My Life (Opera biographies)

MY LIP Ji JL JL JUi A BY EMMA CALVE TRANSLATED BY ROSAMOND GILDER D. APPLETON AND COMPANY NEW YOKE i LONDON MCMXXII Sweetness and strength, high tragedy and mirth, And but one Calv6 an the singing earth. WATSON GILDER CONTENTS CKAFTKft I. ClIItPHOOD ....., 1 II. YfAHU OF STUDY , 23 III I KBt T m BkUMtRYjft ANP PAHIH . . . 31 IV Sl Ff HIH A W SxCKKKtfft 43 V, FIHA PAKFAKATION . 47 VI-A Totitt w ITALY 55 VIL Tin HOI. Y CITY 63, VIII A VftNttTiAN TtitrMini ..... 69 IX DARK Hotmit ., 70 X. CAYA KRfA M AN0 CARMKN IN PAEIS . 70 XI Ti4f CotrttT AT WWDHCIII -.., 87 XI L Tin MTEdi oiii rAM OPKRA HotmM y Nw YOEK .....,,., 09 XIII Eif ftotrri TttRotrcm TUB UHW STATII . Ill XIV. A StAWWif AtmiXKCM . . IM XV Ti CY or M o ,.,,.. 181 XVI A CIAW INTIR III II ,. Iff XVI I. St . .., lift XVIII. A iw mm f of TI of .. iff TII CONTENTS XIX, CABRI JlBBS ...... . . 115 1 XX, Two FAMOUS OPERA SINGBRH . . , 101 XXI. ARTISTS AND FRIENDS ....... 171 XXIL A MONK OF TUB ORDBH OF TICK VKNANTAK 185 XXIII. MISTRAL . , ...... . . 1 00 XXIV. AROUND TUB WORLD .,., 201 XXV, DURING TIIK GRKAT WAR . 2 l XXVI. A NBST OF Yoiwo Sowro Braiw . . . , 225 XXVII. A DAY AT HOMB .,.,... 941 XXVIII. HEALTH ANB HYCHKNK ...... XXIX, AET ANB SONG ........ XXX. A HAWMT BIBTVRN .... INBBX ..,.,. 275 viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Oalvi as Carmen ..... Frontispiece From the Original Painting by ThSohdd Chartran Emma Calv at Five , ....... 6 Emma Oalvi During Her Student Years in Paris . 28 Emma Calv in Le Chevalier Jean 1 . . , , 28 Emma Calv at Twenty .,.,,.. 44 Emma Oalv6 an Santxwsia ...., 44 Eleonora Buse ...,... 60 as Ophelia From a te iw 6y Deny 9 Peuch . 00 us Sappho .,,.,...., 82 Gall Mario, Creator of Carmen , 82 Dedication Written on tht Fly-leaf of Victoria at Five ,.,, 02 m Carmen ........ . . 100 Character Portrait of Victor Maurel From th by Benjamin 0ot tenl 104 Ewnia Calvj on s Conetrt Tour in the United States 122 iw Opfalia ...,,. . 140 llie at auof Caferilres as Seoit from the Highway 154 the MamniaiiMi . . . , . 214 at .,...... 98 A Eooim in the Chtttau of Gabrifcro . , . , 242 The of ....... S42 PRELUDE IT was in France, ah, many years ago The Midi sun, in all its blazing ardour, filled the still air with vibrant heat and light. Along a road which led past a chateau, high perched on its rocky hilltop, I was walking with a group of little girls, my companions in the convent where I was being educated. The castle we approached was the only one in the countryside, a proud place, noble and aloof. We thought it very beautiful, and used to in awe and admiration at its towers and tur rets silhouetted against the burning sky. On this particular day I seemed to see it with new eyes Who knows 11 1 said to one of my companions, Perhaps some day that castle will belong to me I My playmates looked at me in astonishment, and hurst into laughter. What r they exclaimed. You own tie ehateau you Dont be so silly Its not even for but, if it how eould A poor little girf like you buy a beautiful place f I with at the absurdity of the idea ad xii and we went on our way, happily irresponsible unconscious of the future. Yet, after all, in that moment of prevision, 1 not been wrong. That castle was Cabr res where I now live. The dream came true, though the way was long and hard. It led through years of strenu ous work, through sorrow and suffering, through difficulty and despair. Sometimes there were stretches of happiness, where the birds and joy filled my heart. Sometimes the road led through the dazzling gateway of success, through triumph and achievement, to u goal not yet at tained, for, though 1 own Cabr res and my child hood prophecy has been fulfilled, I find that, once started on the arduous path, there IB no resting by the way...

Text: English, French (translation)