The Washington times., 1903-11-08
Comic Opera Preferred.
FRITZ Schef Tells Why She Has Made
the Change.


You ask why I leave grand opera for
the comic opera stage. 1 have nany
reasons. and they are all good ones.
First, and perhaps foremost, 1 do it for
money. There is a mistaken idea that
great money Is made by grand opera
singers 1t IS quite true that many Of
them receive enormous salaries. but that
is only In America. and the season here
lasts only two to four months It would
rot be in good taste for me to tell the de-
tails Of my present contract. but the sal
airy Is a very big one. and IL is for forty
weeks each year, for three years. It
will enable me to make a lot of money.
and IL I want to. retire I love my art.
but love a domestic life better, and I
assure you that dread the thought OF
growing old upon The stage
And that is another of my reasons. I
tell you that In grand opera q woman
must be fifty before the critics VIII
treat her seriously or fairly. When you
are fifty, and have made a reputation
you may sing of key or anyway you
want. and the papers next day will say
you were in your customary brilliant
voice.
Then comes my third and last reason
for preferring TO be a star In comic
opera to occupying a place. however
conspicuous or prominent, in a grand
opera constellation. I like comic opera
better than grand opera, to begin with.
and / know there is more chance for
me In IL than in the other branch of ef-
fort I am first and foremost a SOU
brette; yet, when was at the MetropoI-
itan Opera House last winter with Mr.
Grau. the parts that wanted were Civ
en- to others. Marie in The Daughter
OF the Regiment" was my part. yet an
other sang it. Don't imagine that the
giddy parts are the ones prefer to I'M
dertake. but I know my limitations and
abilities and / like to have something to
say about the parts I am to play.
never had an ambition to sing the great
heroic roles. Ike Isolde and BrunhiIde.
or course. I would love to be able to
properly play Isolde. but for me to as
pire TO such a thing would be the height
Of absurdity.
/ am, as 1 have already said. a SOU
brette. The word has not the same
significance in Germany as it has here.
1t means to be bright and lively. it Il
true. but in q more legitimate way than
Americans understand it. Just so they
are light and joyous. With a touch of
high comedy. and are meant TO repre-
sent youth of either sex they are SOU
brette parts.
It is reported that / am to wear
trousers in my new opera ''Babette"
That is for you to wait and see Ny
manager, Mr.. Dillingham;, decides upon
those matters. Yet. why should 1 not
wear trousers7 1 have already worn
them as Oscar in ''Un Ballo in Mas
chera." as Urban IN Les Huguenots. "
and Cherubino IN lie Nozze di Figaro.
II the part demands that 1 shall wear
trousers. I certainly have no objection.
Trousers are quite becoming 10 some
girls.
There is no reason why I should not
succeed in comic opera. Ny manager.
Charles B. Dillingham;. has provided me
with a magnificent organization, with
such great singers, such clever people,
and such a big company that 1t is al
most like being IN grand opera Then.
your very best composer, Victor Herbert.
has written the music and beautiful
music it is. and ne has given me some
splendid songs 10 sing. The libretto.
too, is bright and sparkling. and Harry
B. Smith. who wrote 1t. people tell me.
never did better work.
The part that 1 play is that OF Ba-
bette, letter writer in little village
in BEGUN. There is a nice love-story
connected with It and in the end Ba-
bette becomes q great prina donna and
appears at, the court OF Louis XIV at
Versailles
1 like the character, and I like the j
music that has been given TO me. and /
I hope the American public will like me- /
FRITZ SCHEFF.