New-York tribune., 1908-02-02
SINGING In GERMANY.
LiH Lehman Discusses q Lost Ant

With the help OF Mr.. August Spanuth for MANY
years musical critic OF the .Staats-Zeitunx- ~
this city. Mr. ". J. Henderson has managed some.
what TO disturb the seIf-cornplacency OF some %
the singers and critics of Germany Mr. spanuth
who is now the editor of Die Signal. fir Ia
Musikalische Welt" is doing good service in trv.
Ing 10 awaken understanding in Crernany ~ ina
musical conditions which exist on this side OF ths
Atlantic. 1t Is a difficult task for the German
musician. be he singer. iHstruuentaIist conducto-
or critic persists in looking upon America a.
merely the land of the dollar. The same at,ituss
prevails IN Berlin Leipsfc Munich and Vienna ana
in each case 1T prevails against England IN almost
the Same degree as against the United States TIA
fact that the finest artists IN the world sne ana
play almost all the year IN London and New Yors
argues nothing 70 your Viennese your Munch-
ener. except possibly, that those artists can,os
amount to anything. because they do not sing and
play in Vienna Munich Writing on the subject
to The Daily Telegraph" of London a sev week.
ago. an Enshshman. named Walter Goodman vha
had lived six years in Munich said:
I have found that Germans are influenced !,
want of knowledge Mr Ronald himssTf .sIi, NJ
tnat , ms experiences in Berlin 10 show that
EnSIsh artists and composers This was nv own
experience in Munich In that centre OF art thsy
seemed not 70 know anything about any one not
made In Bavaria Thus when I spoke to mu,icai
Calve. the De Reszkes and Mr. AHcons. thew had
never even heard OF them and tried 10 account for
we should have had them here" 10 which + 81
course, replied; But. my friends. you couldn't az
Il / am pretty sure that If MGncheners could a,-
Iord to have Nine; Melba their opinion OF British
as Inu6n en- might be said Of our minor artists
Mich for the second time 10 give two sngis-handsd
rec1talS at the Royal OdeOn. the big hall was
densely packed on both occasions and the critical
singer after every song
But this is little foreign TO the present purpose
which IS TO say something about what Mr. Spa
nuth and Mr. Henderson have done to disturb -
SNUG self-satisfaction Of the Germans Coming
home from a summer spent in European travel Mr.
henderson wrote an article in the New Muss
Review. giving the result OF his observations io
some German opera houses His conclusions were
that there was much poor singing IN Germany
singing that was faulty IN intonation and lacking
IN all the charms OF what Is so often spoken OF
as bel canto. lie talked about Wagners music
ana cited examples from the history OF our Metro
politan Opera House (notabIy the case OF Jean 30
heszke Lilh Lehman and Nordfca) TO sno"
that Wagner's music did not need to be shouted
or oarked in staccato. Mr.. Spanuth made tho
article the basis OF leader in hts Journal heading
IL tserInania non cantat?'' in which he deplored
the fact that many OF the foreign critics structures
were true In Die Sgnale' Of January the ed;,'s
tells or the discussion which Mr.. Henderson nss
called forth. make room for tho most ssntn'
cant portions OF the article:
However. an authority of first clas, inportsass
~ IIdS 1iaue an utterance Oh the subject Lin Lsn
mann mann mas said TO this writer IN open ett~
printed In the "Lokal-Anzeiger'' Thar the foreign
Sx1tc whose words were quoted was in the nsn.
She says hatIy: The standard Jf exceilence -
singing WSS lost long IN Germany. This - ~
10 say that the public does not feel insrinccveD
What Is really gOOd-even the most naive puoac,ss
correct IN itS apprehensiOnS. But whit can We ~
inahd OF the public when singers and cru3 -
NOT near: when even conductors have not ieasnsss
10 near Obviously what I-iIn Lenmann neAns
pE thlS laSt remark IS only that singers criticS -
fondqet9rs are no longer habtuated 70 good - sh
mS-their ears have Grown unaccustonled 70 :.
Ihat she wishes to be understood is evident -
1ne Illustration which follows upon TIE ~vs 80.
I men She continues Ought not every ope,ns ops "a
9ucior understand singing I should tninA e
NAT IL was which distinguished Jahn ana 49,
Wtlich to-day Stin MAKES Schuch 50 great
all grew large in the school Of great Italian snsrs
ami from whom could they learn il today s,n-
a lew exceptions 10 is all the theatre
duCtors what kind of singing is doing on tns go
SO lOnS as their orchestra makes noise
Wen, the foreign critic did not express
thought any More fOrclbly On hsarins such Ss,S.
many one may well take his head IN hlS ,tsSst,
Then. perhaps. he viii in the future give svsr = nx
more attention singing singing and 49, ,sst
that much OF 10 Is deficient in beauty 80 sIs-s,sins
artistic effect might BE- benefited BY better
the stage. Ii may he that I.iH Lehman
a little too far in holding COnductct,s tmst,sr
sible for all the deeds and uisdeeds IN ths 10
by no means ornniootent individual in "a "a that
terdant blessed Institutions. Il is not Es ~ 5s
Is decisive IN the engagement OF SINGERS W -d he
tributiGn of roles MOreaver. r-tWa"r f'ia = sbori
Singers thvre Is lockiDs THAT singing h,S ..s-n.aa
Wagner long lSO recommended - u'S .roild
stage II Wagner We're @-Ne ~e.hssrrA
hardly look on with cotnposi.e ng Z 81 scT distinct
oVerwh helnis the singing. ard tAe des,te o. sone
enunCatiOn had substituted shrlehlnS s,s rs moth
tone: he would protest that he did not ~ -
ing out chopped-up staceato phrases I'VE