a great reputation. Her great part is Carmen, and in
this and Mignon she has delighted the Parisians. She is piquant and
brilliant, and has the faculty of charming the audience by her grace and
personal magnetism. Mlle. de Lussan was born in New York of French
parents, and received her musical education from her mother, who was
once a well-known singer.

CHAPTER VIII.

TENORS AND BARITONES.

The operatic tenor is frequently as much of a trial to the impresario as
the soprano. Brignoli would feel hurt unless he received what he
considered the proper amount of applause, and then he would have a sore
throat, and be unable to sing. Ravelli had a mortal hatred of Minnie
Hauk, because she once choked his high B flat with a too comprehensive
embrace, and his expression of rage, being understood by the audience as
a tremendous burst of dramatic enthusiasm, was, in consequence, loudly
applauded. Nicolini, in behalf of Patti, once went out and measured the
letters on a poster. It had been agreed that Patti's name was to be in
letters half as big again as those used for any other singer. It was
discovered that the name of Nevada, who was also a member of the
company, was a fraction over the stipulated size, and all the posters
had to be cut in such a way that a strip was taken out of Nevada's name,
and the middle dash of the E and of the A's was amputated.

Some tenors have travelled with numerous retainers, who always occupied
seats at the theatre for the purpose of directing the applause, but
nothing of the kind has ever been heard of with a contralto or basso.

Ernest Nicolini, who made his debut in 1855, was for some time
considered the best French tenor on the stage, but he is better known as
Madame Patti's husband than as a singer. Nicolini died in January, 1898.

Fancelli and Masini were tenors of merit, with beautiful voices; also
Brignoli, who for twenty years lived in America. Fancelli was a very
ignorant man, scarcely able to read or write. According to Mapleson, he
once attempted to write his name in the album of the Liverpool
Philharmonic Society, with deplorable results. He wished to write
"Fancelli, Primo Tenore Assoluto," but after great efforts, which
resulted in overturning the ink-bottle, the signature appeared thus:
"Faneli Primo Tenore Ass--"

Masini's voice was more sensuously beautiful than Fancelli's, and he was
more full of conceit. He travelled with a retinue of ten people,
including cook,