Stokowski, age 25 (claiming 20), was in his second year as choirmaster and organist. Blanche was 19, attending the Institute for Musical Art, and singing in the choir for money (and experience). These are the relevant selections from her diary.
Fri Jan 4 - Rehearsal in the evening. Leopold looks badly in spite of his rest. Poor lad! He is as rude as ever.
Sun Jan 6 - Wanted to walk to church but my clothes needed so much mending that I couldn't make time. Ella, Miss Doxrood and myself walked home to 59th talking French and having a merry time. Miss D. also has a lover on her hands. Dear me! I am very slow! In the evening had Annual Parish Service at church. Service was uninteresting.
Tue Jan 8 - In the evening, an industrious rehearsal with Leopold, who was in a heavenly mood. One of his speeches was that there is a nucleus to everything and in music it is called the climax point. In a word it is the accented syllable, in a phrase the accented word, in a composition, the great phrase and the true musician feels this intuitively. La-la.
Fri Jan 11 - Leopold felt very gay at rehearsal and I felt like saying "Think you're human?" after each "spooch."
Sun Jan 13 - My face swelled up over night to twice its size. Went to Dr. Pisek, who lanced it and cleaned out the matter. It was very bad and I am a funny sight. Mr. Beddoe wanted to know "whether the other fellow got the worst of it.'' It looks as if I had. Dr. Parks preached a wonderful sermon this morning -- fairly electrical! and I am sure he collected his full $20.00.
Mon Jan 14 - Talked to Ella a bit, who had sung at a funeral and who I believe was blue because Leo had been unsociable on the way there and back.
Tues Jan 15 - After supper an interesting rehearsal at church on "Matthew's Passion''. Bed at 11.15.
Wed Jan 16 - Began the day well, altho' Mama was in a dreadful condition till 11, by receiving a charming letter from Mr. Schirmer enclosing an "orkistry'' seat for "Don Giovanni.'' I danced for joy! ... Eve. dressed up in my "party'' gown and with Rose and Mila heard Don G. Missed half the first act. My seat was perfect and oh the audience. For me it was half the show. In a box Melba and her "babies'', in front of me, Leopold [Stokowski] and Geraldine [Farrar] flirting madly, Kocian just beyond and Schindler calling on ladies in the boxes. And I'm terribly afraid they didn't all see me in my $5.00 glory.
Fri Jan 18 - [Mrs. Collins and I] went over to the "Brevoort'' for dinner; then I rushed to church for rehearsal. For some reason I feel very antagonistic toward Leo of late.
Sun Jan 20 - Two interesting services with Dr. Parks speaking "to the young people'' in the morning, then after service he called down the contraltos so severely for "making a row with their copies'' that most of them dissolved in tears when they came out. Then in the afternoon he said with biting vindictiveness "If I couldn't march better than you I would get crutches!'' He is a glorious example of Christian forbearance. Such a spiteful temper, and in a minister of the gospel of peace! He's enough to make an atheist of a Jew! Walked three ways today and went to bed early.
Tues Jan 22 - In the evening, I mended my muff, read a little and "retired'' early. Tonight the first "Salome'' performance. [Rehearsal postponed...]
Wed Jan 23 - Read my "Great Masters'' and in the evening, I had a rehearsal. Leop. was at "Salome'' and his opinion was very interesting. He said that it was not a noisy conglomeration of sounds, as many expected, but that the themes stood out clearly (tho' they were not very original) and that the orchestration was wonderful. He spoke of the splendid characterizations of the singers, especially Fremstadt, but said he would as lief spend a night in the Paris morgue, as to see so revolting a drama again.