The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-10-30
NEED FOR REAL SINGERS NOW
IIENNFSE COMIC OPERiS HiIE
NlDE 4 VEN DEH lND.
Recent Failures Due TO the Lack % dsn'-
potent Voices American singers in
Strand Opera Abroad Who Wight De
Tempted 10y Larger salaries Here.

~flNN~ ltallE IN FAllNfFiN Nv" ll''h'N'
this seas n The most successful musical
plays OF the period are coming from
Vienna The British musical farCe- are
no longer able 70 hold the public - they
did formerly. With the exception 81
The Arcadian,- not one 81 these pieces
has recently been successful IN any marked
degree. On the other hand the Nienne@e
school has begun - bloom again With
richness not known since III" best days
Of strauss. MllockrT. Genea and Won
Supp@. American managers are anxious
la produce these operet'a-, hoping that
they may rival The Merry Widow >
IN their prosperity. Many % them con
tain music that il IN itself just a. sure Of
popular success. 40 they are brought
10 this country one after the other. put
before tho public and supplied with all
the magnificencs IN the way % satin and
scenery that money can buy. And they
-ucceed almost without exception IN MAX
ing a neat little failure OF playing along
: for a few weeks - moderate business
4. Yet every auditor IA the theatre every
critic who writes about these shows and
every least obs"rvant attendant AZ one Of
these performances may be heard TO say:
] What bully music; and what q shame
nobody In the cast can sing il
/ This situation WINS 20 be observed n
short time ago when one Of the most
-u0cs-sful 1T the NienueSe opsrett ls was
brought forward here II had survived
several wears Of success chiefly on account
u an exquisite waltz that runs through
the score. Vet when IL came To produc-
ing the operetta here the girl who had
10 sing this waltz had about three notes
in her register and they all lay in her
middle voice. The result was that n
valuable property which should have
been one Of the great Successes Of the
season was killed after the first night.
Just Ia Ihink ~ that said a theatrical
man in the lobby the first night. a Ave
hundred thnusand dollar musical property
killed outright 10y a seVenty-five dollar
week soubre'te'- And that was the
exact situation
For these new operettas need voices
The men Who write that music do not.
like m" composers Of English musical
farce. turn out what any drawing
room voice 60 yet away with. In England
The view as 10 what constitutes a voice IN
is wholly different from our own Any
body who has ever heard volunteer
singer In an English dra wing room knows
with what slight equipment n man or
woman Il willing To get up and make an
effort 90 wariiC
The point 81 view j. quite different.
however. IN Continental cities and the
Nicnnese composers Of the day arr com
posing music hat has Ia he sung and
cannot be- merely spokcn, as most 10 the
numbers IA tho British musical fsrce-
can he. The result - that American man
n gers who are anxious 10 produce these
new pieces here are put 20 the task Of
finding young women vilh voices when
for the lat ten years there has not been
the least necessity for any young woman
having voice IA order to succeed in
musical productions ~ his character.
Don't b'.liuVs that managers are I'M |
aware Of tie necessity II having voices |
IN these uow \Ienu,so ppere'tas one I
~ them sad IN" other dry 80 THF St'N
reporter They r"coguiz" At fully The I
trouhl. now - that d.. crpp Of women
Who can sing m" now nIiI-i" has not vet .
h""n produced som" ~ thom have the /
voices, hut that L. not all that ~ neceS- .
siry They must act They must know !
hoN 10 look chic. II Isnot enough 10 take a 1
woman uiif % church choir for Instlnc,.
merely b"Cau~" she has the voice 80 sing /
part aud put her on the stage Sns ~ 4
Just ~ likely 90 make a mess Of ~ as the /
woman who cannot get away with the |
music ~ al. II takes combinat ION 70 |
qualities To- do thcS.' parts we'll ! SAY for |
that reason Their" never was time in |
whI. "a singing actresses could find their |
talent NOR" IA demand than " - now and /
get ~ veil paid for their services But IL /
happens they mutt DO something besides
ring
THIS il the Wow ~ the theatrical
manager who however we'll he NAV !
underSta and IN" present necessity for
having singers IN these new operett as
has the tendency ot all persons VINO do /
not understand music to underrate it,
share IN tho success 81 a work II would |
b. hard to convince him. for instance
that woman Who had voice enough 20 /
give every melody it, full value would |
90 far toward giving an operetta the
musical character IL - desirable for IL 10 |
have. while dress and skill in acting might |
b. lef, for the time being to some Of the !
members Of the company whose parts
required no more serious powers
Tell me whore TO find the women |
who ar" capable 81 singing and acting |
the loading paris in these operettas."
the iheat real manager said TO THE SuN |
reporter, and | will be the first person
to -rek them out. | want them more
prejudice against any of them on my
par. But | have looked in every direc-
ton for them without SuccHSS.'
IL may be true that these girls are
hard to md, yet u II a TACT that there |
are every day applicants for a hearing
az tho Metropolitan Opera House who
whatever their experience may I've are
voCally gifted To point that would |
make them quite capable Of singing
just the sort Of music Of which these
scores are composed. Mr.. Gatti-C asazza
hears hem just as he hears many singers
every year. and Of course he has no pace !
for them. II IL a fact that the Metro 4
politan Opera House Is not for beginners
~ any kind. and cen Ainly there are too |
many prima donnas there now TO make n
IL possible for any girls without expert 1
encc 80 get a start II
some ~ them GO into church ChoirS
others teach and the majority Of them
20 10 Europ" and Il they have means
are able 10 get started on an operate
career There are few 81 them. how ever.
who can earn enough AZ that work even
10 paw their living expenses II ~ to
this supply that one 81 the American man
ayers Is going 10 look IN the future for his
prima donnas
-Only th" other dav- D." said 4 had
a call from the sister 81 a girl thai heard
sing several wars ago She was then