The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-04-13
TRAINING FOR A SINGER.
p.rrI GIVES VALUABLE ADVICE
TO YOUNG GIRLS

Evolut,on of a Fashion-Our Amer
ican DUCHESS Women Folk and
Their Doings.
(copwioitl
NEW YORK, April 12.-Patti IN parlor,
sitting in a high-backed chair. at conven-
;ant distance from mirror, in which an &C.
nasional turn of the head will enable her to
odr,ira her red tresses; with big bunch of
violets to bury her face in and one. perhaps
18th Of her absurd little blonde dogs on her
Lrae looks like thoroughly happy and
we'll conditioned woman of five or six years
less than her full age.
Though she is to leave the country in a
fortnight. have not yet seen description
~ the present appearance, off the stage, of
tbs lannon's singer which would convey to a
Granger any truthful idea Patti does not
1oo, "voung," much less ''girlish." She is
,,ot "beautifuln She is a fine looking
woman with good figure fitted TO blue
4 cloth polonoise braided with black, and
4 onening over black velvet petticoat. Her
facei mobile, and like all such animated,
expressive countenances shows lines that
come later or even fail to come at all to
more impassive women. She is Al; she
looks perhaps from 40 to AZ.
1 She dresses her hair exactly as she did
ten years ago. Ii is curled rather loosely
in front and wound in high coil fastened
with small gold pins. She never seems quite
unconscious Of her couture, but gives the
brick red tresses little approving pats, as
who should say, SIS not the change becom-
iDgp In truth the coloring is very uniform
and even, not patchy, but it has taken all
the beautiful sheen out of her hair, which
cow looks dull and almost wiry The con-
rast with her Spanish complexion and eyes
snot pretty.
In speech Patti is direct, frank, markedly
Intelligent; she talks uncommonly we'll.
She has not at all stage bearing. l have
sldorn seen an amateur who had PLAYED
mce for "charity" who was not more
heatrical / have never seen a Delsarte
STUDENT who was not more Of a poseuSe.
Patti is unaffected.
In manner she is cordial, almost caressing:
10 her dogs ELUSIVE. If one OF them, say
Pluck with the yellow ribbon about his
Deck, happens to stray into the next room
she is on her feet in an instant. There,
darling, come back to mammal You were
80 lonesome, poor child, weren't you, in
there all alones" Ii Manrico lies down at
her feet it is: Jump into mammals lap,
dear; come, darling, and see mamma; there,
my pet, there"
Her voice is Iow-toned in conversation
ana pleasant. She has a very rapid, viva
cious utterance. She ''chats" most charm
ingly. She impressss you as a woman who
is absolutely content. who has and who
fully and happily realizes that she has a
thoroughly good time. She says that she
has made her last American tour; her plans
may alter, but her home is too pleasant to
leave, and then you've all grown so Ger
man Pm afraid you don't love me any
more" Here her mocking bird chirps
note or two. THAT bird" she says, lis SO
ambitious he sings everything do, but he's
sdevout Wagnerian-he screams"
She had promised to give me, for the
benefit of the millions of young women who
imagine themselves budding prima donnas,
her views as to how a girl should be trained
for singer, and if she is not to be heard
again in this country, the careful and we'll
considered directions of the greatest vocalist
ihe century has known for the cultivation
and preservation of the voice will be of
more than ordinary interest and value.
While she talked, Nicolini, big and burly,
walked up and down, occasionally picking
up Pluck and again dropping him into her
arms
There are more good voices.n she began
when the mocking bird was quiet, ''among
american women than among those of any
other country. have heard many Ameri-
can girls who sang diviDely. The success of
American singers abroad is noticeable. The
uncultivated American tone is nasal, but
the cultivated American voice is most mu-
scaln
AT what age should girl begin to
Singer
That depends on her voice entirely. Peo-
pie have an idea that too early use of the
voice is hurtful, but / sang in public when
was only z. They gave me my doll TO
carry upon the stage when l was to MARBLE
Ali non giunge.' 1t is not often that a
child has voice of such strength or COM
pass, but Albani. the great contralto, was a
very little girl when she sang the difficult
roulades of Rossini, and Bosio made her
debut i'll opera before she was Is. The ear
lier singing is taught the better, provided
always the voice is not strained. A girl
should not be allowed to reach after high
notes or to test the range of her voice too
severely. / was withdrawn from stage sing
luz at II or L. but Strakosch kept me at
hard study until was 15 Th9n | made my
debut in New York as Lucia. That was in
1859, and l have been singing since con-
sanity. No, it is not true that there is any
thing abnormal in the very early develop
nent of musical gifts"
What kind of training would you recon-
mend?n
Hard work. That's about all there is to
1t, except, of course one must have a good
master who will not give false Methods
is 1t possible for singer TO get thorough
musical training in this country?'
II know very little about your masters
There must be some excellent ones"
IF girl goes abroad should she study in
Paris or Milan or Munich!"
Munich "Now you're swearing!''
Both hands went up in horror. Pluck found
bis seat uncomfortable and sprang to the
floor.
Germany for singers Never! For
harmony, yes. For thorough grounding in
the principles of musical composition, yes.
But for the voice, oh, no. Now if you quote
me, don't make me say this unkindly or
rudely. for indeed am extremely fond of
the German opera, but would never advise
woman to sing in it who isn't prepared to
sacrifice her voice for brief triumph just
as the bee does his life when he stings. Wag
nerian music calls for a constant succession
OF lew singers Materna has been singing
some time, and she sings magni6cently, but
mat is not the rule. l never heard Leh-
mann. She was not talked of when / sang in
Germany. Wagner's operas are not con-
sfucted with the slightest reference to the
disabilities of the voice, and his demands on
- are wildly unreasonable.
A girl who would make a singer, pure
iud simple. should go TO Paris and put
efsef under the charge of Mime. Marches,
I 1e best teacher of singing in the world.
men she will learn something of the laws
good voice production. Marchesi trained
uch vocalists as Gerster and Trebelli. Or