Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-08-09
TRIALS OF THE SINGER.
Must Achieve Greatness by Own
Talent and Pluck.

From the New York Sun.
The marriage of Nine. Nordica in
London recently will no doubt bring
later it's usual crop of misguided young
women with yoicesp knocking at the
offices Of operate managers. The stage
as a medium of matrimony is an ancient
institution, but all who use it for that
purpose do not succeed. Many are
called to the career. but few are chosen.
Mavolio's speech never holds good in
the case of the opera singer: we refer
to the particular passage: Some have
greatness thrust upon them Singers
to be great must always achieve great
ness. To be sure. If they are born with
a great voice their trials are smoothed
away; great voices, however. are as rare
as great brains Nordica, for instance.
started out with an excellent voice.
strong physique and indomitable am
billions. Almost in middle life. she
turned her back on Italian opera: then
came her brilliant successes as Elsa and
,Brunhilde and Isolde. She alone could
tell what the effort cost her. Her Yam
kee grit backed by intelligence sent her
to the top of the ladder.
Yet, the girl who goes to Paris or
Berlin or Milan only sees the Nordica
of the tiara, the press notices, and
the fashionable London wedding She
might remember the little girl who, not
possessing money enough to sit in the
orchestra. climbed to the gallery after
waiting for hours to hear Patti in
brich exclaim: Il, too, am singer:
but she was modest and held her tongue
and worked like galley slave.
The best of musical beacons. whether
they be Sembrich or Nordica. Leh-
mann or Ternina, may prove deceptive.
Absorbed in their art they were whole
souled in yielding to its magic. The
young woman singer Of the present day
is more practical. She wants quick
believes in the garnet of Bohemia; she
goes into society, is petted for her small
gifts, and expects to achieve a position
in a few years. American girls. espe-
cially, brought up in comfortable cir
cumstances, rush abroad. engage some
fashionable singing master, study super
ficiaIly a few roles, pay heavily for
debut at some third rate Italian, French
or German opera house. secure lot OF
high sounding criticisms, and set sail
for their native shore.
The usual concert in the native town
takes place. More praise. flowers and
family enthusiasm. A change of name
is made, usually to one ending with soft
vowel sound, Hobokeniana. or some
such Italian sunset effect Then come
the managers and the tug of war. Thou
sands Of dollars have been spent on
the young womans musical education.
She can sing in three languages with an
equally bad accent: she has been in Paris
or Berlin or Milan: but she can't act
she can't sing and thinks she knows
it all Ambitious? Yes but not in the
right way. The ars Tonga is not to her
way of thinking She fails, of course,
and presently comic opera claims her
as its own. She says aloud. 'Sembrich,
Nordica. Lehman, Ternina,'' but she
is not willing to endure their long and
painful apprenticeship to art She is
lured by the deceptive beacon of their
success. not by their devotion to music
That she falls into the pitfalls prepared
by INSCRIPTIONS journals and managers
that f1atter her and pilfer her friends
purses is a matter of course.