The Moderate Soprano Read online

John I did. I took the losses.

  Busch Alone?

  John looks at him.

  John I can tell you from experience, Herr Busch, this is the choice: bad opera at low prices or good opera at high prices.

  Busch And you prefer?

  John The latter. That’s why I’m equipping the new house with the most advanced facilities. I’m driving all over Europe in search of lamps. The best are in Vienna. I shall drive there as fast as I can.

  Busch To avoid accidents?

  John Precisely. Underneath the stage we plan to lay in steam pipes for cloud effects. I love a good steam pipe, don’t you? The whole Wagner repertory opens up at a stroke.

  Busch Is that your intention?

  John What?

  Busch To do Wagner?

  John Who else? Who else is there? Herr Busch, I have a very strong sense of the spiritual, of the sublime. Audrey has it too.

  Busch Audrey?

  John Audrey, my wife.

  Busch Ah.

  John I’m married to the moderate soprano, Audrey Mildmay.

  Busch Moderate?

  John I’m talking about timbre, not quality.

  Busch I understand.

  John Moderate here meaning gentle, not second-rate.

  Busch frowns, thrown, but John doesn’t notice.

  Audrey also has a sense of the sublime. She shares it with me. Only Wagner satisfies that sense. I travelled to Germany just after the war, I saw how the work was done. At once it filled me up, filled me full of inexpressible longing. Until I heard that music – mock me if you wish – I had no idea who I was.

  Busch nods, taking this in.

  Busch I’m beginning to understand. Wagner?

  John No point in messing around.

  Busch With your wife?

  John Audrey will take part. Audrey will sing.

  Busch My mistake, I was imagining a much smaller operation.

  John Can’t think why.

  Busch How many seats?

  John Around three hundred.

  Busch And how many in the orchestra?

  John smiles, anticipating the objection.

  John Ah well that’s where we’re clever, you see. I’m ahead of you, Busch.

  Busch In what way?

  John I also build organs.

  Busch Extraordinary.

  John One instrument does the work of many. Efficient.

  Busch You have an organ of your own?

  John In a special room in my house.

  Busch How big is your house?

  John Fair-sized. I had a friend, an organist, in fact, from when I taught at Eton. He was dear to me. I wanted to attract him to Glyndebourne for weekends. Indeed I feared he would not come and stay unless – unless, well, I lured him.

  Busch So you built him an organ?

  John Correct.

  Busch Specially?

  John Well first I had to build an eighty-foot room.

  Busch And was he happy?

  John Unfortunately Dr Lloyd died before the project was complete. He never played it.

  Busch I’m sorry.

  John Life.

  He waves a hand.

  However, the venture was not in vain.

  Busch How so?

  John In the process, I discovered that different organ parts were made in different places.

  Busch Really?

  John All over England. I thought why not bring all the manufacturing parts together under one roof? The Christie Unit Organ is known for its diversity of sounds. I’ve sold my organs to cinemas throughout the land. The Bird Whistle. The Train Whistle. The Telephone Bell. The Car Horn. There’s a separate stop for each.

  Busch And is there a stop for Wagner?

  John shakes his head.

  John Now you are mocking me, Dr Busch.

  Busch No. I’m questioning you.

  John And I’m happy to answer. The performances of Wagner will be accompanied by a string quartet.

  Busch Four string players in the pit and an organ above?

  John That’s the plan.

  Busch And singing with them will be a chorus of what? Fifty?

  John I was thinking two hundred.

  He is unapologetic.

  Busch Captain Christie, these are your plans, not mine. But even so.

  John Pitch in. Please. I’ve never been frightened of ideas.

  Busch You talk about perfection, you want everything to be first-rate.

  John I do. It’s essential to the enterprise.

  Busch Nothing can be first-rate unless you have a full orchestra. Opera is impossible without. Pit answers to stage and stage to pit. Anything else is unacceptable. A string quartet can’t do the job. And also you will need the services of a good stage director.

  John I’m not sure I know what that is.

  Busch You’ve visited Germany, I think?

  John I love Germany.

  Busch Good.

  John Flowers everywhere, good houses, clean streets, cultured people, perfect traffic control. I love it all.

  Busch Then the performances you’ve seen are not solely the work of the singers or of the conductor. In Germany we have experts. They fashion the work.

  John Fashion it?

  Busch They interpret it. If you’ve enjoyed opera in Germany then what you’ve enjoyed is the thinking. The development of the drama. The visual images presented. The costumes worn. The sense that everything belongs. Everything is a whole. Not just what you hear, but what you see as well.

  John It’s a separate chap?

  Busch You have it.

  John Never heard of such a thing. In England –

  Busch I know –

  John The singers bring their own costumes.

  Busch I know –

  John They’ve had them for years.

  Busch I know –

  John Manky things, often. Smelly.

  Busch I’m sure.

  John What’s more, they bring their own thinking.

  Busch In Germany too. But then they discuss. It’s a process. The aim is the integration of music and action.

  John One chap for the music –

  Busch Yes –

  John And another for the action?

