New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-13
A SINGERS MEMOIRS.
STORIES OF An ARTISTIC LIFE.

STUDENT AND SINGER. The "Reminiscences Of
Charles santley. svo PIP 35s. Macmillan d CO.
The impression seems to have taken firm hold IN
England that the fitting conclusion Of a singer :
career is tn pr >duction Of an autobiography, or
a book q! personal recoections. Great creative
musicians SELDOM have anything u say about
themselves Wagner, OF course, is an exception,
but the bulk Of what he wrote about his life amt
theories in tie nature of poemic &c advance
the artistic reform which lie had set a. his mis-
sion. The exception in his case only proves the
rule. Yet the majority Of the really great com
posers that the world has produced were men Of
strong and fine intellectual fibre The fondncss
which singers and observation-disclosures show
for talking and writing abou. them
selves is, we fancy, easily explained.
They are the most egotistical OF al. men
and women Publicity is essential to their exist
ence, the applause Of the multitude the pabulum
upon which they feed. so soon as the decadcnce
Of their powers robs them of their common and
natural amcnt, they comfort themselves by hold
ing themselves up for the contemplation Of the
| public and themselves. Til" literature which they
produce is seldom worth serious consideration Al
most necessarily il j. worthless for history because
OF the narrow and selfish point Of view from viii n
! il is written. Ii adds nothing TO criticism from
! tie same reason. The sum of the contribution
which il makes Is the qualification OF the writer :
| vanity and the satisfaction Of foolish curiosity
which the public have come to feel in the private
affairs Of those who entertain them on the stage
and concert platforms In the hands of clever
men such books are sometimes dvertng, for the
simple reason that singers and actors and public
performers generally have many experiences. see
| many countries, come in contact with many men
and women of all kinds, and observe many GUS
toms with which the majority of those who read
their books are unfamiliar
Mr. Santcy, whose "reminiscences have lust
come from the press was for a generation ono
of the most admired as he was one of the hest Of
! English singers His book belongs 10 the category
that We have attempted briefly to characterize.
In the preface lie tells ne that he never had any
| intention Of submitting his memoirs 10 the pub
| lie, and therefore never preserved any OF the
data which might have given a kind of value
10 such "a book. lie lays no claim TO literary
skill, and even has an anlpa;hy 10 antobiocra-
| pixies. Why does he print? Because he WAS
collected to Go 81 by numerous acquaintanccs "
| The excuse must serve Having no literary ouali-
| hcatioa Tor bOOkwrting and feeling only AN.
! tpathy for all autobiographcs except that of
| Benvenuto Cellini. he modcsty cndcavors 70
! initiate tho great Italian arts.. That too. must
serve T. characterize the spirit in which he sci
about the task imposed on him by the numerous
! acquaipt noes lnCcr the circumstances one
might have expected very egotistical book vet
IL must be said tha' far a. the nature of the
work permitted Mr.. Santlcy has written with q
becoming appreciation of the beauty OF niod,sty.
There are 10 gauiy accounts of his own Successes
in the book. He has thought it worth while 10
tell us what he thinks on a great variety Of sub
jects, especially those which were suggested nv
some Of his own appetites. tastes and predilic-
tons; but he does not burden US with advice on
any point, with arguments In favor Of his
notions. His writing is not marked by critical
| acumen, and his judgments are neither valuable
nor interesting. but his book is pleasantly chatty
and, after he has overcome disposition to wander
about in the first chapter. it is direct
Mr.. Santlcy was born in Liverpool on February
2s, sj4. He learned little of the pianofor,e
and violin at home lad and took part as
chorlstcr and second violinist in some of the con
certs Of the local Philharmonic Society After some
modest schooling he entered upon a mercantile
life, but soon abandoned II and wont 70 Italy to
study singing, and became an opcratic artist. Carl
Formes was his early model AS soon AS
adopted the bass cleft. let my hair grow lonI