The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1909-04-02

stimulating ms his praise.
Among my most priceless posses
stons I treasure the words of encour-
orcment given me by Patti ana sem
hricb those wonderful artists, when
was beginning my career.
Mime. Patti is Il splendid example OF
tho many sidcdncss necessary to arts
tic ucrfectiuu. Her wonderful voice
was always supplemented by compete
knowledge of the art of singing ana
her mastery of languages ana OF ull-
ferent fields of art made her not ON!
n GREAT artist, but most interesting
| woman.
TO hear an artist of this kind Is one
of the most profitable parts of mu-
steal education.
Rut there are two ways of listening
70 n singer. There Is the appreciatlVe
woy and there is the entirely critical.
The beginner usually tries to show her
knowledge by her intensely criticai
attitude.
The older you become In your art
the more readily you will be able 10
appreciate and learn from the singers
Won hear on the opera or concert stage.
The greatest and the humblest sing
or can teach you something But to
learn you must be in receptive atti-
tude.
} The public has no real conception or
what an amount of intelligent work
besides talent and art is necessary to
achieve the results which it sees or
. hears. Only those whose lives are de-
l1n1nr-
n stand the struggles OF other artlsts'
o and it is for that reason that apprecia-
G tion and not condemnation should be
on the tongues of those who them
selves have studied
The artist must demand the greatest
things Of herself, and what may be
good enough for others Is not good
enough for her. AS the poet says, Art
is long" though life may be short, and
l. singing is one of the most f1eeting or
= all arts. since once the note is uttered
y, it leaves only memory in the hear
y er's mind and since so many beautiful
I, voices, for one reason or other, go to
T.. pieces long before their time
Il. If the singers health is good the
t. voice should end only with life itself
" provided, of course, 1t has been used
with understanding and with art.
In performing before the public one
should be governed by the tastes of
the public, not by ones own tastes
a Just as the comedian usually wishes tc
play Hamlet and the man of tragic
ee mien thinks he could be a comedy star
n the singer who could make fortune
in at interpreting Chansonnettes usually
ul wishes to sing operate roles, and the
er singer with a deep and heavy voice Is
IT. longing to infiict baby songs on long
a suffering public.
nv 1t is easy enough to find out what
tn the public wishes to hear. and, though
ig one should always be charging ones
ld repertory, it is not bad idea to sticl
to that field for which one Is particu
larly fitted vocally and physically.
de In studying role after one has mas
ip, tered the technical difficulties ont
I'm should try to steep ones personalit!
be into that of the character one Is Il
portray. and for that reason all study
no matter what 1t Is. and reading o
all kinds help one In developing
Ter part.
The great Italian tragedienne Dus
it'll told me that one of her greatest pleas
ures was to wander about the street
ne incognito watching the types of PEI
ION pie following them round, observin
them in their daily lives and remen
bering all the small details of actor
gesture or expression which she coul
some day embody into role.
Tub The more one sees and studies pc
pie with sympathy the more poin
emit, one gets for the study of life which
red embodied in the art one gives fort
pre- But it is sympathy with ones fello
.ors beings and kindly observation whi'
help one here, never the critical at
o. tude.
An artist can only afford to be col
axe " critical toward his own work al
toi' not toward the work of others.
! Sc Recently young woman who sta
u ,,p,n ed her vocal career as contralto h
am5 sung the most difficult Of Wagneri
soprano parts. Her high notes, 1t
true. were not the high notes OF n
u 90 ural soprano voice, but the care n
500 perfection with which each high NJ
1000 was attacked were worthy of clos
24.l5 attention and admiration and def
GU criticism.
no Hearing the smaller singers, the
15O ginners who are still struggling w
. 90 their art should awaken In the he
$50 Of the intelligent listener not c
$50 temptuous Criticism, but should be
1888 means of realizing ones own vocal
25OO fects and the possible ways of o'
l'oo coming them.
oo There are bad singing teachers
io'0 0E course. hut often the pupils are We
* and will not listen to advice.
300 large and shrieklng voice usually
longs to this type OF pupil, fer /
367 .55 easier to force the voice when
temperament is robust and the v
cords equally strong than 1t Is to IL
1870. so gently and quietly the correct
1865 natural position in voice placem
- and II is easier to make noise as
3l7,OO YOU can than to use intelligently