Part 1
Chapter 1
OnaJanuaryeveningoftheearlyseventies,ChristineNilssonwassinginginFaustattheAcademyofMusicinNewYork.Thoughtherewasalreadytalkoftheerection,inremotemetropolitandistances"abovetheForties,"ofanewOperaHousewhichshouldcompeteincostlinessandsplendourwiththoseofthegreatEuropeancapitals,theworldoffashionwasstillcontenttoreassembleeverywinterintheshabbyredandgoldboxesofthesociableoldAcademy.Conservativescherisheditforbeingsmallandinconvenient,andthuskeepingoutthe"newpeople"whomNewYorkwasbeginningtodreadandyetbedrawnto;andthesentimentalclungtoitforitshistoricassociations,andthemusicalforitsexcellentacoustics,alwayssoproblematicaqualityinhallsbuiltforthehearingofmusic.ItwasMadameNilsson’sfirstappearancethatwinter,andwhatthedailypresshadalreadylearnedtodescribeas"anexceptionallybrilliantaudience"hadgatheredtohearher,transportedthroughtheslippery,snowystreetsinprivatebroughams,inthespaciousfamilylandau,orinthehumblerbutmoreconvenient"Browncoupe."TocometotheOperainaBrowncoupewasalmostashonourableawayofarrivingasinone’sowncarriage;anddeparturebythesamemeanshadtheimmenseadvantageofenablingone(withaplayfulallusiontodemocraticprinciples)toscrambleintothefirstBrownconveyanceintheline,insteadofwaitingtillthecold-and-gincongestednoseofone’sowncoachmangleamedundertheporticooftheAcademy.
