The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-05
THE DIVINE ART OF SONG.
TOSI'S ADIICE HANDED DOWN
no MODERNS.
where Are the New singers TO Take the
Places OF the Old?-lIad Teaching and
Impatient Pupils In the Vocal World
r Were Things Just as Had In the
Golden Age OF Art ms They Are No" :?

Four hoarsc notes from dead ones chest
Yo.ho -ho. aud spray for his throat!
Pinch and vbrato have done for the rest
Yo-ho ho. aud his teachers goat
Maurice Grau. who il fighting for health
in the southern part Of France. was an
astute director OF opera In his day, lie
recently looked the situation in this coun-
try over and INDUCED in a gentle smile at
Mr.. Conried. The new director had an
nounced in tones at least audible that he IN
tended to have new singers, and accord
ingly he tried some. The result was that
IN his second season his chief reliance had
10 be placed on Sembrich, Eames. Nordica,
Homer, Scott and others who had been
members of Mr.. Grau's company.
Franz Naval, Francisco Nuibo. Eugene
Giraldoni, Taurino Parvis these are some
of Mr.. Conred's discoveries Others whom
he has introduced to us are Fnrico Caruso'
Alno Aokte, Heinrich knote and otto Gorltz
or these It is possible to say of only one that
he Is a singer of the highest rank. We must
cay that OF Mr.. Caruso, in spite OF certain
afectations which mar his art. bis voice
Ia a superb organ and his emission il almost
fawless. If he sins IL il in matters OF taste
in regard TO which his entire nation has
different views from those held in lands
Of greater emotional confluence.
Mr. knote is decided acquisition to our
list OF operatic acquaintance. Mr.. Conried
has said that ne will endeavor to engage
him for n longer term next season, and there
ia every reason to believe that he means TO
do so. Mr.. Goritz is not to return lie
goes TO the Imperial Opera Mt Berlin. lie
will be greatly missed. and undoubtedly
Mr.. Conried will have difficulty in filing
his place. The struggle TO do so may lead
TO the return OF Mr. Bispham to the opera
Thus would be further justified tho re-
mark Of Mr.. Grau when he considered tho
situation. He said
What would be the use OF my going on
with operatio management Whom could
! get to all the places of my former singers,
who are slowly but surely approaching
the time when they will have to retire?
Mr.. Coniied has had TO fall back on the old
gtinrd, What is left for me?'
The question, indeed, seems to be one Of
grave aspect. Where are the new singers
who are to take the places OF the old ones
when they retire2 Well, let us possess
our souls in patience. Sooner or later
they will arrive. There have been dark
periods in the history Of opera before this.
IL seemed few years ago that we should
never be able to live without our famous
Quartet. Nordica or Ternina as the soprano,
Schumann- Heink or Brema as the contralto,
Jean de Reszke. tenor, and Edouard de
Reszke, bass Certainly we have not
supplied the gap, but we are ambling along
pretty contentedly with the same Nordica,
Homer and Walker, Caruso and Plnnson.
1t was Just the same when the great
race Of singers in the eighteenth century
died out. Opera kept on and people en-
loved it with singers Of less skill, till the
development of the dramatic style brought
into existence the famous coterie Of artists
of the early nineteenth century. That
was tho era Of the most celebrated mod
ern singers, and when they disappeared
men looked Glum indeed, for they believed
that the world would never again see any
thing like the Grisi-Mario organization.
Nevertheless. when Mapleson offered New
York his combination of Nilsson, Cary.
Campanini Del Puente and Nanetti, every
one said that the companies of old times
had been eclipsed. That is, every one but
the old folk. They always pined for what
had gone. and were. of course unsatisfed
with that which existed.
Every person who has been n lover OF
opera for quarter of a century ia more
than likely to believe that the performances
Of twenty-five years ago were better than
those Of to-day. IA n matter Of fact.
they were not The best performances
Of opera we have had in his city in quarter
Of a century were those which were given
when the De Reszkes, Tilli Lehman.
Sembrich, Schumann-Hein and the rest
81 that particular combination sang in
the Metropolitan Opera House.
We must always bo careful what we say
about singers and singing. We are in the
habit of thinking that the elder days were
tine better days Of the art and in this SO
far as pure beauty Of tone finish Of style
and all the graces of absolute singing are
concerned, We are surely right. But away
back in the golden days of song, complaints
lust the same ms those nov made by critics
were put on record by students of the divine
art.
Pier Francesca Tosi. born at Bologna
in 1871 died in London i127. was one Of
the most famous singers and teachers Of
his time. In 1927 he published a little
book, entitled Opinions Concerning An
Gent ard Modern Singers Note that
-ancent!' Now hearken TO the voice Of
1osi:
"One that sings out Of tune loses all his
other projections. l can truly say that
except in some few professors the modern
iutonation is very bad.
III the words are not heard 80 as to be
understood, there will be no great differ
ence between the human voice and haut-
boy. This defect. though one OF the great
est. is nowadays more than common, 20
the greatest disgrace Of the professors
and the profession.
There are singers who give pain TO
the hearers. as II they had asthma, taking
breath every moment with difficulty, as
81 they were breathing their last. IToi
feels compelled 10 note that it IS improper
to breathe in the middle Of a word, and
this, too. in the golden age Of songl
An audience that app!auds what -
blamabe cannot justify faults by its ignor-
hnoe it is the singers part TO set it eight
Splendid old Tosi! An artist TO his back
bone, he preached a sermon TO Cariso
and all his brethren You cannot Justify
your sins against art by pleading that
they are applauded by the multitude. II Is
your business to teach the multitude bettcr
From these quotations We are led 10 infer
that some OF the errors Of singers in our