Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-11-18
VOCAL CULTURE.
The Opinions Of Nine. Marie R0ze.

PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS, BASED UPoN EX-
PERIENcE-HER INDEBTEDNESS TO Au.
BER-soME ADVICE TO YOUNG DE.
GINNERS-THE DIFFERENT
SCHOOLS OF SINGING
ITALY NOT THE
ONLY PLACE.
From the Boston Herald.
81 know how hard it is" said Nine.
Roze in opening the conversation, "for
beginners to set about the hard task
they have undertaken in the right
way and | must first acknowledge
my Indebtedness to the great Auber,
who was my first master, and to whose
genius | owe everything, for it was
through his influence that | was ad-
mitted to the Grand Conservatoire in
Paris, and after many years of hard,
patient and unremitting study | was
rewarded by obtaining the first prize
diploma and gold medal of the Con
servatoire, the highest honors to be
obtained. There is no subject on which
opinions are so divided and prejudices
so strong as the proper study to be
pursued for the development and train
ing of the voice. | do not suppose
anything | may say will elucidate the
mystery of the art of singing, for
singing is unquestionably an art and
one of the most difficult to conquer.
Indeed, doubt whether any one has
thoroughly mastered it. For my part
| find | have always something to
learn and something to study and no
prima donna has ever finished her
studies while before the public, Patti,
Nilsson, Albani, and in fact all the
great artistes are constantly restudy-
ing their roles, and scarcely q day
passes that they do not rehearse for
hours with some maestro of known
ability. Young beginners should first
of all bear in mind that the voice is
the most delicate of all instruments,
and consequently susceptible to all
kinds of influences, and should there
fore exercise the greatest care over
themselves.
Nothing is so good for the voice as
absolute repose. Besides, it strength
ems their frame and enables them to
bear the fatigues of study. They will
have enough late hours when they be-
come professionals, and then they will
value and understand the necessity of
repose. The duration of the singing
voice is comparatively short, and the
prima donna of the present day has to
combine the arts of the musician with
the dramatic powers of the actress"
what, Nine. Roze, is your advice
to beginners as regards teachers ?"
Teachers, that is to say good ones
are extremely rare and (the good ones }
may be counted on your fingers. Be
ginners should distrust at once any
one who holds out an easy road to
acquiring the art Of singing, and the
teacher who tells you he can instruct
pupil to do without trouble the art
that costs great artistes the study of a
life time proclaims himself charla-
TAM"
"What is the best school of sing
ing?" was the next query put.
"There are three schools of singing.
First, the Italian; second, the French
third, the German, and in England
they claim an English school, although
| could never discover of what its
method consisted; the English Han
del traditions, of which they are so
proud, being nothing more or less than
the Italian school established by the
first great oratorio singers in England,
nearly all of whom were foreigners.
For my part l consider there is but
one school of singing in the world, and
that, need hardly say, is the Italian.
Now, as regards teachers, let me at
once correct very prevalent error
that which induces people to suppose
that great singers must of q necessity
be great teachers. Some singers OF
reputation, such as Viardot, in Paris
Marchesi. in Vienna, and Rudershorff,
have justly made their mark as teach.
ers, but they are the exceptions, not
the rule"
THE BEST PLACE TO STUDY.
"Where is the best place to study,
madame ?"
"The best place is where one can
find the best masters. 1t is a great
mistake to suppose a beginner can
only succeed by going to Italy. Alas
hundreds of talented American girls
have found out to their cost that Italy,
once the centre of art and music, is
now thoroughly demoralized. All their
composers and teachers have died out,
with the exception of Verdi, and even
he, finding no longer inspiration from
his native land, has become a convert
to the great school of Wagner, as
shown in Verdi's recent compositions.
Young girls going, for instance, to
Milan are invariably imposed upon
and swindled by a lot of charlatans.