One cannot afford to antagonise a conductor and he was, besides, so
irascible a man that I did not care to mention to him that his 'cello
had been at fault. He was a most indifferent musician as well as a
narrow, obstinate man, although London considered him a very great
leader. He only infuriated me the more by remarking indulgently, one
night not long after, as if overlooking my various artistic
shortcomings: "Well, well,--you're a very pretty woman anyway!" It was
his "anyway" that irrevocably settled matters between us. He disliked
Nilsson too. He declared both in public and in private that her use of
her voice was mere "charlatanry and trickery" and not worthy to be
called musical. Nilsson was not, in fact, a good musician; few _prime
donne_ are. On one occasion she did actually sing one bar in advance of
the accompaniment for ten consecutive measures. This is almost
inconceivable, but she did it, and Sir Michael never forgave her.