The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-23

TO exercise 1t from the beginning OF the
opera till the emf. In plain and inelegant
language the acme sf lyric art on the
German stage is lnng power. Every
n sings rs hard as possible from be-
ginning to end. There are occa-
sional fsihes OF pianissimi, but there is
no middle ground. A beautiful. smooth.
sustained cantilena u the medium voice
over a subdued and mellow accompaniment
is one OF the rarest things In Germany. II il
almost never heard. As for the finer graces
Of vocal art, their existence is not even sus-
pected. The Germans learn nothing from
Sembrich and Bonci.
have sat through festival perform
ances over there, festivals" Ia which they
got together casts not as good as those
we demand every night at the Metropolitan
land in which the best artists were from
that house,, and ave not heard anything
like refined singing from any one on the
stage except from those who had learned
in New York from contact with u people
as Sembrich, the De Reszkes and other
artists OF that kind.
At Munich, FOR example. Feinhals as
Hons Sachs bawled until he had hardlysany
voice left. When he came two nights later
to sing Wotdn In -Das Rheingold" he
sang with almost 10 singing tone at all.
and on the following evening he performed
the wonderful feat of battling through
the Same role in die Walkure," with only
a husky rumble.
The great star of this "Walkure" spectacle,
the only one in the cast, was Ernst Kraus,
who is to-day the leading tenor Of Ger
many. He occupied precisely that position
~-LoA -.. Il, A,,a~,aa an1 ,Kok khta nVbliC
declined to accept his throaty bleat as
beautiful singing. In Berlin IL is regarded
as the most delicious fruit OF vocal art.
The Brannhilde was Yheila Plaichinger.
also of the Berlin opera. New York will
surely hear her some day. She is of the in
evitable,. She thoroughly knows the lyric
and dramatic requirements OF her parts
and she sings in tune; but she is ungainly
Of figure. homely OF face, dull and prosaio
Of style! Her Brannhiide was a hausfrau
out for an airing in the woods. The best
artists in that festival" presentation OF
the ring were Knote and Reiss, both Of
whom had the stamp Of New York APP
proval.
But to return to the real point. Berlin
IL no place to determine the world standing
of an operate artist. Singing of a most
crude and uncultured type Is acceI ted
there, provided the voice be good and big.
Now imagine the sensations Of these jaded
and dulled Berlin audiences when Geraldine
Farrar, with her sinuous and svelte figure,
her splendid dark eyes, her restless and
te-mperamental action, her picturesque
poses and her frank delineatonQf passion,
appeared before them. Add to these
qualities her genuinely fresh and beautiful
voice, with its youthful vigor and its reck-
less p~lenitude. Is there any wonCe r that
Berlin went into ecstasies over her and
thought IL nae found an operate Jewel
OF the highest priceP
Now what has happened? Miss Farrar
has returned 70 her native land, carrying
upon her fair shoulders the bur6e en- Of this
enormous Berlin success. She has essayed
20 live up 70 if in The Metroro litan Or era
House. or course she had no conceT ton
of the natur Of her undertaking, In
Berlin she was surely told always that
in America no one knew anything about
art in any Of its forms, and that when she
came here she would be a revel- ton to
the ignorant and benighted Yankees.
And equally, OF course, she believed il.
For IL il as sure as that there is a sun in
the heavens that her friends encouraged
her 70 believe all these things. 1t is sure
that they are still telling her that she Is
the greatest light that ever famed over
the western ocean. Friends Of musical
stars always tell them these things. They
never give the stars any honest counsel.
It is sometimes a cause OF wonder that
singers ever make any progress at all.
They certainly never would il their fiGtter-
ing friends could prevent it.
Miss Farrar walked upon the stage OF the
Metropolitan Opera House, where youth,
beauty, fresh and glorious voices n the
highest lyric art of the world were no
strangers, and she created a sensation
by what? BY some questionable stage
business in Romeo ct Juliette.' Every
one admired her beauty. Every one
was delighted with her fresh young voice.
Every one saw in her a splendid dramatic
temperament and the possibility of a notable
future. But only a few easily influenced
people accepted the verdict OF Berlin and
acclaimed her as q great artist.
Since the first night there has been little
enthusiasm about her. Probably In, her
opinion. which will be backed by her
friends this means that the Americans
do not know a good singer when they hear
n These poor foolish Americans who
adored Grisi and Jenny Lind, who wor-
shipped Patti, who loved Gerster, who
lavished their praises on Lehman. who
have poured adulation at the feet of Sem
brich and Nordica, these foolish Americans
do not know anything about singing.
Prophesy is no part of criticism, but in the
case OF Geraldine Farrar the Indications
are too plain to be mistaken. She stands
in New York at this instant at the parting
Of the ways. II lie open TO her TO take one of
paths. She may either s a. here and
study such great singers as come under her
observation, learn how to place her upper
tones and how to sing in a refined, repose-
finished style, and become one OF the
greatest lyric artists h world ever saw,
she may break her contract with Mr..
Conried, return 70 Berlin and scream out a
narrow German career in ten years.
II she continues to sing as she does now
she will tear all the velvet of her voice in
time and vii have left only a dead,
wooden, unmusical tone. She has not tho
physique Of a Lehman. She is not a
Schumann-H eink. She must use her voice
--l.L -~-koae art or aha mill blot ont ita