The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-04-15
To the Young Musical Aspirant
BY JOHN E. FREUND

vatoTies fully the equal and in some
cases the superiors, OF anything there
is in Europe today. 1t was not al
ways so. Still a trip or TWO 10 Eu-
rope is a great education II broad
ems the mind and cuitivates the
taste
You write me that you are often
discouraged, find your voice hOarSe,
tired, after your lessons.
Encouragement!
That is a good sign, All those
who love their work and are sincere,
feel this. EmmaEames has said that
she has been sometimes so discour-
aged before going on the stage TO
sing one of her greatest roles that she
felt like running away.
The editor feels II. the actor. the
painter, the composer. the states
man. Perfect self-confidence is rare
ly seen in a great or conscientious
nature.
As to the hoarseness after the les
sons, Here let me speak to YOU,
little maid. with great earnesness.
Mature imposes no penalty upon
the rightful use of her powers" In
deed, she rewards with added grace,
strength and beauty those forces
which are properly and temporarily
used
The singing teacher who. after a
lesson, leaves the VOiCe--When it
has had half an hour or an hours
rest-hoarse, tired. unpleasant, is
fraud, and l care not what his or her
reputation, nor what his or her hon
Ors or diplomas are. The speaking
voice should become sweeter, strong
or cd
vances-
The teacher who develops piercing
high notes and leaves the middle
register fiat. without strength or
character, is a fraud. The teacher
whose pupils develop a tremOlO is a
fraud though some singers get a
tremolO from singing music below,
Or more generally above, the natural
Gscope of their voices, or they get it
by forcing the voice.
Finally, there is the question of
hygiene, the grave question Of proper,
healthful care of the body &c
quality, the timbre Of the voice de-
pend largely upon good blood circu-
latiOn and good digestion.
Care of the body means exercise,
plenty of fresh air. cleanliness. care
full diet, abstaining from late hours,
from late suppers, from being in over
heated rooms, especially where there
is smoking; abStaining from eating
rich foods, nuts which dry up the
vocal chords-in a word, it means
getting into training for the ordeal
1t means the simple Iife!"
Adelina Patti world not speak
above a whisper or receive callers OH
a day when she had to sing. She
ate sparingly, drank but one glass
OF red wine. Some of our world-re-
nowned prima dnuHas rest in bed a
whole day before a whole day after
some great effort-which seemed so
easy to the audience.
Karl FOrmeS, the greatest basso of
former years, and my godfather, told
me that to preserve his voice-he
lived to sing until he was eighty
he had to give Tp smoking and drink
ing The drinking" said he. was
hard. for I love a glass of good wine,
| but the smoking. oh, Lord. l have
followed a man for a mile to get
Whit Of his cigaT!'
David Belasco, playwright and
genius, said the other day: NO
really great actress dissipates"
Did you ever think.>little maid in
the west, what that personality"
great prima donna, has meant in the
way of human effort to create? l do
not mean merely in the effort of the
woman herself. l mean in the efforts
of all those who have heIped her
build up her career from its earliest
stage. l mean more even than the
teacherS-I mean the critics, the
newspaper men, who have recorded
her struggles as we'll as her trium phs
I mean the dTessmakers who made
her dresses; the jewelers. who made
her jewels; the florists who provided
her flowers: the artists who painted
her pictures; the photographers who
made the general public acquainted
with her appearance
Did you ever think how much the
public itself contributes to the making
of a prima donna? The money spent
for seats and boxes, the fine clothes
and jewels worn to add grace and
beauty to the scene?
Think of the struggles of the man
ayers their disappOintments. Think
Of the work of the other artists and
the chorus, and the training of those
| artists and the training Of the chorus;
think of the work of the painters
who paint the scenery; of the stage
managers; of the scene shifterS: Of
all the mum berless employees in a great
opera house Think of it aII--what il
means, and the years through which
| these efforts last before we have that
| exalted parsonage. "a great prima
donna OF world wide TenOwn."
And it may all be lost in a night!
Did you ever hear the story of
Etelka Gerster, most talented and be-
loved of singers, who reiGned su-
preme, with voice of absolute pur-
ity and m2tchless charm? Did Won
ever hear how, one night, when the
Metropolitan Opera House was pack
ed TO Melcnme her women wont and