The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-05-17
Photo by Harrison.

! and times more romantic than anything
one could read. How Tristan did love
Isoldal When L sing some of Isolda's
music l am carried into another world,
and feel as If / should never want to
go back to earth again. How many peo-
pie are there in Birmingham who can
tell me what Is meant by the love philtre
in Tristan and Isoda? and may | ask
how many clubs In Birmingham are ia
mliar with the story of the Wallxyrie?
Or how many know the story of the
Rheingold. Yes, Wagner is everything l
admire. He is dramatic, passionate in
his themes, wierd in his motifs and SYM
pathetic in his love passages, grand in
his ensembles and majestic in his bold
ness
"Of this orchestration | need not ex-
press my opinion. 1t is simply perfect.
There are, of course, many song writ
ers, who appeal very strongly to me.
Schumann, Grieg, Brahams, Richard
Strauss, Bizet Massanet. are all won
derful in as much as their music en-
dures"
True, we are young in art we have our
American composers? ?"
"Tru, we are young in art. we have our
ballad writer's who are Arthur Foote,
! Chadwick Mcdowell, Mrs. Beach, Kate
Vannah, Mcdowell, and | must not for
get our late Ethelbert Nevin, but will
their music endure? In a hundred years
from now l wonder will they sing MY
love is like red, red rose?' | only hope
So although l have a faint suspicion
that memory of the foreign song writer's
will Outlive that of our Americans, be-
cause of environment.
But you seem to prefer foreign COM
posers? Is it on account of the language
or their compositions?
Yes l must admit I am opposed to
singing in English simply because the
language is hard and contains too many
consonants to be liquid as Is the Italian
language. | am an American in every
thing but language. You know they say
that an American is charming until she
opens her mouth. There are many who
Will not agree to this statement when l
tell you that our language Is spoken diff
ferently in all four parts of the United
States, how is a person to decide which
is the proper pronunciation to utilize in
singing. For instance 1t would not do
for me to get up and sing love song
with a Kansas dialect. An Englishman
would not tolerate for an instant 20,
Promise Me- sung with a down east
accent Still we are wonderful people
with wonderful voices a lot of ambition
and the women par excellence of the
world.
''You. seem to get so much out of life
Is 1t because you love art?'
Il love to live" said the sweet singer
because there Is so much in the world
to live for. Beautiful music, and 1
must not forget, glorious Switzerland.
the wonderful art of France and Holland
romantic, warm Italy. Oh, dear me,
there are so many things to live for.
Suppose we discuss that another time,
, so ma chere annie, l must bid you au
revor. Did you say a cup of tea before
you go, or perhaps la belle Americana
will take-an olive or Marchino
cherry. will comfort myself with
glass of aqua pura, although a French
man once told me that water was only
fit to run under bridges, I am thoroughly
American in that respect. Do give me
a glass of water. Come again soon and
bring with you Richard Strauss sere-
made that you have promised me for
weeks.