The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-05-21

violin recital which, we own, surprised
US. Although she was rather barbar-
ously described on the program as the
eminent American violinist," we were
beforehand neither aware of her emin-
ence nor of her nationality. She came
to us without preliminary puff or antic-
ipatory paragraph, and thereby she as
tonished US the more. She has an ex-
traordinary masculinity of touch 1t
was with difficulty that we could trace
throughout her whole recital one ele-
ment of femininity or one hint of that
which we have always associated with
what is soft or tender in music She
impresses us by sheer muscular
strength, by immense forcefulness, and
by a tremendous self-assurance. Lady
Halle has strength, but it is yelled by
the wonderful velvet quality of her tone,
as it were slleathed in womanliness
of feeling and of soft expressly eness.
Miss Powells strength is of an utterly
different order. 1t is straightforward,
piercing, frank, and shoulder high.
There is no compromise about it, it goes
straight to the point, and is immedi-
ately convincing. 1t follows naturally
that she addresses herself less to the
emotions than to the intellect. She
has one quality, however, which gives
to her playing a. peculiar SATISFACTORY
ness she has a most true ear.
MANY great players-we have one
a1ticular player of great eminence in
our mind-in spite of their command
over their instrumental resources, in
spite of their instrumental intelligence
Chat quality which gives them the in
SEPARATION of the very mechanism of
the violin, as it were) sometimes err
in point of absolute truth of ear. Miss
Powell in this respect never once went
astray. She played with mastery pre-
cision three movements from Bach S
Sonata in z major, and in Bazzini' S
hrillinantly commonplace La Ronde
des Lutins' she was no less superb. Yet,
as we have already implied, she does
not touch the heart. 1t is rather the
head that she induces to admiration
than the feelings that she leads into
the ways of exuberance. Even the
Massenet 'Crepuscule.' sentimental
though it is to the verge of sickness,
won that pathos she gave it by the
withdrawal from rather than by an
tiles. In word, Miss Powell has a
very particular individuality, which is
quite engrossing from the points of
view which we have indicated. She
has marvellous technique, wonder
full accomplishment, and she has a fine
self-confdence. She may go very far,
| indeed
**
Sims Reeves, England's famous old
tenor, who was recently given a big
benefit concert in London, is not too
aged to talk interestingly to the ubiqui-
tous interviewer. He said: My eX-
treme conscientiousness about my voice
has cost me the handsome sum of
$4CO, eco. I always preferred to dis
appoint an audience rather than sing
to them with a threat which was not
in the finest condition. Some artists
may sing WHISTLER they be hoarse or
not; but depend upon it, it does them
no good and nothing strains the voice
more How does one know when it is
best not to sing? That is very simple.
You get peppery feeling, a tickling,
a dryness CT the throat, an irritation of
the mucous membrane. The saliva
| refuses to flow properly, the vocal
chords lose their beautiful covering.
You can imagine a piece of highly
polished steel; the most minute speck
of dust, the least breath of air, affects
it, Singers do not study elocution suf-
ficiently, if at ALL In a recitative, for
instance, the words are sacrificed to
the music. In my method they are of
equal importance. 1 walk up and down
trying this line and that, until I feel
that l have struck the right idea. Do
love applause? All! yes an artist
lives for it. 1t inspires him. With
out applause an artist is timid, frigid,
nervous. Do I practice much? 1 re-
member we'll enough how one day. on
the morning Of a performance, Jenny
Lind, Otto Goldschmidt and myself
were in the room, and through the
morning Lind and I were never
STILL pacing and practicing, and intent
on the work before US. Why, Jenny,
said Mr.. Goldschmidt, you have sung
those songs hundreds of times; surely
there is no need for this But the re-
monstrance was in vain. You are a
fine musician said Jenny lind, in her
quiat, decisive manner, but Mr.. Reeves
and I are singers, and we know what
is best for u.s. -