Los Angeles herald., 1907-10-02
Heard on the Side

To the Editor of The Musical Courier:
"It seems to me that all musicians are
more or less queer said Kate, as we
stepped into the elevator, but the sing
ers, particularly the conceited pupil sing
ers, are the queerest of all.
81 am making this call on Miss l.
under protest as duty to my family.
Charlie Osgood says she is dippy on the
voice question, so be prepared for mon
ologue. You need not say a word. Just
listen! Here we are After prolonged
wait the curtains parted and the would
be prima donna made an effective en-
trance, holding rather studied pose Just
long enough to make an impression OF
girlish timidity.
81 am so sorry to have kept you wait
ing" she exclaimed in a rather affected
voice, but l have not been at all well.
Have had such frightful cold. Coughs
to prove IT'D The doctor said l must not
think of singing for whole week. Just
fancy But 1 told him I must sing. My
voice is my very lifel Every true singer
knows what deprivation 1t is to be obliged
to give up even for day. To hear all
these glorious tones (placing her hands
at her ears and closing her eyes) and not
be able to give them vocal expression
would cause me the keeness suffering
Only the other day madame said to me:
My dear, you are SO temperamentall
I fear you will suffer much for art
was singing Lucia at the time and was
so overcome that my eyes were filed
with tears. 1 have heard that Madame
Bernhardt, always sheds real tears. Mad
anne says it is such pleasure to teach
me, 1 grasp the ideas so easily. Madame
is perfectly wonderful. When began
with her my jaws were very stiff and she
made me chew on corks for whole
month, and now they are perfectly re-
"-5 lAIl n
my temperament she would carry every
thing before her. Melba has none what
ever-cold as ice. I feel instantly II a
singer lacks temperament, and 1 often
leave the opera after the first act, suffer
so. Don't you think 'Cavalieri simply
divine? Really?"
Really, 1 do not, nor do I care for the
French singers, such as Ackte, Breval,
Alvarez and Rousseliere."
Mercy" exclaimed the would be. But
before she could get any further the un-
daunted Kate continued:
81 never was so amused in my life,
although disgusted as well, when l saw
Ackte do the Bach-Gounod Ave Maria
as a dramatic scene. Swinging those
long, thin arms, rolling her eyes and
gasping as if doing an operate stunt.
friend in Paris wrote me about, saying
that he feared the Americans wouldn't
appreciate her. Too fine for them.
II will back the American musical pub
lie any day when it comes to question
of real singing. One thing they demand,
and that Is purity of intonation. Such
wobbly singers as Breval and Alvarez
singing fiat throughout whole evening
are abominable."
"Paruon me-" said the W. b., icily "Al-
varez never flats. He always sharps.
The French singers do not put such
stress on intonations, as they know they
have pure diction and the traditions"
CThis with an air.)
"They are welcome to both, but I pre-
fer singing such as we get from the home
grown product-Rider-K Kelsey, for ex-
ample"
But she is merely concert singer"
said the W. b., scornfully.
THAT is the best test of a singer, in
my opinion. But it is an inexhaustible
subject, and we must be going. Before
we go, won't you sing something for us?"
81 really shouldn't, I have such fright
full cold. (Coughs.) But I will try this
little thing I picked up at the music
store this morning, if you will play for
me-"
Removes collar, and coughs while pre-
lude is being played by the accomplished
Kate. Tries to sing the unfamiliar song.
reading the words over Kates shoulder.
A wobbly, sharp soprano below the pitch,
without a vestige of music in 1t, and an
utter lack of the simplest requisites of
good singing were displayed in the first