"During the period that followed my disastrous
appearance at Milan, I changed very greatly. Not
only did my voice improve through the wise and
experienced teaching of Madame Laborde, but my
character and personality developed and crystal-
lised. I am reminded in this connection of a remark
made by Madame Mahbran about La Sontag, at
a time when the two famous opera singers were
appearing at the same theatre. Each one had her
ardent followers and partisans, and one day an
admirer of Malibran, trying to be ingratiating and
pleasant, began to speak disparagingly of La Son-
tag, saying that she had neither feeling nor artistic
temperament.
"Wait until she has lived and suffered," an-
swered Malibran. "You will be astonished at the
transformation which will take place in her per-
sonality; you will see its effect on her art."
SUFFERINGS AND SICKNESS
It so happened that not long after this conver-
sation La Sontag experienced a deep misfortune.
Returning later to the very theatre where she had
been criticised for her lack of feeling, she achieved
a triumphant success. The beautiful statue had
come to life. La Malibran had foretold truly.
My own experience was very much the same.
During the first years of my career, I was, as I
have said before, unable to express what I felt,
I often heard the same criticism made of me as
had been made of La Sontag in her early days.
At the very moment that I started my work with
Madame Laborde, I suffered a great sorrow, the
first tragedy that had touched my young life. Of
that I still cannot speak. It is enough that the
shock was so violent that I fell seriously ill. For a
whole year, my condition was almost desperate, but
my youth and natural vitality struggled against
the forces of sickness and despair, and finally tri-
umphed.
The process was slow, and my convalescence
long. During the interminable months of recov-
ery, I read a great deal and meditated on many
things which until that time had not held my atten-
tion. In the crucible of pain and suffering, my
will never come near you again! I will be in the
front row of the orchestra, listening to you."
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