New-York tribune., 1907-09-07
POOR But GIFTED.


There is another side of the picture. Many
American women have voices of surprising
beauty. The country that has produced NOrdica
and Emma ThUrsby. Eames and Farrar. not TO
mention a host of others. surely be credited
with having as many more who are possessed OF
wondrous vocal gifts. Often the young
with the most beautiful Of voices. with the
finest musicianIy instinct, is poor. She may live
in a country town and be wholly ignorant Of the
world BY great efforts her family scrapes to-
gether enough to give her some time abroad To
the cost of her lessons, never small. must. in
such cases. be added her travelling expenses
and her board. To such one. arriving friend
less and alone in Dresden or Milan. or any OF
the other teaching centres. the road to success
is filled with pitfalls.
Not long ago the American consul in Milan
wrote that many American music students ar
rived there without knowing the name Of a
single teacher and in many cases not even
knowing Of a good boarding house They would
go. he wrote. from place to place until pass
able looking boarding place was found, and,
once settled there. would ask the landlady TO
recommend teacher. The chances taken by
a student who does this be left 20 the
imagination of the reader
INCOMPETENT EUROPEAN TEACHERS.
The best voice can be irretrievably ruined in
a surprisingly short time by a well meaning but
ignorant teacher. and how many such there are
il is impossible TO compute Certainly they
abound in every music centre abroad, and ehleTy
do they prey upon the lone American young
woman. Moreover. every pupil becomes de facto
the champion of her teacher. and seeks To induce
the latest arrival to become one of his victims
also. so the American music student is likely to
find half dozen pleasant COmpatriotS leading
her to one teacher. who is more likely to be the
worst one she could select
Considering all these things. il is reasonable TO
ask why there are not good teachers here TO IN
duce the American girl with voice OF the deiu-
sion that she has voice. to stay at home. And
the answer is simple. There are New York has
an abundance of excellent teachers, capable OF
bringing out all that is good in voice. charg-
ing no more for their lessons than even the Sec
ond and third rate teachers who play spider to
so many deluded American flies abroad Great
Conservatives are here IN New York Boston,
Baltimore: while teachers of the very first class
abound who are not connected with the schools
NEW YORK THE GREAT MUSIC CENTRE
New York the metropolis. has a metropolitan
leadership in the music of the country II Is
common TO say that New York lacks atrno-
sphere, but il is impossible to prove IL There
is artistic atmosphere wherever artists come 10
gether. and II they come together anywhere IN
the world il is in New York The very COM
mercialiSm of the city throws the artistic CLASSES
together, and it is hard to imagine inner must
cal atmosphere, one wherein there Is neTe
serious and successful effort 10 be seen than can
be found in this city.
Two opera companies of absolutely the hiShSSt
class bring to New York practically every great
singer of the world If Mr. Hammerstein or MI-