Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04
GRAND OPERA STARS
Develop Only as a Result Of
Hard Work.
MUST STUDY ABROAD
HINTS FOR AMERICAN GIRLS
WHO ARE AMBITIOUS.
Mistakes That Many Make-Securing
the Proper Teacher-Cultivatin
Sweet Voice-Rewards.

Written for The Evening Star.
Yes, Europe has been saying for some
| time past, We are locking TO America for
| our new grand opera voices," sad Nine.
| Louise Homer, the we.l-known member of
| Herr Conreid's Metropolitan Grand Opera
| Company But she continued to the inter-
viewer, who had gone to her home near
Central Park in order to get her views on
! the American girls opportunities in grand
| opera the American girl without a voice
| should not be deceived by a call that IS not
| meant for her in the slightest degree.
| Neither should the American girl with
| voice, the promise of voice, be de-
| ceived into Fastening Euroreward in the
| expectation that soon after she arrives in
| Paris or Berlin she will find place waiting
| for her On the grand opera stage.
This self-deception has caused hundreds
! of American girls with grand opera ambi-
tons to rush to the continent unprepared
in every particular for the years OF ap-
| premiership ahead 1t has caused unto
anguish ard blttereSt disappointment. II
has frequently ruined what otherw sc mig
have been promising operate careers; and
this self-deception has arisen simply from
! lack of exercise of good old-fas hioned
common sense which should be the eter-
nally vigilant guide of the American mu-
steal student during her every hour in Eu-
rope, in and out of the STUDIO. and even be-
|
hopes and fears.
A Serious Mistake.
81 feel that 1 cannot emphasize this point
too strongly; and I think also it should be
made clear that the girl who makes for
Europe before she has done the things that
should be done at home as preiiminaries to
her more serious work abroad is making
serious mistake, and one that will hinder
her more or less throughout her entire ca
reer as a student. Too many girls have
rushed in pell-mell, with the result that
! they have lost not only valuable time, but
in many instances what chance they had of
| being ultimately successful
In the first place, she should not sail for
Europe before she can sing do. re- me-. as
so many girls do. European music teachers
| do not care for students who have to be
| taught the rudiments of music. Further
| more, while being taught these you are
| spending time and money in greater proper
| ton than you would have to spend them
| at home for similar instruction. 1t is my
firm belief that the voice should be fairly
well cultivated before thought is given to
Europe.
while this preparation is going ahead in
any one of the splendid studios that
scattered throughout America the student
should decide in what language she intends
to make her debut, and begin at once
study of it, be it French, German or Ital-
ian. She should study with a cultivated
native teacher in order to acquire correct
pronunciation and accent from the start
Let her pursue this part of her preparation
diligently, and when she reaches her desti-
nation abroad she will undoubtedly be
pleasantly surprised to find that while she
still has much to learn about the language
she can understand what those about her
are saying, and make herself fairly We'll I'M
derstood in turn. This of itself is a great
handicap overcome at the very beginning.
Choice of Teacher.
"It is important also that the student of
grand opera should leave America knowing
to what teacher she is going TO ntrust her
voice. Europe has many splendid teachers
of music, but not all of them by any means
are capable of developing voice for grand
opera. There are, indeed, few really good
grand opera teachers abroad compared with
the whole number of music teachers, and
the student should recognize this fact and
search accordingly for the right teacher
for the development of her voice. Because
they have failed to make proper and care
full selections many girls have ruined all
opportunity they ever had of becoming sue
cessful in their chosen field
1t is hard to select a competent teacher
even when one is intimately acquainted
with the situation. How much harder it is
then, for girl three thousand miles distant
to Solve this problem satisfactorily?
The easiest and safest method of solu-
ton is for her to seek out one who has
been through this experience and get her
to recommend teacher. Almost any
grand opera singer in America today stands
more than willing to do this service for any
one who asks II, for she realizes what II
means to a student to be started right in
the right hands
1T were well, too. to have gained per-
feet control over what is termed the spea k
ing voice before thought is given to Europe
not only because such control will further
the ends of the students ambition but for
the other good reason that every woman
should strive to possess sweet, pure voice.
Must Have Sweet Voice.
Europeans continually declaining-
and with justice. too, 1 think-against the
American girls nasal twang and cultural
sounds in ordinary conversation. Now
every one knows that the child who is per-
mitted to speak shrilly grows up to be
woman possessed of an unlovely voice On
the same principle, the girl who allows her
self to talk through her nose or in her
throat undoubtedly harms her singing voice
IN the ratio that she permits herself to use
her voice in an unseemly manner when en-
gagged in the conversations of EVERYDAY
life. sweet voice produces a sweet song
ana none other can. Therefore, from the
day that you feel yourself given over to
the ambition to become grand opera sing
er, cultivate even more assiduous Than re-
fore that most attractive feminine posses-
slon-a finely modulated speaking voice
These preliminarieS attended to- the
American girl is ready to go abroad: and
without question, she should go abroad to
complete her musical education | am OF
the firm belief that there are as good teach
ers here as there are abroad hut America
lacks healthy musical atmosphere that
makes the student throw herself heart and
soul into her work, and dedicate to it the
energy that is necessary to ultimate sue
cess. In America few students work hard:
they tahe their lessons more in the light of
play or recreation; but abroad these self
same students breathe the atmosphere of
the studios, find themselves in rivalry with
other students from all over the world and
in a thousand and one other ways are
spurred on to do their best and give them
selves over entirely to their ambitions
Opportunities Abroad
Then, too, the operate field in America
is much too limited to offer many oppor-
tunities to the graduate student. For one
thing, America does not take kindly to the
debGtante. On the other hand, Europe is