The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-27

ways speak in glowing terms of the early
training they received from their music
loving mother in Warsaw.
Before Edouard de Reszke took seri-
ously to music as profession, he under
went course of scientific studies at the
College d'Agriculture of Proskao, in
Silesia. The teaching of his brother and
the lessons of Professors Claffei, Steller and
Coletti were, he adds slyly, supplemented
by that love for German pipes and book
beer so essential to basso profundo; and
in April, 1876, he appeare5 at the Sale
Ventador as the King in "Aida," making
quite as favorable an impression on
Verdi, who conducted, as his brother aft
erwards did on Massenet. His achieve
ments at Drury Lane and Covent Garden
under Mr.. Harris management have
added considerable to his high reputation,
both as singer and an actor. Like his
brother, he has an amiable weakness for
everything connected with sport in its
best sense, and his English sympathies
have not been diminished by his making
many new friends in London during past
years. Physically there is considerable
difference in the appearance of the broth
ers. Jean is of medium height, has dark
curly hair, wears a mustache, with the
loose ends turned up, and has generally an
undeniably foreign aspect. Edouard, ON the
contrary, is of almost gigantic stature,
though he does not appear so tall as he is
on account of the great breadth of his
shoulders and chest. He is much farer
than his brother, wears mustache and a
short, pointed beard, and his eyes are of
such pale, watery blue as to look almost
grey.
Now" said Jean De Reszke, as with
his brother we sat smoking, ~ have done
my share of talking, Edouard. 1t is your
turn now"
''It would be rather premature to say for
w IA VI To do
lea" replied Edouard, although l have a
signed agreement in my pocket We
should much like to go TO America. but
we do not care to do what some stars do.
go through the states with some fifth or
sixth rate artistes, with nobody but the
star himself or herself that is worth hear
ing. Certain artistes, who love money
better than art, may do that if they
like, but We do not care to initiate them.
We have therefore told the impressario
that if he engages really good artistes who
will give US adequate support in the operas
we play, we are ready. If, on the con-
trary, he should find the expense of such
company too high, or the difficulty of
getting them together too great, WHY. we
put the contract into the fire and there is
no harm done on either side | dare
say" he added, with quiet smile and a
glance at his half-consumed cigarette, 1--WE
shall get engagements somewhere else.n
America" he went on, "has d, oduced
within the last few years, some of the
finest women singers in the world especi-
ally soprani. We are never hkelv to
want great singers whilst America sends
us such artistes as Albani, Sanderson. Van
Zandt, Eames. etc. Their voices are ali
wonderfully clear and pure I expect
America to send US all our best sonrani
but cannot conscientiously say as much
for the men. With the exception of MT
Hayden Coffin, who is, 1 believe, an
American. and who possesses a really
magnificent voice which he knows how to
use properly, / cannot call to mind ever
having heard any American tenor, basso
or baritone who struck me as being in any
way remarkable"
(which do you consider the best school
for singers? 2"
"Undoubtedly Paris is now the best
school. Italy used to be. and would be
now II 1T were not for the greed of some
of its great professors. A professor of
singing should be able to sing or at least
should understand all about the human
voice, and devote himself to that branch
OF music alone. There are few such pro-
lessons IN ltaly-men really capable of
bringing out a pupils voice to the utmost
but they charge such exorbitant fees
that the generality of pupils cannot afford
70 pay, and IN consequence they go TO
some pianist, or conductor of an
orchestra, or somebody who may know
ali ABOUT music In general, but knows
little about the voice in particnlar
and the proper method of training IL
Whilst that is the case Italy will never ha
able TO turn out anything better than half
trained vocalists. AS matter of fact
Italian singers are rare at any of the great
opera-houses even now, for 1t must be re.
membered that not everybody with an
Italian name is really Italian. as the name
has often been adopted for stage purnoses
Why, look at Covent Garden. at the pres
emit moment" and NJ. de Reszke ran off on
his fingers the names and nationaIities of
score of the leading singers at that thea
ter, and showed that only two of the num-
Der were really Italians.
"Do you think the stage a good profess
sion for young girl to adopt?'
~ es, If she has good voice naturally.
and the perseverance and love of art neces,
sary TO make good singer. But if She
only wants to go on the stage because she
thinks 1t chic, and if she rebel against
singing scales for three hours a day. for
three or four years. she had better leave
the profession alone. She will do il NO
good, and it will do her no good
Are the emoluments of a singer very
CONSIDERABLE"
'Ihat u question for each individual