Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-01-24

THE SECRET OF THE GREAT
PRIMA DONNA'S SUCCESS.

Americas Sweetest sOngstress Tells
How She Come to Follow the Stage
Tho Baroness ROthschild Her Early
PrOtectress-she Clings to Her Ameri-
can Name in Preference to r Name
That Sounds Foreign.
cone Of the greatest Of recent innova-
tions in stage business is the japanese
waddle," said Miss Emma Abbott to a
News reporter yesterday afternoon.
"You wouldn't think how many styles
Of walking one has to learn" she con-
tinued in her charming, smiling way. 81
learned walking of Lester in New York.
There is the listless walk, the stately
stride, the jolly, rollicking way as in
Chimes Of Normandy the queenly as in
'Semaramide and the pigeon-toed step OF
Yum YUM"
The reporter wanted TO know II there is
any recipe for turning out artists OF ex-
cellence to order. Miss Abbott laugh
ingly said that she was not aware of any.
My own experience is that 1t takes
hard, hard work. When l was a little
girl / sang in the streets, but ] was de-
termined that | would get up 10 one OF
the top niches-do everything anyone else
can do, and more If possible. | must
thank Patti for a great deal Of my sue
cess. She WAS my protectress, and the
Baroness Rothschild was another. She
advanced 1900 francs for my musical
education in Paris. NY great master,
Errani, told me when he first saw me that
Iwould never be able to sing plain scale.
Naturally my voice was lacking in tieXl-
bility. From poor little mezzo soprano
that could not string together two notes,
have cultivated my voice until can now
reach + in altlssimO, which is higher than
any other singer, except Gerster."
In conversation with Americas great
est prima dOnnas one is (Orcibly struck
by Miss AbbOt3s ambition. Most artists
are content when they acquire great
reputation to stand still Miss Abbott on
the contrary is all the time studying and
striving TO 20 higher. She Is most en-
PERTAINING conversatiOnalist. After chat
ting few minutes the re-
porter halt imagined he had known
the star for 10 years or more.
There is no atiectation Of reserve but
genial, merry woman whose eyes sparkle
like her diamonds and whose cOnVersa-
ton is az bright and bubbiDg with bon
mOts as is possible to conceive. There IS
a warmth about her Misunderstanding that is
indicative Of her intense American ma
ture. ~ love my American name If IT IS
a wild western one. Patti wanted me to
change 1t to something that ended with
kindly, one day you will stand beside
me- ALBERT was the name she picked
out for me. That sounds djStiHglJe,' she
remarked to me one day in Paris. you
may sing Ike an angel, but
you will have to change your
name or you will not be a success. No
artist will ever be recognized with such
name as Emma Abbott But l held on
to 1t and have survived and succeeded
under it,"
Ii was through a letter from Patti that
Miss Abbott secured her first position,
and she naturally feels very deeply in-
debted to the celebrated singer for the in
terest. Everyone notices tue many little
unconscious ways Miss Abbott has upon
the stage. it is frequently said of her
that she acts as if she was in love with
both Of her tenOrs. She admits that she
is open to the criticism, and declares that
she always tries her best to feel and act
the part.
.'In opera you must be the character"
81 always cry in the death scene IN LA
Traviata," she continued. Il really try
to feel as II 1 was dying"
"A rather unpleasant sensation isn't it,
or can one really become accustomed to
dying by practicing~ queried the NEWS
man.
Hiss Abbotts mad scene IN Linda" is
acknowledged to be the finest given by
any actress. w mere did | learn the
facial expression for that? Where would
you think, now? Why, 1 went TO an in
sane asylum and made a study there.
But mad scenes are extremely trying, and
SO are death scenes, when ones feelings
are wrought up TO the highest pitch
am forbidden TO give them too frequently,
for physicians have told me that there is
danger Of strainlng the mind
something was said about her elegant
costumes, and the great singer interrupt
ed aud laughingly observed that the
hardest days work she ever did was to
try on 30 dresses. The thermometer
marked IS deg. in the shade in Paris. Il
only allowed myself 20 minutes to each
Dress" she added reRretfully, and then
went on to explain that she was in a great
hurry on that particular day and had to
leave the city that nlgat. She artlessy
informed the reporter how she pits
one great miiliner against another. TO
Worth she will say: "Mr. Worth, look out
Felix is making dress for me TO wear in
the first act, do not let him excel" Then
she tells the others that Worth is making
ner a dress, and between them she gets a
wardrobe that few princesses can equal.
AS amatter of TACT Qaeen Isabella ordered
Worth to make her a copy OF the dress
which Miss Abbott wears in the
last act OF the Pearl of SavOy.D which
will be given Tuesday night. The dress
is a symphony in materials and colOrs,
Miss Abbott considers Beliini and AMMAN
dale the most accomplished soprano and
cOntraltO in this country. MOntegritiO
and Micheiena she refers to as her brace OF
tenOrs, and says she cannot tell which
is most admired by the ladies', her ''gen-
uine high Monte or the dreamy dark
eyed Spanish tenor" Broderick she
thinks is going to be the great basso OF
this country. Pruette was with Maple
son a long time. Tuesday night he will
have n strong part, while Broderick's will
be tomorrow night IN "MignOn." In this
last named opera the prima donna will
give brilliant aria with the flute in the
chamber scene.
AT THE THEATRE.