpp. 276-291
FINAL CHAPTER.
Envoi pp. 293
APPENDIX.
Singers and Operas produced by mepp. 295
Index to Volumes I. and II.pp. 303