Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-03
STUDYING MUSIC ABROAD.
POINTS FOR AMERICAN GIRLS SEEK
ING FOREIGN TEACHERS.
The Leading Tutors of Paris-NInr-
chest, lie Grange. SbrigIia and
others Who HIVE Renowned
PupiIs-GOssip.

ing. And if so, where-Paris, Milan, Flor
ence? One hears of all sorts of facts and
experiences with reference TO an adventure
OF this kind. Some tell US one thing. some
another. Most people will say that if you
have musical voice, do not be misfed into
thinking 1t is worth the while to be de-
veloDed. because you will in all probability
meet with bitter disappointment The com
mon advice IS. DO not sing if you can
help 1t, and this is certainly sound coun-
sci.
The voice training of American girls in
Paris is apt to be disappointment TO all
concerned II young lady has no family
or means or friends to serve as a bulwark
against failure or delay in reaching salts
factory results. An American girl with the
promise of a voice receives so many lauda-
uons at home among her circle OF friends
that she thinks if she could only get to
Paris or Milan the possibilities of the wild
est operate stage in the world would be
hers. OF course. she will pretend that
she only hopes TO do little concert work,
or good :hoir singing-nothing more, not
the opera. Still the opera Is inevitably the
highest goal OF young singer. and no
singer is content until after a trial for 1t.
But the European stage-or, to speak
merely of what / personally know, the
Paris stage-cau only be reached after eX-
periences shameful TO the trueness of
womanhood. Frequently n young Amer
lean singer who has successfully scaled
the various escarpments and escaped all
the traps laid in the pathway Of getting
an appointment on celebrated Continent
al stage, finds that her name Is gradually
dropped from the bills-that she begins to
be ignored. The reason will be that the
theater manager or some Of the financial
patrons of his theater have concluded or
found out that the young lady will not
let herself be admired
This unfortunate state of things, fortu-
nately, is less bad than il used to be, and
is slowly improving. Since large proper
tion of the moral and Christian people
in our generation still withhold their
patronage and respect from the opera, the
morals of the stage suffer corresponding
" deprecated tone. The tone will become
wholly good the moment all good people
cordially patronize the stage. young
woman should hesitate very long before
going over TO Europe to prepare for the
operate realm, unless she is fianked by
her family or good, true friends or some
financial means.
MarchcsrE sway.
Marchesi is stil the most famous teach
er of song in Paris. She is the most IA
nous teacher alive. She has a reputation
equally great among the French, Germans
and Italians. She is an elderly countess,
a boomer in our American sense of the
word. irate and tyrannical, fearfully hot
or fearfully cold, and with a great pro-
pensity for hurIing books, etc. at people
in hasty manner. Young song pupils in
Paris. when they get acquainted with each
other. are apt to say: And you st1died
with Marchesi? So did l. What did she
throw at your head?"
Marchesi claims Melba, Sybil Sanderson
and many more as her prOteges. In fact,
the singing teachers in Paris claim all the
stars that come out and none of the fall
ures. But this is merely human nature.
AS rule, pupils change from one teacher
to another, and that gives all the teach
ers chance TO claim all the pupils and all
the pupils chance to claim all the teach
ers.
II is a fixed saying that If you go to Mar
chest with your voice we'll placed and the
fundamentals well dinned into you. she
will put on the finishing touches, teach you
how to show off the stage, bring you
cut. get you a situation and manage you
generally. But all this depends on whether
Nine. Marchesi takes a fancy to you. One
thing Is certain, however, that she "booms
her pupils more than any other French
teacher, and that sort of thing is always
grateful to the American soul. For one
thing Marchesi has annual concerts in the
Sale Erard, where young nightingales
from various lands. from California and
New York and Minneapolis and New Or
leans, come out in fresh gowns and sing a
programme of forty or fifty arias during
an afternoon. None of the other Partisan
teachers take this trouble.
Something of SbriGlIa.
Sbriglia is a little wriggling Italian. He
has special reputation for placing the
voice. This is a feature that Nine. Mar
chesi lacks. whereas Sbriglia has none of
the SNOWY qualities for which Marchesi is
famous.
A friend of mine, who long studied song
in France, writes from Paris:
''Sbriglia appears at present. next to La
borde. 10 be the singing teacher pro tenn.
of the American abroad desirous of vocal
attainment. SbrigIia's principal claim for
distinction consists in having taught Jean
de Reske: in consequence. he is sought out
by all aspiring tenors and lends himself 10
the ardor of the fray with unmitigated en-
thusiasm. He is quite worthy of his fame.
His method is principally of that school
which teaches breathing as the first step
toward guarding the voice from the wear
and tear Of self-siaughter. He claims that
as the spirit moves. beginners are wont Ia
force their tones, and to suffer dire results
from hOarsencsS and strained chords in
return for their eXtraVaEaut use of Il pow
er. Shriglia. therefore. builds up the chest.
This is arrived at by Il course of ddmbbell
exercise, which proves OF immense phys
pupils for 1t establishes foundation for
the voice, and when once mastered, proves
to be the ground-structurp OF voice build
ing. An example of SbrtEla's theory l.
Plancon, with his high chest carried on
lair like the breast of an inflated peacock
This is Sbrigla's method in its most ex.
aEEerated form. however; II is good. none
the less, as il is based on solid ground,
work. 4 voice must he built upon Il rock
II il is not insured against the shift of cir.
eumstance. it will soon fall to earth.'
Lahordes most famous pupil Is Calve
He trained those high notes of hers which
are spun out like fine silk
Bouhy has been coming rapidly TO IL,
front as a teacher of song in Paris. lie i,
earnest, careful and judicious.
Madame de In Grange.
Madame de Ia Grange is a grand lady
who has long been giving song lessons II
Paris. She iS quite popular with a ClaS;
or American students and has a strong an6
cstimahle character. l used 10 go to heI
SEM monthly sorces where her pupils
sang for the applause of little audiences
Of invited guests. One always passes a
pleasant evening there, Madame had for
merly quito reputation singer. She
Wa. friend of RosSini, whose autograph
cniiches the first page of her autograph
album
She practically excludes Wagner anj
the later and more modern composers o
opera from her classes. remains true tC
the grand airs OF RosSini and clings e
the rest of that dear old fiorid school
She Is hardly modern enough in her Sub
jects and methods TO suit the needs o.
the present time. One must learn iiriee
and the North nowadays.
Francis Thome whose music is so Donu
lar everywhere. Is a SOn-in-law OF Mad
anne de Ia Grange. and at her soirees h,
always comes in rather late and tops Of
tho evening with some Of his SNOWY an,