  Busch Is it the expense which worries you?

  For the first time John is offended.

  John If I may say so, that’s an impertinent question. I have my area of expertise. You have yours. You have crossed a line.

  He has snapped at Busch. Busch is shocked.

  Busch I apologise.

  John And on the matter of money.

  Busch Yes?

  John It’s interesting you mention it. As it happens, I’ve spoken to some chaps.

  Busch What chaps are they?

  John In Dresden.

  Busch Chaps in Dresden?

  John Yes.

  Busch What sort of chaps would they be?

  John What they tell me is: you overspend. Well?

  Busch shrugs and says nothing.

  You’re notorious for it. Rumour is, they had to get rid of you because they couldn’t afford you.

  Busch Is that what they told you?

  John That’s what they say.

  Busch You’ve obviously asked around.

  John It was also in the press.

  Busch Ah yes. The press.

  John Come on, man, I didn’t come down with the rain. It was in the papers.

  Busch And you believe the papers in Germany, do you?

  John I read you had over two hundred people on the books. Singers, players. And spending wildly out of control. Whole place a financial disgrace.

  Busch Well then.

  John They warned me. Whatever you do, don’t use Busch.

  There is a silence.

  Busch So, Captain Christie. You’ve never heard of me, I’m not available and I waste money. What other qualifications do I have for the job?

  John looks at him, then smiles.

  SIX: MARCH 1934

  Au
drey comes back in. She’s young, fresh, demure. She speaks to us.

  Audrey I said to Jack, I kept saying, please, please don’t fall in love with me. You mustn’t. Please don’t. I would prefer it if you didn’t. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to say no.

  Hampers from Fortnum and Mason were at the heart of his technique. He was fifty after all and had never made love to a woman. He was planning to live alone with his dogs. If you’d met his mother, you’d know why. He set out to ask for my hand. Charbonnel chocolates, flowers, hire cars. Also pheasant, sent in a brace, naked, no wrapping, through the post with just a label tied round their claws. A stamp on the label. To Miss Audrey Mildmay, care of the stage door, the Grand Theatre Scarborough, the Hippodrome Birmingham, the King’s Theatre Manchester. A couple of dead birds, feathers and blood on the floor. Delicious.

  Flowers and jewels followed. They were in the phalanx behind. But the spearhead of the assault was always edible and usually from Piccadilly. In the First World War, in the trenches, Jack had dined on grouse sent out to France by Fortnums, often intended as a gift to comrades who had fallen in battle by the time it arrived. Breadcrumbs enclosed.

  I toured. I sang. I ate. After just three months, I was his.

  SEVEN: MARCH 1934

  A panelled eighty-foot room at Glyndebourne, dominated by an enormous organ. Waiting for Audrey is a man of forty-seven, aware of his own handsomeness, with a shock of white hair. His English is impeccable. He’s Carl Ebert.

  Audrey I’ve given you one of the nicer rooms, Professor.

  Ebert That’s thoughtful.

  Audrey I hope you’re going to be happy.

  Ebert I’m sure I will.

  Audrey I wouldn’t say it’s over-heated. This is a large house and it has its failings.

  Ebert People say the climate in England is temperate.

  Audrey Only if they’ve never lived here.

  They both smile.

  When the strawberries come then I like to put them in the bedrooms, so all our guests have a bowl of soft fruit to wake up to. But you’re early.

  Ebert I shall try to be here come strawberry time.

  Audrey Please do.

  There is a formal moment.

  Laundry goes every day except the Sabbath obviously, when the maid is in church.

  Ebert It’s not a problem.

  Audrey Hold anything urgent until Monday. The plan is to live together, to eat together, to make music together. An entire way of life.

  Ebert How inspiring.

  Audrey We think so.

  Ebert As long as we see eye to eye.

  He corrects himself immediately.

  Naturally I don’t mean with you, Mrs Christie. I’m speaking about the building.

  Audrey The building?

  Ebert Yes.

  Audrey I noticed: you went to look at it.

  Ebert I did.

  Audrey On arrival.

  Ebert It was the first thing I did. That’s what I’m here for.

  Audrey And you have reservations?

  She looks at him a moment.

  I’ll give you a tip, Professor.

  Ebert Anything.

  Audrey My husband’s a believer in democracy.

  Ebert You mean democracy as long as he’s in charge?

  Audrey No. Subtler than that. Genuine democracy. But only when it’s him that grants it. Remember.

  John comes in with Busch. They are both in coats. John is protesting loudly.

  John It was not my intention to overtake, but I was within my rights. Well within them.

  Busch Carl.

  Ebert Fritz.

  John I defy anyone to say otherwise. I was in the right. I was observing the code of the road.

  The Germans fall into one another’s arms, the emotion apparently disproportionate to their reunion.

  Busch So long a time. My dear, dear friend.

  Ebert Fritz! Fritz!

  John To the letter.

  Busch I thought I might never see you again.

  Audrey What happened?

  John A dispute in a Sussex lane.

