. His musical
knowledge is illustrated by an anecdote to the effect that on one
occasion, when his wife complained at a rehearsal that the piano was too
high, he had the defect remedied by sending for a carpenter and making
him cut off six inches from the legs of the instrument. In spite of the
reputation for avarice which her husband helped to create, Madame
Catalani won golden opinions by her sweet temper, liberality, and
benevolence.

Towards the end of her career Catalani drew down on her head the
severest reprobation of all good judges by singing the most extravagant
and bizarre show pieces, such as variations, composed for the violin, on
"Rule Britannia," "God Save the King," etc. The public in general,
however, listened to her wonderful execution with unbounded delight and
astonishment.

In 1831 Madame Catalani retired from the stage. Young and brilliant
rivals, such as Pasta and Sontag, were rising to contest her
sovereignty, and for several years the critics had been dropping pretty
plain hints that it would be the most judicious and dignified course.
She settled with her family on an estate near Lake Como; but in 1848
she went to Paris to escape the cholera, which was then raging, and in a
few months, notwithstanding her precaution, she fell a victim to that
dread disease.

CHAPTER II.

PASTA TO MARIO.

It is impossible in these chapters to make more than a passing sketch of
many famous singers, and we must therefore be content with the mere
mention of such as Fodor, Camporese, Pisaroni, and Damoreau, who all, in
their day, attained high renown.

We now come to Giuditta Pasta, who must be placed in the very front
rank, as an artist who could transform natural faults into the rarest
beauties, who could make the world forgive the presence of many
deficiencies, and who engraved deeper impressions on the memory of her
hearers than any other, even in an age of great singers. Her voice at
first was limited, husky, and weak, without charm, without flexibility.
Though her countenance _spoke_, its features were cast in a coarse
mould. Her figure was ungraceful, her movements were awkward, and, at
the end of her first season, she found herself a dire failure. She
suddenly withdrew from the operatic world and betook herself to study,
and when she reappeared she made a great impression. By sheer industry
she had increased the range of her voice to two octaves and a half. Her
tones had become rich and swee