The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-29
HOW SINGERS ARE
 BEING TRAINED American Methods Are Coming to Be Considered Best BUT MUST START ABROAD Some of the Hardships of Winning Recognition-Madam De Converos
 Tells of Her Many
 Experiences.

New York, December 2S.-That the United States is now the best place to secure training in music is the opinion of American singers of world-reputation who have studied abroad. American singing masters are best. but the young singer, after getting training here, should go abroad to get experience in singing in repertoire" is the consensus of opin- ion among American operatic stars This superiority in American training meth ods which Is matter of growing knowledge and pride among the pro- fessionals. Is as yet scarcely guessed among the people generally. who think of Italy, Germany or Paris as musical Meccas for beginners, but 1t Is coming to be recognized by wealthy music lovers, as was evidenced in the recent gift of half million dollars by James Loeb, the banker, to found the Institute of Musical Art in New ork city. MT. Loebs idea is the up building of great university of lnu- sic, to establish on a still higher plane American supremacy in teaching meth ods, and. In a broader sense, to develop musical culture through out the United States.
 Should the American girl go abroad to learn opera? was the question put to Madame Eleanor de Cisneros, the mezzo soprano of the Manhattan opera house, an American woman born in New York.
 Yes" was her reply. but only after she has completed her studies in Amer lea under a good teach CT. There arc just as good vocal instructors in America, if one selects the right ones. as there are in Europe, and an Amer Jean girl can have her voice placed and do all thnt merely study can do for her right at home. Then, if she finds that she has a voice of operatic calibre, has the temperament, has gained the correct accent of the for cign language in which she Is to sing. and has acquired the foreign operate traditions, she should go abroad to gain repertoire and actual experience in opera. This last she cannot gain in her own country for substitutes position at one of our opera houses. and even a debut in an important role. does not seem to give her chance to become a real star. She must gain her reputation abroad and then be re- engaged for American opera through the booking agencies of Italy or some other country.
 My own preliminary work I gained here in New York under dear Madame Murio Celli, who is now dead. She taught the real old Italian method, which aims to teach one to sing, to bring out the full voice without forcing it. She did not place any reliance on some of the vocal patents one hears of-to sing With the tongue in a certain place, or to throw the resonance to the soft palate, or other rubbish of that sort She taught one to sing. So when l went to Italy I was rad "a to undo, and within the first year l hal sung In eight different opera houses. at Trieste, Ravenna. Ferrara, Speizzia, and later at Parma, one of the most difficult opera houses for hearing In Italy. Later 1 sang also for two seasons at the San Carlos opera house in Lisbon, ana In St. Petersburg and at Madrid, and gained vogue which enabled me to secure en- agreements at La Scala In Milan.
 q know of many American girls how ever who have gone to Italy and not had such good fortune. They should never have gone at all for they had neither the voice. the temperament, the knowledge of tradition, nor command of the language Of three such girls who were in party being taken over by a teacher who promised them an immediate debut, two had spent all their singing lives in church choirs, and while good enough in oratorio, had no operatic style ana dldn knoW what Italian opera is. Another poor girl. I remember, whose brother had mort gagged heaven knows how much property to give her a chance at opera. She had neither voice, figure, nor temperament She should have been kept at home where she might have done something In small concerts.
 American singers going to Italy should not get the idea that amateur operatic work will pass. Oh that cruel top gal lery in every Italian opera house. The admission is only 10 or 20 cents to this gallery, and 1t is filled with the peasants and working people, but, oh. what just but severe critics they are! They have heard fine opera all their lives; have heard the greatest singers, and woe to the beginner who does not come up to standard. They will hiss her from the stage.
 'As there is also a prejud'ce against Americans, the American ebltante must be particularly capable. This prejudice has been engendered by the fact that number of foolish people from this coun- try have attempted to buy a debut with money In one case in particular l know of a woman who wished to sing the role of Brangane In Tristan and Isolde. who was not at all prepared for the role. She offered the manager 1000 francs to produce the opera for her. After weeks of rehearsal she was told that she could