The evening times., 1899-05-06
NERVOUSNESS AMONG SINGERS.
The Experiences Of senbrich, Leh-
snana, aAa the De Resskes.st
-. - (Erosn the No,s. York Ga,n


Sims Reeves once told an intervfewe.
that he had lost during his career as q
singer about sec, 900 through his conscien-
/ tfousness. AS his affairs have gone sSdn-
4 fortunately In his late. years that he was
recently compelled to accept q beneft, ne
no doubt thinks regretfully of the lost
money. Probably his losses Of the kind
referred to were not quite so great as the
sum mentioned, as It was at one time
| understood that the famous English teno.
had contract with his managers by which
he received a certain sum vixen his name
/ was announced, whether he sang or not.
His popularity in England was at one time
SO great that his. name vas sufficient TO
crowd a,concert room. Even at that time
he was an old man. He disappointed his
audiences then almost aS frequently as he
| sang. but the public always went TO h;s
concerts atite regardiesg Of the probability
that they would not heaS,h him. 1t was isaid
In those days that Ma Reeves. ,receiye'l
$bee- even when he did: not siDss, as bis
name, in view Of the 4pdiences it drew.
was worth that amount.
Mr.. Reeves attributed this failure to ap-
pear to an excessive reonscientfousness,
which kept him from sluging at all when
he could not sing his best. He described
the dry feeling in his throat. the psppery
burning which first indicated that lie was
not likely to be able to sing. There are
singers In the Metropolitan company who
could have told Mr.. Reeves that his FREE
dom from nervousness was enough TO CON-
pensate for all the snderings he might
have experienced from other causes. In
the long. list of troubles necessary to an
artistic career Mr.. Reeves did not include
this form Of suffering. ~ -
Some instances of the nervousness Of IA
nous singers can scarcely be understood
SO entirely without reason do they seem
to persons In private life. Why NJ. Jean
de Reszke, for instance. should be nervous
about singing familiar part before New
York audience is impossible to explain but
it is a fact that he is one OF the sreatest
sufferers from nervousness in the entire
company. Nine. Sembrich is thrown into
almost unendurable nervousness ut the
thought OF appearing even at Sunday
night concert, and in an operate perform
ance suffers even more. Nine. Lshmann
undertook her present severe method OF
life with the hope of finding some relief
from the dreadful nervousness tina. af-
fiicted her. and has been in a large meas
ure relieved. Mile. Calve was such suf-
ferer from nervousness during her last
year in this country that she refused al
invitations that required her to be seated
at table longer than a few moments This
expressly explained that she woull not
accept, under any circumstances, invita-
tions to dinner, as the ordeal OF sitting
still SO long was too much for her nerves.
Even Edouard de Reszke, who is arpar-
emily the most stolid and substantial per-
son In the world, suffers as much as 4
debutante from nervousness at some tine
Most of the artists say that there is 10
explanation for the irregularity with 5, hich
their nervousness attacks them. Scme-
times in the presence of very serious ar
tistic problems they are perfectly calm and
collected, while at other times, wilen they
have only to do what they have fr,qa,ntly
done before, their sufferings may be more
than at any other time.
Some instances of this are particularly
curious. A few weeks ago Jean de ResZke
was walking up and down a corridor on
which the door leading to the stage opens.
He was ready to appear and waiting TO be
called. In the mean time the tenor was
walking nervously up and down the corri-
dor. A friend passed.
What are you doing out here?" he ask
ed Why aren't you on the STAGE"
NJ. de Reszke continued to walk back
ward and forward. Seeing that his friend
was waiting for an answer, he turned to-
ward him.
Go away, won't you? Don't you see
am the miserable condemned prisoner
waiting to hear what the verdict. will be-"
He was unable to control his nervousness
and kept off the stage until the last min
ute. 81
The officials at the Metropolitan used TO
be surprised sometimes to observe how
early NJ. de Reszke arrived at the theatre.
They did not know that he came there be-
cause he was SO nervous on the nights he
sang that it was imRossihle for him to re-
main at home. Early in the afternoon be
begins to look at the clock and wonder
when it will be time to start for the
Metropolitan. His brother. Edouard. is
sometimes just as nervous. Only a few
weeks ago he sang for the first time this
year role in which he had not been
heard here for several seasons. He was
as uneasy as child over its first day at
school and suffering from a degree of ner-
vousness which only, man could feel
1T is disease. and cannot be thought
of In any other way" Nine. Sembrich said
in describing her suferings. land il grows
on me every year. Sometimes the thought
of singing at night Is such torture to me
that l feel that no, reward in money or
fame can compensate me for the dreadful
times have before almost every perform
ance. Sometimes / am absolutely cool and
self-possessed and would sing as readily
as would drink glass of water. but usu-
ally l suffer dreadfuily. 1t will be that
which will decide me to retire from the
stage. / shall not be able to endure it
many years longer. l have been to physi-
clans in Berlin, Paris. and Vienna I took
cold water cure and a humbug OF a hyp-
notfst tried to quiet my nerves 1t is only
by walking that l can relieve myself in
the least. That / cannot do on the days
sing. SO my only possible fate is simply
to sit and feel myself growing more jntoI
erably nervous as the day goes on. At one
OF the last concerts at the Metropolitan
sang the principal aria from the opera
in which l made my debut. Then was a
raw beginner, with less voice. knowledge.
and authority than l have now But was
less nervous, believe me. at that first per-
fcrmance than l was at the Metropolitan
before an audience that knew me and OF
what l was capable. Sometimes I think
1t is the struggle to keep up to what is
expected Of q singer that causes half this
dreadful nervousness from which most of
US suffer-"
Albert Saleza can always look forward
to going without sleep eight nights q
month. He is required to sing that num-
Der Of nights month by the terms Of his
contract, and on the nights he sings he
never sleeps. This is due to his prepara-
tion. which is the only thing that will
overcome his nervousness sufficiently to
enable him to sing He drinks black
coffee abundantly on the days he appears
and gets through the performance in this
way, although he is as nervous as most
Of the others even after this precaution.
Sometimes 1t is plain to the audience that
he is nervous.
Nine. Lehman gave up eating meat en-
tirely for the sake OF overcoming her