The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-09

Boston, July 8.-A new era is likely to be seen on the operatic stage If the new method of training would-be ar-
 Sseu sho2ld prove 2 esccess and pc generally adopted. Tns pt!saa eSecA wit hthe voice of an angel but the de-
 pertinent of the wax lady wearing a ffty-dollar gown in a shop window. and the celebrated tenor with the high Cs but the temperament of cake or Ice. are apparently doomed to dtsap-
 pear. The future hero and heroine In opera must be able. according to the new rules. to walk with grace and dig nifty along a straight line; they must 70 color" their voices that when they sing "Oh, love! What loveT' the traveller from New Zealand will not suspect that they are discussing the weather; they must be able to express twenty different emotions and senti-
 ments simply by holding their arms akimbo at various angles; they must
 be distinctly French in La Boneme
 and just as distinctly Italian in T Pag-
 liacci:" in short. they must act their parts as to the manner born.
 The practice of the advanced ideas,
 which has already begun at the New
 England Conservatory of Music. has some curious features. Perhaps the
 visitor finds the pupil making faces
 through a nole in a sheet of paper or
 Resticulating with one. hand through the hole This Is practice in facial and manual expression. Perhaps the pupil is seen simply walking encrget- tcally from the rear to the front of the stage. This is an expression or conn dence. Or maybe the young man or
 the young woman is discovered walk ing off tine stage in zigzag course and with head hung down. This means defeat or dejection. The actions just described are used with strong effect by Duse, the great Italian actress, in the quarrel scene in Camille" Anoth-
 CT pupil may be found sitting down
 and standing up again and again, III
 imitation. say. of the graceful manner
 in which Mrs. Patrick Campbell, the
 pride of London town, performs this
 most common place action; or per chance a student is seen engaged in a
 shrugging of shoulders after the style
 of "the divine Sara"-curious activities,
 indeed when taken by themselves.
 The young aspirants for grand opera
 fame begin their course by learning
 something about their bodies. They
 are introduced to the Persian meth
 cd of physical culture, which. though 1t
 does not involve gymnasium work,
 nevertheless corrects physical deform-
 ities and removes physical weakness.
 eo
 that their heels will fall in line; they
 take breathing exercises to develop
 their lung power; they go to the Fen
 way, a park near tine conservatory, and
 practice walking and jumping: they
 are made to walk down a flight of
 steps on the ball of the foot. Hfgh- heeled shoes. walking" shoes, and
 shoes with rubber heels are barred; the
 pupil must get used to light footwear hot nc from feet well placed on the ground. Madame Patti in the winter time mufles herself in furs, rides in tightly closed vehicles, and even when going from one room to another in her well screened suite covers her mouth and throat The singers under develop ment at the Conservatory of Music take cold sponge baths every morning and subject their throats to severe treatment: otherwise their habits are normal and they take only the ordina- ry precautions Between the acts oi the opera some artists sip champagne while others smoke cigars. The Con- servatory expert, MT. Clayton D. Gil bert tabooes stimulants. Wine he says will have its injurious effects some day, while smoking Is bad for the throat. The first year the pupils study phys lcal CulCuTe anu 6ciltidA oSPOi sihSie The short stretch themselves up, the lean are made plump. the fat are thin ned: hollow chests are filled out, dull | eyes are frightened and voices are strengthened. Animation is the watch word A conductor of a singing class | appeals to MT. Gilbert: T cannot get the power l want. What do you sug- gest?" MT. Gilbert goes on the stage and the first thing he says to the class Iya 10 n men and young women the fine points of expression-for instance, that the thumb expresses will, the forefinger | direction, and the second and third fingers emotion and the little finger subtlety.
 During the lessons MT. Gilbert in sists that the action shall be suited tc the words. For example. young lady sings a love-song for him. That's not love-" he observes; that's like ] telling the time Sing as if you meant
 what you said" He has small patience with some librettists. also. ana no mat ter how beautiful the music is. If the words are not appropriate he bids the singer sing the song no more. Lets have genuine sentiment or none at all' says he. MT Gilbert is satisfied when the pupil can express fifteen voca . "colors" Lately some of the pupils | or the cOHSeENdtoiy Joiiieu a Sioi uS Fl local theatre just for the experience | but they soon left because, as they ex' ! plained. they had nothing to do. "Ths | opera chorus as at present conducted
 Is a joke" says MT. Gilbert.
 The pupils who aspire to shine 1T concert or oratorio are taught to walk
 neither too fast nor too slow. to carry themselves airily. not awkwardly. and
 to show repose under all circupstances
 Besides. the girl must wear dress ol
 ideal length. falling almost to her toes