The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-17
PATRIOTIC POLISH SINGERS.
Predicaments In Which Love of
Country Sometimes Places Them.

country sometimes Places Them.
1t is usually the Poles who get into
trouble over their national sympathies
when these interfere with their artistic
life and duties. Helene Modjeska, who is
an ardent patriot, delivered a speech at
the Worlds fair in Chicago which had
such far-reaching results for her that
she was forbidden to play when she re-
turned during the following winter to
Poland. The expression of her sympathy
for her countrymen in their sufferings
under Russian rule was Mod1eskt's Of
Tense. Marcelia Sembrich is the latest
famous Pole to feel the difficulties that
sometimes meet the patriotic Polish sing.
ers and actors. She lives in Dresden, but
is Intimately associated with her own
country, figuring, indeed, as one of the
most notable of its musical artists.
Sembrich, De Reszke and Paderewski
form the trinity of musical geniuses in
Poland today. None of them stays long
in the country. Nine. Sembrich moved to
Dresden because it was the most con-
venient city from which she could travel
to fill her engagements. Jean de Reszke
spends only his summers in Poland.
Paderewski is rarely there
Marcella Sembrich sang last year at
the first Gewandhaus concert In Leipsic
as favor to Arthur Nikisch, the con-
ductor, who is an intimate friend of her
and her husband. While at Bayreuh she
saw a newspaper which announced that
the concert was to be in memory of Bis
marck. That shocked her so that she
telegraphed to Leipsic to discover If it
were really SO. The answer came back
that it was perfectly correct that the con-
cert was intended as a memorial of Bis
marck. Nine. Sembrich was announced to
sing the "Casta Diva" from Norma"
and the letter written from Leipsic to
confirm the telegram contained the in.
formation that the slow movement In
that was thought to be especially suited
to such q concert.
81 had no desire to join In any memorial
to honor Bismarck Nine. Sembrich said,
land 1 knew that my own people would
never forgive me If my name appeared
on the programme of the GeWandhaus as
the soloist of a concert given in his mem
DRY. I Immediately telegraphed from
| Bayreuth, where l was then stopping
| that it would be out OF the question for
me to appear. I begged them to engage
another sololst and telegraphed to my
| husband at Dresden to get linn to infor1a
! the manag eInent of the Gewandhaus that
nothing could persuade me to take part
! in Bismarck memorial of any kind.
1.-The end OF it all was that before
! left Bayreuth it was settled that the con-
cert was not to be in Bismarcks honor.
! Chat promise was made positively
| When l went to Leipsic was anxious TO
see how the programme would be print
! cd 1 was still determined not to appear
| if the concert was announced as IN Bis
marclx's honor. I sent for one of the
programmes as soon as l arrived. On it
! was only one mention of Bismarck >
name. After the announcement of Beet
| hovens 'Eroica' symphony appeared the
| phrase In honor of Bismarck The rest
| of the concert had nothing to do with
! Bismarck, and felt that my countrymen
would feel that had acted just as q
| loyal Pole should
Nine. Sembrich had somewhat sirnile r