New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-04

- +be,,, never oct an engagement Some
buv their debut, and after one pelIo' liiS'''N'
are never heard of. ,o-;oo,
There are many good teachers III "a -
and before a student goes TO Europe
lieve that ne should be well gToundeI III us
art. Yet d student should sooner Oh l.i !II
To EuroDe for his debut, and, better sun re
main there until his reputation Is
BY RITA FORNIA
r AM firmly convinced that the time IS
corning when there will be no need loI d
vo,,nq American man or woman 10 90 %
Eurooe to study for an operate CdIeeI-
America Is bound to have national opera
as we'll as has Germany, Italy, or FRANCE
That time is probably not far distant II
The interest in opera sung IN the Eng 81
language that has lately manifested iIseh %
one of the most promising signs IN TINS an
ton For a national opera the WoIuS Sli
be sung in the language OF the country; anu
the aD0roach of such an opera IS surely 10 De
Draved for. Then, again, there are IN Amer
lea MANY excellent teachers. teachers per
fectIv competent to bring out the best tneIe
is in singer Several young american
singers have recently appeared with success
who have had no European training OF OK
perienCe. ,-,.-. .t,,.+
Vet in spite of all this do not believe that
the time IS vet here when Such experience
above all the prestige gwen oy tre e~'eii-
ence. is not of the greatest beneht-
Grand opera in America has DesL' at ieel9t
until Trerv RECENTLY. an exotic art. The operas
have been sung in foreign languages iargely
nv foreign singers. Within recent years
American singers have begun to come 70 Ihe
front. until today they are probably more
numerous than those OF most other nations
In Germany there were last year nearly one
hundred American artists singing IN the Varl-
ous opera houees Yet almost all these sing
ers have had foreign training
The reasons for this are manifest. flrSI
and foremost Is the difficulty OF obtaining
debut in America. In Europe each city OF
any size whatever has an opera houSe' V1i0
canitals generally have two or three In
America only New York, Boston, and Chi
caqo have permanent opera companies
Therefore, the field IN Europe IS vastly
greater. Then again, these small opera
houses are willing to receive young singers
and to train them; while in America the few
great institutions are for finished singers OF
at least for singers with established reputa-
tons.
The American public has been accus-
toned only TO the greatest names, ana
firmly believe that II a young singer stays III
Europe until her name is made her foreign
reputation VIII SiCeiLIN lIO-t' IN ''AN-- --0
Drb1ic. The American public cannot be
blamed for this, as it has been its tradition.
Yet light is breaking even here Our audi
ences are beginning to show that they are
not afraid to trust to their own judgment
The greater facilities, too, for the study OF
Languages that Europe affords. is another
argument for such training. Operas are as
vet all sung either in German, italian. or
French. and it is much easier TO learn these
languages in their home lands than II IS IN
America. There is also something IN the
European atmosphere that IS conducive to
study. Hard, concentrated work IS neces-
sarv above all things for success on the Oper-
attic stage. Such concentration IS much
more difficult in our fevered industrial CIV
ilization than it is in the quieter, more lels-
urely life of the Old World
Yet. as I said at first, the dawn OF new
day is breaking. Our singers are already IN
the first rank. The rest will come IN time.
BY OLIVE FREMSTAD