The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04
ANARCHISTS U. 5. GIRLS
FoLLIEs AND VIRTUES OF THOSE
WHO STUDY MUSIC IN PARIS.
Great Voice Trainer Makes Lively OBJ
servations on Lazy American Beau
ties In Her Classes.
Sterling Heilig's Paris Letter in New York

ing ana music. Inc most apparent lhlA6 ID
that the art students are so regularly poor
and thin, while all the music pupils are so
plump and pretty. / would have asked
Madame Marchesi why had / not feared
that she would think it trihing Instead l
asked her: Madame, is it your experience
that beauty is an aid to study"
"These young girls from America she
answered, "are the prettiest of all and have
the prettiest voices. but they are so lazy,
lazy, lazy that they give matter for con-
tinual wonderment."
Yet, madame, you have made many stars
out of this fair but indolent material"
Eyes, but | could have found more had
they been faithful to their studies Wait a
moment till fetch my album. 1t will show
you" And the celebrated teacher left me
there to mediate on Josephs dream of the
fat kline and lean. | thought of the anaemic
art girls in the Latin Quarter lavishing their
treasures of application on the ungrateful
studies that so seldom bring renown to
them, and 1 could not but contrast them
with these luclIier damsels who succeed
against all rules and precepts. ITO him
who hath shall be given" / reflected and
repeated this wise application to madame
as she came with the album. She did not,
seem to be impressed with it.
1T does not say what shall be given"
she replied and turned directly to the docu-
ments. 1t is a large and heavy album,
brilliant with the autographs of stars of
| the first magnitude, the second and the
| third down to the little twinklers under
gushing outbreaks of esteem and admira-
tion and affection for the beloved teacher.
| Here is Melba's name three times at least,
once with the first bars from a favorite aria
from Hamlet written on the morning
after she had made one of her triumphs.
Here is Emma Eames in the same way who
| chose a line from the score of Aida"
When did American girls begin coming
| to Europe for the cultivation of their
voices?" repeated Madame Marchesi. '"Tney
began coming to me when l was in Vienna
years ago. l was twenty years in Vienna,
and am seventeen years back in Paris 1
had Nevada with me in Vienna But let US
speak of the last ten years rather. There
| you see the page of Calve, one of my first
Paris pupils. But you want only the Ameri-
! cans?
SOME OF HER SUCCESSES.
! ''Who made successes"
Naturally. Here are two concert singers
Marie Decca and Rose Stewart. Here is
| Emma Eames" Madame turned the pages,
reading rapidly. Margaret Stoddard, Marie
| Duma-sings in England; Kate Bensberg,
| Frances Saville-now engaged in Vienna,
| Sibyl Sanderson Gertrude Aul, Mrs. Van de
! Veer-Green, Fannie Francisca-a soprano
who sings all the parts of Melba. Now we
come to another who sings beautifully
| Rose Ettinger light soprano, with high
! Fl and C like nothing She is on her
| second concert tour in Germany and Hol-
land Next winter she is engaged for the
| opera>at Brussels. Lille ReibnitZ sings in
! London. Florence Toronto, a Canadian. This
| year she sings all the great parts with
| Melba, who is extremely pleased with her
! Here is another who will go far, Marie
| kfunchhoff, a light soprano. Ordinarily i
| do not like high voices; it is great hum
the mezzo. When they passed the ID he
| called them hair voices and not head
Voices But, ct course, when they are
| great, it is another matter. Here is Blanche
| Sylvana, now in Berlin Here Madame
| Marchesi stopped moment.
| THESE are girls, she said impressively
| who have made great successes within the
! last ten years. Fhey are great singers, all
| of them, and you may say it. But" turn
! ing through the album, 'see how many
other names are here. OF course, l only
| give you those who have made singing
! profession. So many of them marry! /
| think it a great mistake to marry, for an
| artistic naturally. Many others do not need
| to sing. The world loses them. Then there
! is the last category, of those who only sue
! coed partly There are far too many such.
| ] could have saved half of them had they
been more studious and dutiful and pa
| tent"
What do they do?"
Some of them teach" said madame with
gen gentle irony. But let them I'm teach"
'Ihey teach your method"
Yes: some teach it with certificates from
! me and some without them. 1T is for their
| pupils to discriminate. Let them all teach!''
Madame Marchesi said this kindly.
Madame l said, you have not men,
toned your own daughter, Blanche Mar
chest
"Oh. she is not an American But you
may say that, besides all the great artists
| have formed, / have been so happy as to
form a great artist in my daughter. She
has been always with me. Her style and
her method are perfection. You have only
TO repeat what they have said of her in
Paris and in London; but Americans will
hear her for themselves next January, when
she goes with Wolfson to New York to give
rectals; but [ will say no more of her, be-
cause / am her mother
Then speak of our Americans again.
THE PRETTY AMERICANS.
"They are the prettiest girls said
madame, meditatively land with the pref
TEST voices; but when they arrive they are
ignorant Of everything that is necessary for
the artistic career. They do not know
music. They do not know any language.
And they are not accustomed to work. 1t
is dreadful! They fiutter all their youth
away. But they work better now than they
did a few years ago. Yes, 1 find a real
change. They are more serious. But they
take TOO IuuCn exercise, 100 IDuCn open air,
too much distraction. They should be
studying geography. They should have
three languages, so as to be able TO read
the beautiful authors of France and Ger
many, and not have all their ideas concen-
trated in America. We girls in Europe,
when we are young, have to study. Some
times ask one Of them, My dear, what is
the capital of Bavaria? Do you think she
knows it?''
Then Madame Marchesi, when is an
American girl justified in coming to Paris
for the cultivation of her voce?'
She is justified when she has been tried
by the great authorities in America. Do
you understand? Her voice must be found
good. She must have an education. She
ought, at least. to know her French. She
ought to know her literature. She must
know music. Why. half of these girls are
Obliged to beat time. Think of it! She
ought to know solfege, and we'll. She ought
to play on the piano. Look how they are
obliged to have their coaches when they
come to me! Then she must have money
for it is expensive-I assure you it is ex-
pensVei And she should have a chaperOne
Oh, toe many American parents send their
daughters TO Paris without proper protec-
ton. She must have chaperone, chap
erone who has control For first. the girl
grows homesick, then she gets tired of hard
work, then she desires to go into society.
All. have seen sad things"
AS the great teacher, who is also a great
lady, thus relieved her conscience, telling
some sad things that she forbade me to re-
peat. Kaleidoscope pictures from the past
not quite SO sad as silly, futile and eccen-
trio. came trooping past my mental vision
- IL.