The Portland daily press., 1897-09-07
MAKING GREAT SINGERS.
Marchesi, the Maker of Prina DONNA.
and Her Wonderful Methods.
(Boston Sunday Post. J

n 0erlndn Dy D1rrh, married IN France,
she has always chosen American girls for
her special pupils, and pride.
A famous pupil of Marchesi, speaking
of her, said
other teachers have what they call the
natural method, but it is not as natural
as Marchesis. When I began to sing, !"
said this pupil, 81 studied with all the
masters of Berlin and Vienna, and, final
ly, in the natural course of vocal instruc-
ton, drifted into the hands of Nine.
Marchesi, in Paris, and her husband, the
Count di Castrone.
when first went to her she smiled at
me sweetly and said: You may sing to
me-
81 did SO, selecting little worn flower
song. Marchesi listened, tapping time
with one of her well-gloved fingers, until
l had finished. Now, said she, that
was very pretty little song, but should
like to hear you sing something more
pretentious, with more emotion in it, and
sing it to me as though you meant it. OK
This time selected the Faust jewel
song, for was too frightened to think of
anything but the threadworn tunes.
:" How very pretty said Marchesi.
Now sing it again, but sing it SO and so,
and she pointed out various ohangs, add
ing, I think if were you I would lean
forward little at such a note, mention
ing my. highest one. so as to.give you the
power for a longer sound.
when had sung just as she had told
me, Marchesi smiled again and told me
to come every day at the same hour for
| half an hours instruction.
g Do you call that instruction asked
of her, forgetting my manners.
Why. yes, she replied. Gould you
| not hold your note much longer after l
| finished with you than when yo2 began?'
1.-The argument WAS unanswerable, for
certainly could sustain my high note
| better; and after that when l heard
Marchesi's musical seeing to me- knew
that music lesson was on and that
should come away better able to sing.
She is the only music teacher ever saw
who does not swear at you.
Although Marchesi has made famous
singers, such as Calve, Sibyl Sanderson,
Melba, Emma Eames and Emma Nevada,
| she has also made great many parlor
singers. Marchesi' 8 rule for the accept
ance of pupil is that the pupil must be
| able to sing on the concert stage; beyond
that she does not go. Several. well known
society women Of the United States have
| AO0iAo uACl4SOAtOS CAl8lD40 W dCI CldSSCn
and have taken lessons Of her for the
pleasure OF singing in private.
lone of her specialties is the teaching
! of vocal music to ones own instrumental
| accompaniment Here she becomes very
| Delsartian, although Marchesi does not
| mention Delsarte. She teaches you how
to sing while you play the piano, sor the
harp, the violin or the mandolin; any
| instrument you may select for the vehicle
of your voice.
"Marchesi prefers drawing room pupils
to accompany themselves, because she
says there are go few accompanies who
can accompany well. Most Of them spoil
your best notes with their cratic playing.
OF course, she does not teach instrum en- :
tai music, but she encourages her pupils
to strike a few notes by way of accompany
ing themselves.
F" When you are asked to sing says
she, your part begins Here comes in
manner.
"How to accept gracefully. How to
seat yourself and the manner of begin
ming, all form lessons, which this won
fully teaches. After you have sung she
shows you how to receive applause, in q
modest yet appreciAtive way.
~ never saw anything as charming as
Marchesi's Interpretation Of the different
instruments. The harp is stately in.
strument, says she. Whom you play IT
you must stand by the side of your in
strument and with your eyes turned aloft
| and.a sublime look upon your face.
eff there-is famous painting that
shows a woman playing musical inst1u-
1nent, Marckesi always copies 1t in her
pupils, teaching them to initiate the pose
in q wonderful and fetching way. Now
you are the work Of master, she says,
approyingly, when you have learned to
| 1ool like q rafptj in, x,oa life
The violin is an intense instruments,
according to Marohesi, and the singer who
plays one, while singing, must have a
rapt expression upon her face, disdaining
glance at the audience. The piano IL
less sentimental, and here the singer may
permit herself little airs and graces, little
effects and mannerisms; but should she
be SO unhappy as to be called upon to
sing to an organ she must drop all her
piano manners and become at once rapt
and holy. There is no instrument as
devotional as the organ says she, when
the last note of voices and instrument
have died away
"Marchesi is the only teacher in the
world who will give lessons in the open
air, ..but when the wind is still she de-
| lights In moving her pupils to quiet,
shady lawn and there letting the sweet,
natural voice seek the heavens uncon-
Fl med. rs
1t must not be supposed, BY any
means, that Marchesi's methods are err
ratio or vaudeville, or that she takes all
who apply to her. To be "a pupil Of
Marchesi' is such an honor that hundreds
seek her every season, only to be turned
away because madam can teach NO one
who has not natural voice. When she
refuses to take pupil she does 80 abrupt
| " and with quick negative wave OF her
hand that says mo- before she has spoken.
Here again her finished French man ner
shows, for she seldom says, You have not
| voice enough, mademoiselle.' Onethe con
trary, she resorts to subterfuge and bursts
out with:
%, pardon, am sure you will par
don, mademoiselle, but am so ..forgetful
so very, very forgetful. l remember now
that there is not an hour in the day for
you. Bon jour, mademoisellc.'
'tThey say that in her comingtAmerican
tour, which begins very soon, a new feat
ure will be introduced, in that tickets of
admission to her classes will be sold. Re
jected pupils and teachers of music can
occupy seats in the rear Of the room while