The San Francisco call., 1904-04-10
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holidays Some neighbors say" she
laughed, then drew down her mouth at
a tremendously disapproving angle,
what's de matter NIT herl Jalouse!
But 1 lofe America"
"And California, madame"
"Ach, how beautiful" she cried.
Then looking out of the open window
upon the city, lifting fairly under the
milky topaz of the morning sun, her
bright face suddenly sober in the
silken kiss of the little spring wind,
madame said: Never had Easter
time like this! 1 came, last week,
through your mountains. Mein Gott,
how beautiful My heart was so big''
her arms stretched to their furthest-
4 cried like a child. You know Par
sifal?" It was there like the Good
Friday spell. 1 win forget it never.
That's church to me-and there is so
much prayer for eight children - das
list soi"
by the way, how do you feel about
the Conried 'Parsifal,' madame?" L
queried.
L think, 1 feel, not right" madame
returned, shaking her head. How
you think?' Richard Wagner asked,
as last wish. that it be given only at
Bayreuth. 'ParsifaI needs surround
ings. You know it is not best work
of der meistef and can only be-what
is vollkommen, Josie defective in ,
Bayreuth."
Il thought the Metropolitan produc-
ton was technically perfect?"
Not alone is il that" madame de-
cided, lit is the little village, among
beautiful hills, the atmosphere and
reverence of Bayreuth, that help it.
After first act you have one hour in
termission. You go out in the village.
get new life - your feelings, and
come back with impression of Gods
own earth about you.''
4 should have imagined you would
lose the atmosphere that way"
"Nicht wahr, not at ALL the singer
decided. She reverted then: In New
York it was good 'Parsifar this year.
But if in one, two year they give it
poor cast st?-people say, oh "Parsi-
faIr' What is -'Parsifal ?'''" this with
a shrug that sent the "ParsifaT' into
unknown limbos of degradation. 1t is
perhaps just as well that Schumann-
''Ternina was the Kundry this
year." 1 remarked.
"Achi there l. artist" her confrere
exclaimed. 1T is not freundschaft,
but 1 think Ternina most wonderful
artist of Wagner that is. She has
voice like this'-measuring off a lit
tie inch of her little finger-"but art
Her Kundry'-and madame jumped
up to act it-"when she sings of Jesus
Christus. of looking for the wonder
full eyes of him she has seen Una
DANES took on the ecstatic rapture of
Kundrys) that cry when she sees
him. Ach, There is nothing like it.
II is above the earth. 1t makes chills
run down the back zoi" and madame's
plump finger ran firmly down my own
sympathetic spine.
Her Isolde is also very great?"
The same great as Kundry. ] learn
so much from her." the prima donna
acknowledged, as gratefully as heartily.
From Nordica, too, and Sembrich, and
Melba, all of them. 1 listen so much'
What is your opinion of the effect
of Wagnerian opera on the voice,
madame?"
and finding a CLINT of comprehension
in my nearest eye, replied with an an
swering gleam: 'Ach, you know. When
you can sing, Wagner is all right. One
must have the Italian way-as it is
called-at the beginning. You cannot
fix building without first ground"
Foundation, madame" from Miss
Hartman.
Foundation it is,' madame CRATE
fully repeated. But the young singer
begins with Isolde, Kundry, Elsa-she
cannot sing them. Voice goes, poor
Richard is blamed. / sing now twenty /.
five years and have better voice now
than before"
"A long time. isn't it?"
And" she said soberly II work and
work and work for nothing for twenty
years. Then 1 come to America-all
happy."
Madame, 1 cannot understand how
you could remain so long unrecog-
nized," 1 exclaimed then. The tardy
recognition Of this glorious singer in
her own country has long been source
Of profound amazement to me.
She explains IL with a droll malice,
amusing.
You see,'' she laughed, II not prima
donna No tea-ea-ea gowns" and her
fingers haughtily swept an imagined
train into space, then critically slapped
her taut walking skirt and trim lawn
waist. Il not beautiful"
Not beautiful, Madame, but"
"Achi with this." she smiled, and
gayly pushing her perhaps not classical
nose into an appalling retrousse.
] was helpless by this time. but she
went on: And l married very young.
have many children, no diamonds, not
at all interesting, I" she summed up
with a droll mischief that completed
the collapse Of the company generally.
SPACE will not hold to tell how she
acted out the whole comedy, more's the
pity.
I recovered at length to asks How
could you keep out of comic opera so
Iong?"
Il have not" the singer returned. Il