The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-25
COMIC OPERAS TROUBLE.
-Rrv WrHtNb IOR UJfrs VINO
~ ~ NU ava


,snius' Neglected In New ,"tt STAGE,
Who watt Too icns fot ~ 0penira.
Tho stage manager. yho vla siirnV h1,k I,
the shndovv tudi'pfuw. uWroi from D.,
olnir md ran toward 80 stage " y word
from hr no header ~ ~" orchestra stopuoi
tho m]uloors and 'hc Young woman thus sud.
denny Interrupted IN The course II her song
stared lruuirncly ~ he 'tage nars.er
'Nh't mn" voI doing h" asked
what am I doug she repeated with vst-
alton what DO vou suppo~e am doing
Washing and i%ronin.i
Just cut that out, please. Miss Smith re-
spondci ~" stare mana ger with an apparent
cnnrt to control hs temper. you know what 1
mean
We'll. am anging Just q Little Bit Of Ai-
dacitv. " she replied. ne she saw that the situ.
alton demanded u solution. and I am trying .
sing II ~ we'll as I can %
Well. please don I sing H.. was the decided
suggestion from tho man IN charge Just
talk II Then v" may possibly be able 10 hear
the word. he added. with the sarcasm possible
only to u lyrinical stage manager.
The leader oil The orchestra started his MN
again ana the young woman finished her song
without attempting to do more than declaim
it rhythmiCallv to tho accompaniment Of tho
music. When she had finished. u voice from
/ the dark auditorium called out Very much
better" and tie performance went on, The
cummrndation from the stage manager waB
formal rather than cordial. A. he sat watching
the wcll-irained chorus so through its cvoin-
| lions. which were accurate enough TO permit
him 10 turn hs thoughts 10 other matters lo
spoke 10 the man next Ia him.
1T. astonishing, he said. to hnd the num-
Der Of voio"le,s women on tie stage to-day in
parts that really require singing TO make them
oiet tive. Now the little woman that yust
finished her song has not voice enough under
ordinary ~rcunstances to he heard half wav
back ia the auditorium. When she tries 10
sing it lie even less audible and "a most Of tho
merit in the songs she sings Is dependent on u
clear delivery of the words II Ia nearly impos-
sible TO do anything with her, But there are
no others in her limo OF business who could do
any better. They are all without voices.
could name Ave women who stand at the top
Of their profession In musical farce and ope-
retta that have scarcely n tone 20 their name.
Some OF them are able to speak 80 clearly and
distinctly that In the song dependent on ths
words they can Creat e the impression necessary.
But they are all equally without vocal ability
and that Is the hardest defect for them TO over
I come. | ernember 1t used to he q source OF
great amusement several years ago IN hear
, Lefty Lind's efforts at vocalization. Almost
all u plIfI tDIlrIl'u'u' No-Nh 'N''
! cal farce have just as little voice % she and IL
very frequently happens that women In the
chorus are able 10 sing very much better. But
IL seems out Of the question to nnd women who
are able to combine with the other qualities
necessary for this business an adequate sing
ing voice"
| II was suggested that the number Of women
, with good voices trying to get on the operate
stage to-day was large enough to supply re-
cruits to comic opera.
1T "a perfectly true that there IL no lack n
true voices in this country" the stage man
arar said, and believe. indeed. that they ara
more numerous here than anywhere else IN
the world. But none Of these women are e.rr
willing 10 start with comic opera They az
| ali ambitious andifthev are unableto 90 abroad
20 study at first they will sing IN chuTche, or
| choruses until they raise the money; but they
are never willing to make the start IN comic
ono a Observation-Disclosures that viii pIevent' helr
ever advancing beyond this stage OF their pnrin-
| and it would he easier TO sympnthile with them
u f. 5'nS csne sy G Sad :, ,r LED f tne FOUR we cr a P%s y Cenr,
10 succeed In more ambitious work, to seek
employment in comic oIers' A. a dny ast
trouble at least twenty women with really e,,
cellent voice. and sufficient vocal training 70
fSrw i mers ' sncS.sai Hf' iyhSarn eG nine woTen out
Of ten who. sins, in comic onera toIday low,
they all all prefer TO continue thelr r rnr
with the hope OF getting fees OF $50 once, Ice
or three times during the week IN n season thnt
lasts from November to May. than go resu-
'ar1SSommee Of them Who have been abroad have
no o q pste' Wien ~ they come back 10 New YORK.
that there Is room here IN grand opera Tor only
the greatest artists N NE %",Id, S0Ins snnpt
viii a small salary, for the number Of priyes
in New York church choirs il very much smaller
willing to- undertake anything In comic onera.
Only a short time ago an American woman
lei, the stage altogether and declared that shs
would not sing again whatever her eCessit,es
nigh, be; She sppearra IN a. h siyh, Gears srsh s Sn'
when 1t was at the height Of it's rerutation,
and after anle&5tns IN srS1a GTsTs f9r 'e Tb.1.
WAS no grand opera ot that kind hero so shs
went into operetta and after that went out Of
We're : her only field She tried one or two Of
them and then gave up ait%nsther: Ior,ud
n%ately. she had means enough TO i've on ana
copgenial 70 her. Many other women with
| voices and some artistic training feel ju.t aS
inc a poor living IN concert and choir singing
than start on a comic opera. career which y.
remnnerative while Il continues than the more
dignifcd class of work they are all anxious
one OF his hearers asked why Il was that -
few men with good voices ever went on the
comic opera stage while. there are evidently
"lt's the same with the men, he explained.
v vdnd mi II Is 81 n' yonns fellows TO see Win iiis seod. ssli.
trained voices will retu,s 70 take comic opera
engagements. while living very meageriy on
the occasional concert appearances, thew
are able TO get. Good looking Young fellows
who are able 10 sing well and wear their smart
clothes properly are more IN demand now than
they ever were before, They are necessary
10 the style Of musical entertainment most
popular to-day. but they are rs scarce as hens
teeth. A Young fellow with these qualities
could easily find employment during ne
regular theatrical season at n salary ranging
from 500 To $50 , week But none of them
thinks IL consistent with his dignity TO accept
such engn venents. They want to sing In
oratorio or concert and some day expect 10
be able to set into opera 50 they wait AROUND
for musical agents To- ind engagements Tor
them Nowadays whom the panaR ger se's
out TO produce u musical farce he wnnts for
h- leading sentimental role n good tenor oy
baritone who Is young and prepossessing II
possible, who can sing and act with a fair de-
gree of Intelligence. This Is the sort Of man
he wants, but he must usually be satisfied with
something quite different. Generally he must
take his choice OF some one NJ these qualities:
IL he gets the voice he must 90 without the
looks. or vice versa, The men who ml9hS
-. a .,n,I lixipy out Af thiz torn, ,f that's