The first rehearsal of the season was always exciting – and scary. Exciting for the chance to again practice one's art. Scary because the new graduates of the Conservatoire who had received positions at the opera, in addition to those who simply auditioned, joined the opera company. One never knew if there would be a potential rival in the group.
And for a principal soprano, she needed to show each and every potential rival their place as quickly as possible.
Carlotta and Ubaldo walked into that first rehearsal confidently, she on his arm, and took their seats in the center of the first row. The conductor began rehearsal and the chorus started their first song. Carlotta didn't expect much of anything, after all, it was the first rehearsal, but she didn't expect that.
It was a squaking. Well, maybe the sound of a tea kettle.
"She sounds like a rusty hinge," Ubaldo whispered into her ear as he leaned over. Carlotta simply rolled her eyes. This wouldn't do. How could someone who made such a sound end up in the chorus of the Paris Opera? It couldn't be possible!
The conductor stopped the chorus to make the altos sing their part. No, she thought, that wasn't an alto you blasted idiot! It's someone pretending to be a soprano! Look at the sopranos!
But the conductor didn't pay any attention to Carlotta's body language and was satisfied with what he heard from the altos. Rehearsal continued.
After what seemed to be an eternity to Carlotta (but was probably only ten minutes to the rest of the world), she'd had enough. The great diva slammed her feet to the floor and stood up, score cascading to the floor. "For God's sake, that blasted noise is in the soprano section! Would you please fix it before I go out of my mind or lose my hearing!"
No one reacted except for Ubaldo, who scrambled to the floor to pick up her discarded score. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the conductor to react one way or another. Carlotta simply stared at the conductor, daring him to challenge her.
He didn't. It wasn't worth challenging her on this day and beginning the season on the wrong foot. He asked the sopranos to run through their notes while Carlotta sat down, taking her score from the tenor who, in turn, took her hand to help calm her. Eventually, the offending soprano was found, one Christine Daae, who had just graduated from the Conservatoire.
At least there was one person Carlotta didn't have to worry about challenging her for principal soprano. There was no way that child could sing.