The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-07-19
OUR SINGERS IN ITALY.
Fate of tho Girl Who seeks to Make
 Debut There.


 OUR SINGERS IN ITALY.
 Fate of the Girl Who Seeks to Make Her
 Debut There,
 me pig steamships are landing their an nual load of American women coming to Italy for finish in voice culture since the Italian professors. 1t being their dull season, offer special Inducements to those who ma triculate now part of these aspirants, writes Milan correspondent of The New York Sun, are choir singers. coming across on their vacation. hoping at the same time 10 freshen up their voices by foreign study and to coach themselves in special lines.
 majority. however, of these new arriv- ais are young girls who have left their ma tive country to study for an indefinite De- rfod in Europe. They have studied in their own homes. of course. but they must get . finishing touch abroad. and this touch is all that bars the way of their becoming great artists. At least 90 they have been told.
 Italian professors seem to be under the impression that foreigners. and above all, Americans, are their natural spoil Though a native may have had tuition at a nominal price, an American is charged generally q double or triple fee for her training. When the student has struggled through two or three years hard work and Is ready to enter a career she learns that making a debut is not so easy a matter she had calculated Not to lose his American pupils an Italian maestro usually has several impresario friends to whom he introduces the young woman. who. he declares. Is ready to make her appearance.
 According to the means of the candidate, she must pay for her debut, which means that the imp must have anything from $10 up, and she must pay all her railway expenses and hotel bills It is a well-known fact that foreigners never make their debuts tn <hno nH m of no importance musically otherwise. There numbers of obscure impresarios roaming about Milan, seemingly waiting to make money ou of opera mad Americans' they are titled. However. the aspirant to fame and fortune must make an appear ance somewhere-no matter where.
 If she secures a second engagement the American must either pay for 1t sing for nothing. She is compelled to sign a con- tract with an impresario who does not ap- pear to feel under the slightest obligation to stand to his part If he fails to carry out his contract the foreigner does not like to have recourse to law, for in the first place, she will probably lose the suit and have to pay expenses of the court. or. if she should win, would become known among the impresarios. who. as a body. would re- fuse to have any business in future with such a dangerous character.
 Last spring American girl who had already sung in several small theatres with success signed a contract to appear in a small town about six hours from Milan. At the appointed time her mother and she ar rived and rehearsals began. The first part of the salary was not paid at the time stip- ulated. and. after waiting several days, the singer called at the office of the impresa- rio. and upon asking for the amount. was informed that he would pay her nothing. that the production had not been the sue cess he had thought and that she could stand the loss better than he.
 However. he added that he would see that she would have good criticisms in the artis- tic reviews of Milan notices that would be most useful to her career, If she returned to Milan, he declared. the agents would con- clued that she had met a failure. which would do her no end of harm. The unfortu- nate singer realized that what he said was true and so decided to remain and give her services for nothing.
 During her four years career in Italy this singer has had eight engagements. which signifies about the same number of months occupation, but as at no time had she half paid her expenses she returned to America in May, hoping to be able to make a concert tour of the fashionable summer resorts and then return to Italy and continue her ca
 
 certain maestro in Milan. on getting slsO from an English woman. said that her daughter. after years coaching. would make a debut the operatic stage. When the occasion presented itself the young ar tist made her initial appearance. but not as singer. Dressed a page. she walked across the stage and handed letter to the prima donna.
 Two years ago an American singer paid sso for debut Arriving at the designated town she was horror stricken to find that the village of 3.oO0 souls did not boast of a theatre. There no rehearsal ana when the curtain went up in the little hall the young dehutante was welcomed by an au- dience whose applause easily drowned the first chords of the orchestra composed of piano and violin. At the close of the per formance the Mayor came forward and thanked the prima donna, presenting her with a bouquet of artificial flowers-a last ing souvenir of the occasion.