The Washington herald., 1909-06-20

Il has been said that a singer dies twice
the first time when he loses his voice.
Caruso did not look as if he were attend
ing his own first funeral when he left for
Europe recently. and everybody hopes
that the reports OF his death are
grossly exaggerated
One night, a few weeks ago, when the
famous tenor. though feeling tired. sang
at the Metropolitan Opera House. he al
most collapsed after the curtain had
c-osed on the second act. Il cannot do
it." During the intermission he recovered
his spirits. and the last act was sung.
none too well. He should not have sung
1t at all he was endangering a delicate
vocal apparatus that gives Joy to tens Of
thousand Of OperagOeTs on two cOnti-
nents, and that Is worth to its owner
about $4,000 a year. Including more than
$4,000 for singing into the talking ma
chine. says Henry T. Finck in the New
York Post
1t is stated on good authority that last
summer there was q growth Of some sort
on his vocal cords. which was removed by
an Italian surgeon The tenor was told
all would be well. provided he rested
few months. not singing a note. But he
had engagements IN several European
cities, and, not wishing 10 disappoint the
managers and the public. he disObeyed
the doctor. Returning TO New York. he
made bad beginning by appearing half a
dozen times within a week The injury
10 his organ resulting from this overeX-
ertion left its traces on his singing
throughout the winter. During the last
month OF the season he did not appear
except in the inal week. Il was hoped
that after this rest, he might so with
the company on the road; out wiser coun-
sci prevailed. and he is now on his way
10 Italy TO rest. and, perhaps. submit 10
another operation. He himself scouts the
notion that he is in danger Of losing his
voice entirely. on the steamer he said
that the idea that he might never be able
TO sing again was ridiculous. He joked
about the matter. declaring he was going
to Bayreuth to study the Wagner roles,
and maintained that If his voice was
not at It's best now, that was due simply
To his having worked too hard
Jenny Lind in Paris.
Possibly Caruso's confidence in his re-
covery is based on his knowledge that
many other singers have not only dam
aged but practically lost their voices and
4CLUADlt4 LAAElAA AUlAl AlNANA-
The most famous case is that Of Jenny
Lind. She was only ten years old when
she made her first appearance on the
boards. as an actress. -Four years later
she began TO sing on the stage occasion
ally. and al the age OF nineteen she aban-
doned plays altogether and thencefOrth
acted In operas only. Soon she became so
popular that the directors could not resist
the temptation 10 give her more work
than was good for so young a voice.
Fortunately, she recognized the danger in
time. Realizing that her gifts were only
half developed she made Up her mind 70
so to Paris and study with Manuel Gar
cia- One foolish thing she did at this
moment; she gave a series Of concerts in
the Scandinavian provincial towns, thus
stiu further exhausting her tired vocal
organs; but she needed the money this
brought her, to pay her expenses, and
she did not know how near she was 70
the brink Of the precipice.
She found that out as soon as she
reached Paris and called on the famous
Spanish master. with the request that he
take her as his pupil He made her sing
some scales and an aria from Lucia"
which she had sung in public nearly forty
times. This time she broke down. and
Garcia pronounced his crushing verdict:
1T would be useless 70 teach you, miss;
you have no voice left"
Felt Sorry for Her.
With tears Of disappointment in her
eyes she implored his advice. Could he
not bring back her voice? He knew that
such cases are apt TO be hopeless: but he
felt sorry for this poor girl, hurled from
her Swedish triumphs into the abyss Of
despair. so he agreed to hear her again
IN six weeks If she promised to speak
during that period as little as possible
and not 10 sing a single note. This she
did. spending her time studying French
and Italian; and when she returned 10
him they were both delighted to find that
the rest-cure had done some good He
agreed 10 give her two lessons a week
and made it clear TO her that it was not
overwOrk so much as a faulty use OF the
voice that had hurt her. Following his
instructions, she was soon able to practice
her exercises hours every day without
undue effort or fatigue. To A friend she
wrote:
I have to begin again, from the begin
ming; to sing scales. up and down, slowly
and with great care: then 10 practice the
shake-awfully slowly; and to try to get
rid Of the hoarseness. II possible. More
over. he is very particular about the
breathing 1 trust 1 have made a happy
choice"
She doubtless had made a happy choice.
She was soon able to write: My voice is
clear and sonorous. with more hrmness
and much greater agility"
1t had acquired" wrote a friend who
heard her after her training in Garcia's
studio. "a rich depth OF tone a sympa-
thetc timbre, bird-like charm in the
silvery clearness Of its upper register
which = cnca frT7r,raccaT Tho 1fr@.-,o,- ,--y+t
The feeling that he had never before heard
anything in the least degree resembling
H."
Kate CrichtOn and Bessie Palmer.
Another famous pupil Of Garcia was
Kate Grislton. one Of the first to get the
benefit OF his instruction after he had
become connected with the Royal Acad-
emy in London. She made her debut in
Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable" in 1882.
on the opening night of the Drury Lane
season. In commenting on this perform
ance, the London Times referred to her as
the most promising pupil OF the vocal
art in the Royal Academy OF Music" de-
claring that 'she was successful 10 a de-
gree which since the debut OF AIr. Sims
Reeves in 1919. has had no parallel on the
English stage"
Unhappily, as Garcia's pupil and biog-
rapher. ~. Sterling Mackinlay, tells us
Miss CritchOn's career. so brightly begun
was brought 70 a sudden close by her
catching malignant fever at Milan, result
ing in the loss OF her vocal powers. Had
II not been for this. there is no doubt
that she, too. would have been among
that wonderful band OF pupils who won
fame in the operatic world for their
maestro and themselves"
After many years OF retirement Miss
Crichton regained the beauty Of her voice,