The sun., 1908-03-08

are visibly enduring the moment, not really
living it.
Nine. Tetrazzin preserves her COM
posure until she gets her answer out Of the
way, and then at the sight Of the interpret
ing faces abe breaks into peal of ripping
laughter. There are people who would
pay the price of an orchestra chair at the
Manhattan to hear that-and il is worth it.
-Corsets? OF course l wear them. but
they are very short in the front. just
mere girdle, giving the lungs absolute
freedom. One must not have any pressure
there, even in the moments when one is of
duty. so to speak.
And the laughter" the diva's lighter
is so natural that hearing it one is almost
forced to wonder il. like Bernard Shaw
she is not rather laughing at her audience
than for it. "A great many times it is
natural
Il laugh easily and quickly, and when
look down in the audience and see a IA
miliar face with an expression on it as if
I were some strange curious person that the
friend had never seen before, laugh right
out. just as do when the friend makes
me some gesture and respond in the only
way ! can. l laugh and sing at the same
bilHc hS yOu may nave uOIlCcu
Il do not practise at all during the season,
except, Of course. when 1 am going over a
new role. When / go on the stage, the
| orchestra says 'la-la' and respond 'la-la,
and the conductor mods that it Is all right
T, and sing away. That is all the rehearsing 9
l have.
And the diet2 Whatever 1 like, always
avoiding much oil. which is very bad, and
all highly spiced food. find all greasy
foods very bad for the vocal chords
Nine. Ietrazzini expresses great regret
that she is not able to hear some Of the
other prima donnas in the roles she sings
herself.
"One OF the first seasons sang in st.
! Petersburg. Nine. Sembrich and Nine.
ArnOldsOn were singing there too. but
according to the usual contract We did not
! sing each others parts, and so l did not
have the pleasure OF comparison, which all
singers so much enjoy.
This winter again have not been able
TO hear any Of the operas given at the Metro
| politan, for 1t is impossible to get box
| there, and am well known enough to make
1t rather a misery to be In one OF the orches-
| ira seats and have people near me either
| pointing me out or watching my expression
to see what may possibly think Of a certain
aria or a certain orescendo."
She makes a gesture like a fish swimming
in a thick fog when she Is asked her opinion
Of the Manhattan's latest contribution tc
| operatic art.
what do I think OF 'Pell9as ct Nell.
sande'? IL is most interesting, but really
consider IL q work that is what you cal
an acquired taste. do not see. great
master that Debussy il. that one could
! appreciate this creation OF his the first time
it 10 heard. The fourth. fifth. perhaps. but
at first one is simply at sea, wondering
| questioning. Is II not so2"
It is put as systematically as possible
that the coming Of Nine. Tetrazzini to New
York was to many. even to some OF the
musical world, the appearance OF an en-
tirely new comet in the operatic armament
Why and how could this be, In the case oi
a woman 80 well known in other parts o.
the world?
The diva explains it after an amused
look OF mutual comprehension between
herself and her French interpreter.
There are q great many singers In Eu-
rope. hne singers, both men and women
who never think OF singing In America
Naturally you think singing here 10 the