The Portland daily press., 1900-01-10
OWEN, MOORE Il co.
MADAME SEMBRICH'S SINGING.
New York SUM-

Mime. Sembrich's singing in "Don
Giovanni" last week was admittedly the
most brilliant feature Of the performances
and waa indeed an achievement inoom-
parably superior to every other detail Of
the presentation, unless 1t be the Lep-
orello of Edouard de Reszks. Such sing
ing of MozArt's music IS u pleasure which
no other singer than Nine. Sembrich can
give today. 1t is to musicians that 1t ap-
peals most, for few persons realize that
In smooth. easy flow of sound, the steady
sustained tone, the musical rhythm and
phrasing of Nine. Sembrich's singing
are the very highest expression of the art
of singing, ana today are represented
alone by her. The brilliance of coloratura
is simple compared to the difficulty OF
singing such music as this with the per-
lection Nine. Sembrich reveals. But 1t
Is the pyroteohnical top notes that inter
est the public chiefly. "The pleasure OF
singing Mozart" Nine. Sem brich said
the other day, "must be Its only reward.
There Ia no public In the world to which
IL appeals as effectively as the brilliant
bravura So the singer devoted to the
art must tie true to ideals when Mozart's
music 10 to be- sung, whether or not the
pu bile Ia to be interested as much as 1t
would lie in Other sty les. Yet 1t Is the
most difficult music in the world to sing.
There are phrases In Och Visni' that
are more difficult than anything in the
Whole range Of vocal music. But the
public would rather hear me sing, 'Ah,
Non Giungs.' should rather sing Mo-
cart always, but the public Is not always
Interested. At the last Sunday concert, l
gave as "a final encore, Mozart's 'Das
Veihehen,' which Is one OF the most
beautiful songs ever written. 1t quieted
the audience, however. 1 appreciate as
well az any body the thinness and eonven-
tionality of the orohestration In the old
Italian opera. Somt times when l hear
that In my dressing room i cannot help
smiling. But nothing else Is so suited to
the voice as that music and the decline
In popularity accounts for the small num-
Der OF good singers today. None OF them
will learn ooloratura singing because
they feel that there will never be any
opportunity for them to make use OF IL
on the stage. 1t Is not alone IN this ooun-
try that iegato singing makes less I'm
preston with tho public than any other
kind. The same thing is true OF Ger
many. In Russia 1t Ia appreciated more
highly than In any other country. Per
sons have asked me at times why did
not add some characterization 20 Mosarts
music, to please the public and the APP
plause that would come fro M such diner-
emit sinsiug. But / would never consent
to do that. Once IN Paris Just after
had made my debut, heard Niolan Car
valho sing the Countess In lie Nozze Oh
Figaro. The way she treated the music
Was really scandslous. She put in Ca
denzas, high notes In place OF low ones,
held on the notes that suited her voice
best. After / had heard that, told my
self that whenever / sang Mozart 1t
would be as the composer had written
the music and In no ether way. have
never forgotten that performance OF
Thought OF singing Mozart otherwise than
az the music IL written, would have
lost that idea after hearing her.