Thirty Years of Musical Life in London

urn:iso:std:iso:639:ed-3:eng

20-21

text excerpt

The other representation [of Theresa Tietjens's "Lucrezia Borgia"] (Her Majesty's 
Theatre, May 19, 1877) is fraught with sad memories and undying admiration for a 
courageous woman and a true artist. It had been known for some time that Theresa 
Tietjens was suffering from cancer; and, after much hesitation, the doctors 
decided to perform an operation before the end of May. "Lucrezia" was announced 
for the 19th, and among the prima donna's friends it was pretty well understood 
that this would be her last appearance before the operation was performed. 

When the day arrived Tietjens was far too ill to be really fit to sing. It was 
distinctly against her medical advisers' wish that she insisted upon keeping 
faith with her manager and the public a practice that she had persistently 
adhered to throughout her career. How she contrived to get through the opera I 
shall never understand. It can only be compared to some splendid example of 
martyrdom. She fainted after each of the acts, but immediately on recovering 
consciousness decided to proceed with the performance. Never so much as a look 
or gesture betrayed to her audience the mortal anguish she was suffering. Only 
the initiated knew how much of reality there was in the terrible scream of agony 
uttered by Lucrezia in the final scene when she perceives that her son is dead. 
As it rang through the house the audience shuddered. Yet the brave artist would 
not shirk her fall at the end. What it cost her could be guessed, however, from 
the fact that after the curtain had been twice raised in response to rapturous 
plaudits, she still lay motionless upon the ground. She had once more become 
insensible. 

In the following week the operation was performed, but the case was hopeless, 
and on October 3, 1877, Theresa Tietjens breathed her last.

excerpt from 'Thirty Years of Musical Life in London, 1870-1900' pp. 20-21 (302 words)

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