g, choking, and gargling,
when suddenly Jean de Reszke sang Tristan beautifully."

Jean de Reszke is a native of Poland, having been born at Warsaw in
1852. His father was a councillor of state and his mother an excellent
amateur musician. Their home was the centre of attraction for many
notable artists and musicians, so that the children were brought up in
an atmosphere of art. Jean was taught singing by his mother, and at the
age of twelve sang the solos in the cathedral at Warsaw. He was educated
for the profession of the law, but his love of music was such that he
decided to prepare himself for the operatic stage, and began to study
with Ciaffei, and later on with Cotogni. He made his debut in 1874 at
Venice as a baritone, and for some years sang baritone parts, until he
found the strain telling upon his health. He phrased artistically and
possessed sensibility, and his voice was of excellent quality; but
feeling that he was not fully prepared, he retired from the stage for a
time and studied with Sbriglia in Paris. In 1879 he appeared again, but
as a tenor, in "Roberto," at Madrid, when he made a great success, and
from that time he was regarded as one of the greatest tenors of the age.
Of recent years his successes have been chiefly in Wagnerian roles. He
is an ideal Lohengrin, and has added to his laurels as Tristan and as
Siegfried.

Probably no tenor since the days of Mario has awakened such widespread
public interest. His estates in Poland, which in 1896 were extensively
improved for the reception of his bride, the Countess Mailly-Nesle, his
love of horses and of sport in general, as well as the jealousies of the
numerous ladies who vied with one another for his smiles, all in their
turn formed themes for newspaper and magazine comment. The personal
appearance, as well as the geniality of the great tenor, helped to make
him an object of interest, for he is a man of great physical beauty and
grace.

Jean de Reszke created a furore in America, and has visited the country
several times under the management of Abbey and Grau. When that company
failed in 1896, De Reszke attempted to form an opera company to finish
the season, and in so doing he incurred a great deal of popular
indignation by his treatment of Madame Nordica, who felt obliged to
leave the company, and by inducing Madame Melba to assume Wagnerian
roles, in which she proved to be a failure. He became the object of
newspaper attack on account of the