St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-11-15
In Which Is Included q Gentle
Roast for the Benefit Of
Would-Be Pupils.
Peculiar Financial Etiquette
a OF Nine. Marchesi With Her
Scholars.
She Receives No Money Di-
rectly, but Gets 1t All the
Same.
Special Letter to the Globe.


slonS OF her, for the papers. l am most
glad to give my impressions of one
from whom nearly every American girl
who sings dreams some time of being
able to receive instruction. and by thai
instruction to become all artist of high
rank. l had always understood that she
was frank even to rudenesS, and that
when she tried voice and found there
was nothing to be made of it. that she
would be very likely to say bluntly that
you would make more money by taking
in washing than trying to sing. This
would be a most severe blow tC
any girl trusting In her own abilities
and believing she needs but season oil
instruction from Marchesi to be able
to rank with the very first artists of the
day. But what confidence it inspires,
at the same time, to know that yon can
be absolutely sure that what she tells
you is unfailing, and if she should say,
II can make a concert or an opera
singer out of you," that your future is
assured you without doubt. Believ-
ing this fully, awaited my audience
with her with something the same feel
Ing that l had when awaiting an audi
ence with the pope. The word saudi
ence" is rather a high-sounding word
to use in connection with any one but
pOpes and royalty, but in this case it is
quite proper, as Madame Mathildc Mar
chest, Marquise de la Rajata de Castrone.
considers herself the queen of the vocal
profession.
Professional Ceremony.
1t is necessary to write to her, asking
for an audience; she responds, setting
the day and hour, and thus you gain en-
trance into her presence, and in this
manner only. Sometimes people do in
SiSt on seeing her without having asked
in the usual form. but it is rare that en-
trance is allowed them, and you are
sure to be informed of the formality
you should have observed. | was quite
proper, SO wrote my letter and received
a reply at once, giving me a certain
hour the following day. Imagine my
feelings, my heartthrobs, my anxiety! |
felt that was to be judged, and that
whatever my sentence, condemned or
acquitted, it would be irrevocable and
unquestiOning in its truth.
/ went to her home at the hour desig-
mated, and was uShered into charm
ing music room. The walls were COW
cred with photographs of all sizes of
her pupils. When madame appeared 1
saw woman of about medium height,
gray hair, thin, drawn face, sharp,
prominent nose, pinched, tightly-com-
pressed lips and small, piercing, rest
less eyes. Her whole appearance de-
noted a shire Wd business woman with
an iron will and determination. She
tried my voice; at least l sang four or
five notes and scale; then
She Pronounced Sentence.
which was that had pretty sympa-
thetic voice. and she would make con-
cert singer of me. 1t is needless to say
that l was delighted. and could ask
nothing better. The time for my FIRST
lesson was set; then she explained to
me how l was to pay her. All lessons
payable i'll advance by the month, $50
for twelve lessons, three lessons per
week. The money must be put in an
envelope with your visiting card and
address and not handed to her at all, as
she would not receive money from the
hands of her pupils, but it must be put
some place in her music room where
she can find it. This struck me as
rather strange and little, but then | had
been warned about her hobbies and pc
cuiaritieS, so was somewhat pre-
vate lessons at all, and most all
of her lessons are given in
classes. There were eight or nine be-
side myself in my class, and the lesson
began at a. IN. and lasted until noon,
or sometimes 1880 p. m. Each one
sings, or is supposed to sing, about
twenty minutes, but good deal of the
time was lost in talking. l found it ter
ribly tireSome to remain three hours
and listen to the same exercises, and
the same vocaliZeS sung over and over
by each member of the class. Her
theory is that so much is learned by
hearing the others sing. This might
be true if they all were equally good
musicians and with beautiful voices,
but when the vocaliZeS were such that
they ought to have been rendered cor
rectly at sight, and in spite OF this, they
had been studied incor rectly and badly
phrased, it was not help, but detri-
ment, to say nothing of the strain on
your patience and nerves. One of the
greatest merits claimed for class sing
ing is that a pupil becomes accns-
toned to
Sing Before the Public.
But if you are going to pay for chance
to gain that confidence, it is better to
go into a sight singing class and then
take a good vocal lesson with your
teacher alone, when she can give you
her whole time and attention, as more
can be learned in one thorough private
lesson with good. Conscientious teach
Ell than in ten class lessons, such as
Marchesi gives. | do not hesitate to
make this statement, as l have proved
it thoroughly. Glass lessons give you
the least possible instruction for the
most money in every case. There were
days when the madame would spend
nearly the whole Of pupils short les
son in finding fault with American
girls and their ways. l remember one
time, especially, she asked one of the
girls the capital of Bavaria; she did not
know, and the girls near her whispered
it to her; but she would not take their
assistance, but said:
son, madame, do not ask me any
thing about geography, for don't know
anything about it,"
At this madame branched out on
the ignorance of American girls, and
said they never study geography, his
tory or language; that they spend all
their time rocking and reading novels,
and then come over to Europe knowing
nothing. If they know nothing of these
things, they know one thing to perfec-
ton. and it is a knowledge that the
quicker they unlearn the better it will
be for them. and that is to fill Marchesi's
pocket with
American Money.
While they stand insult after insult
on their nation, and put up with any
thing and everything from her Just be-
cause she is Madame Marchesi, they
shut their eyes to the short, unsatis-
factory lessons she gives, and do not
allow themselves to have one idea that
she is not the greatest living teacher,
while if any other teacher, without a
big name, should attempt to give such
poor lessons for the same price they
would leave at once. disguised. She is
very particular about the chest, medium
and head tones; that is to say, she is
exact to make you change properly from
one register to the other, but she seems
to occupy herself solely with the guam