  Audrey Another?

  John Dr Busch is not used to the way we drive in England.

  Audrey No one is used to the way you drive.

  Busch There are times when I lost faith.

  Ebert Me too.

  Busch Ich werde meinen alten Freund nie wiedersehen.

  They are holding each other’s arms and are staring into their eyes. They are both full of tears.

  John The road from Lewes is poorly maintained.

  Ebert Man glaubt, man versucht den Glauben beizubehalten. Jeden Tag sag Man sich, dass es besser wird. Aber jetzt wissen wir Bescheid: wir starren in den Abgrund.

  John I’m wondering if anyone would like a cocktail.

  Ebert In den tiefsten Abgrund.

  John A stiff cocktail. I most certainly would.

  Busch I apologise. You must think us very rude, Captain Christie, but Carl and I have been forced apart for far too long. The regime.

  John I’m sorry?

  Busch The regime.

  John looks blankly at him for a moment.

  John Cocktails?

  Ebert/Busch Thank you.

  John You haven’t met Audrey, have you, Doctor?

  Busch I haven’t had that pleasure.

  Audrey It’s an honour, Dr Busch.

  Busch Your husband told me of your beauty. But nothing prepared me.

  They shake hands.

  The Captain told me that the opera house was your idea.

  Audrey Not at all.

  John I’m going to make Manhattans. Does everyone like them stiff?

  Audrey I was here, that’s all, singing in the house. That’s how we met. John liked to have concerts with visiting singers. He mounted them here. In this room.

  Busch Charming.

  Audrey For the estate workers, you know. The gardeners.

  Busch You sang for the gardeners?

  Audrey They were the audience, yes.

  Busch Interesting.

  Audrey Then when we married, we discussed expanding the concerts.

  John Now there was a singer on the premises.

  Audrey We made a start. There was a certain amount of hammering and stupidity, workmen at the end of this room, a little stage going up, a platform I suppose you’d call it, with a curtain and nothing much else.

  John Work had begun. Work was under way.

  John is busying himself like an alchemist at the drinks tray.

  Audrey It was all ‘We can have the neighbours round and we’ll sing to them’.

  John Be fair. It was a little more than that.

  Audrey That’s what it was, John.

  John I dissent.

  Audrey Then one evening we were eating –

  John We were having dinner –

  Audrey Precisely.

  John Talking about it, as you do. Then Audrey suddenly turned to me –

  Audrey I turned to John –

  John Didn’t you, sweetheart? She turned to me –

  Audrey What happened was –

  John She turned to me and she said, she said –

  He stops as if to allow her to complete the thought.

  Audrey No, you tell it. You tell the story.

  John You, darling. You tell it.

  Audrey I said, ‘If you’re going to spend all that money, John, for God’s sake do the thing properly.’

  They both laugh. Busch looks at Ebert, sceptical.

  Busch Well, fair enough!

  John Fair enough!

  Busch No one can argue with that.

  John Did I marry well, or did I not?

  Busch Plainly.

  John My father said: ‘Make them strong to begin with, then make them stronger.’

  John pours more liquor into the Manhattans. Ebert shifts from foot to foot.

  Ebert Perhaps that’s why I was a little surprised.

  John Surprised?

  E
bert At my first encounter.

  John You’ll have to explain.

  Audrey The Professor took a look at the work in progress.

  John Did he, by golly?

  Ebert Yes. The facilities.

  John And what did you think?

  Ebert I know you’re doing your best, Captain Christie, but I’ll be frank: they’re not up to European standards. German standards.

  There is a silence. John is frozen.

  John I’m going to give you this drink, we’ll all say cheers and then we’ll set to.

  He hands them all drinks.

  All Cheers.

  They all drink, the Germans astonished at the strength.

  Ebert You want me to be honest?

  John Honesty never frightened me.

  Ebert I hardly know where to begin.

  John I’m sure that won’t stop you, Professor.

  Ebert Please. The title of Professor is honorary.

  Busch Carl undersells himself.

  Ebert Hardly.

  Busch What he’s not telling you: he was one of the most famous young actors in Germany. One of the most handsome.

  John I can see. Can you see, darling?

  Audrey I can.

  Ebert I wasn’t an actor originally. I didn’t study drama. I studied banking.

  John Even better. Just the man I need. Chap who can add up.

  Ebert And religion.

  John Excellent combination. Chap who knows life isn’t everything.

  Busch Carl was an actor. Then he became intendant in Darmstadt. Suddenly he was responsible for opera and drama alike.

  Ebert I saw no difference between the two.

  Busch Carl’s inclination has always been towards reform. Toward stripping away.

  Ebert It’s my passion.

  Busch Carl believes art forms become stale with repetition.

  Ebert They do.

  Busch His aim is always to cleanse the old, discredited traditions.

  John How bracing. How refreshing.

  Busch To reveal the true work underneath.

  Ebert That’s why I was drawn to opera rather than theatre. There was more potential for reform.

  Busch Let’s face it: in opera, there’s always potential for reform.