Page:Anecdotes of Great Musicians.djvu/81

Rh took a journey through Europe to restore his depleted finances. On arrival at Warsaw, his fame having preceded him, he was ordered to appear before the king and sing for the enjoyment of his majesty and the court. Abell, blind to his own interests, refused.

The king then ordered him to appear the next day, under pain of imprisonment. The singer made a virtue of necessity and at the appointed time went to the Palace and was shown to a chair in the center of a large hall. By some mechanical contrivance, and without warning to Abell, the chair was drawn up quite a distance from the floor. In a short time the king and some of his courtiers came out into a gallery and simultaneously several bears were let loose in the room below. Our tenor was then given his choice; it was either sing or be lowered among the beasts. It is needless to add that Abell chose to sing, and to sing in a way that would have made his fortune had he a more kindly disposed audience.  

Equally satisfactory in its results was the method of voice production applied by a band of Mexican freebooters to Garcia, another great tenor, but of modern times. One of the semi-annual revolutions taking place during Garcia's concert tour in Mexico, he was making his way toward the coast to sail for more peaceful climes. But before he could reach Vera Cruz he was attacked by a wandering band of Mexicans and relieved of his impedimenta even to the most of his wardrobe. The search for valuables in his baggage soon revealed a quantity of music, and it came to light that the captive was a singer.

Not satisfied with their tangible booty, the robbers demanded a song. Garcia respectfully declined. More demands, this time with fervor, con spirito, as it were. Garcia absolutely refused. But repeated encores being