Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-04
A PRIMA ,DONNA'S ADVICE
Don't" She Says, to the "Scrawny,
Voiceless, Wooden Girls!"
FIRST STUDY IN AMERICA"
"After Preliminary Training Here,
Then Go Abroad and Take
Chaperon."

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 con-
sensus of opinion among American oper-
attic stars.
Should the American girl go abroad to
learn opera? was the question put TO
Nine 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 America
under d good teacher. There are Just as
good vocal instructors in America. II one
selects the right ones as there are in
Europe. and an American girl can have
her voice placed and do all that merely
study can do for her right at home. Then.
If she finds that she has a voice of
operate caliber. has the TEMPERAMENT. has
gained the correct accent of the foreign
language in which she is to sing. and mas
acquired the foreign operate traditions,
she should go abroad to gain repertoire
and actual eXperince in opera. This last
she cannot gain in her own country, for a
substitutes position at one of our opera
houses and even a debut in important
role does not seem to give her chance
to become real star. She must gain her
reputation abroad. and then be re-engaged
for American opera through the booking
agencies OF lIdIN OF SOiIe tthei SoN4i'4S'
WHY Some Girls Fail.
MY own preliminary work L gained
here in New York under dear Nine. Murio
Cell. 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
pace any reliance on some of the vocal
patents one hears Otto sing with the
in, nart1 in MIA r
resonance to the soft palate or other
rubbish of that sort. She taught one 10
sing. So when l went TO Italy was pre-
pared and did not have lot of work to
undo. and within the first year had sung
in eight different opera houses. at Trieste.
Ravenna. Ferrara. Suezzia and later at
Parma one of the most difficult opera
houses for a hearing in Italy. Later l
sang also for two seasons at the San car
los Opera House in Lisbon. and in St
Petersburg. and at Madrid. and gained
vogue which enabled me to secure en-
Eagements at La Scala in Milan.
Il 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 a party being taken over by a
teacher who promised them an immediate
debut two had spent all their singing
lives in church chors. and. while good
enough in oratorio, had no operate style
and didn't know what Italian opera Is.
Another poor girl. l remember, whose
brother had mortgaged 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.
Americans Scored.
american singers going to Italy
should not get the idea that amateur
operate work will pass. oh. that cruel
TIC gallery in 4very Italian opera house.
TIN ADMISSION lis only 10 or 90 cents to
thi{\s.1ery. and it is filed with the peas
antsFnd working people. but oh, what
just Mt severe critics they are! They
haye haard fine opera all their lives; have
hsard~SNe greatest singers. and woe to the
bhgfnnef who does not come up to stand
ard They will hiss her from the stage.
LAS there lis also a prejudice against
Americans, the American debutante must
he particularly capable This prejudice
has -bseH engendered by the fact that
"a number of foolish people from this
country have attempted TO buy debut
with money. In one case in particular
know of woman who wished to sing
The role of Brangane in Tristan and
Isdde" 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
Singer was secured as a substitute. She
sued the manager, but he showed that
he had provided the opportunity, but that
the 6inger vas not adequate. and she
did NOT regain n cent. In another case
a wealthy American woman hired a thea
ter 10 produce Lucia di Lammermoor."
She made failure, but on her return to
this country advertised extensively that
she had made a successful debut in an
other opera in Italy. The italian papers
saw these notices and printed them. with
scathing comments about the way Amer
leans misrepresented conditions. AS a re-
suit there is a certain feeling against all
Americans. and even the most faithful
singer has to overcome this prejudice.
When i began TO sing, inasmuch as ]
spoke italian and Spanish, | did not say
anything about being an American.
Finally, after months of successful work.
/ Mapped to sing in a company with Puri
Corsi, a baritone. who had sung with me
when / was Miss BroadfOot in America.
In all kindness he Immediately said that
was an American. and although I had
been successfully rehearsing for two
weeks and had had months of successful
experience in Italy. my troubles immedi-
ately began. The conductor at once took
the attitude that l could not possibly
sing my role without an accent. and II II
had not been for the fact that the man.
ager of the theater believed in me
probably should not have appeared in
''Falstaff."
Training in Italy.
But II one does get contract for
opera in Italy. one gets real training in
repertoire. There each big opera house
gives perhaps only six different operas a
season and spends from three to five
weeks in piano, orchestra and full re-
hearsals. In America extensive rehears-
ais are very rare. unless some very i'm
portant new opera is to be produced, and
consequently the beginner has no chance
To learn roles. At the rate at which
operas are produced here the conductor
has no time to work with beginners-he
must have finished opera stars who can
jump in with little or no rehearsing and
sing.
At this point. Mr.. de Cisneros came in.
lie had been with Nine. de Cisneros on
her Italian tour. Mr.. de Cisneros said:
There is also another point to be con-
sidered by American girls going to sing
in opera in Italy. If they think that
operate success in Italy means neces-
sarily social recognition by the Italians,
they are badly mistaken. Moreover 1tal-
ian men think IL is their duty to pay
compliments to every woman they see
the streets. They think nothing of it. 1t
is decidedly wise for the American girl
going to Italy TO study to have a chap
eron or some one to look after Aer.''
How much money should the Amer
lean girl have for her Italian trip" was
asked. Nine de Cisneros replied:
-. Fel,n liza.