The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-11-10
SERBRICH TALKS
OF TURKEY TR0I
Famous Coloratura Soprano Also
Has a Word to Say on
"Ragtime-"
III LOUIS 1. yAFFE.

Madame MarcelIa Sembrich, 'col0ra-
tura soprano Of two c0ntinents. Crested
The reporter for The Tlmes-Dispalcn last
night al the Jefferson with the easy
grace and warmth Of manner Of q soci-
ETY. malron welcoming her oIdden
guest The madame has spoken 70 re-
porters in LOnaon- ktev and kam-
chatka- They are part OF her daily
Life. Just Like her morning coffee and
rolls.
Now the diva might have been ex-
pected to wear . shimmertng dress
with spangles; il would have fitted
in with the reporters idea OF the
equipment Of a queen Of song. Moth
ing like 1t happened. Madame wOSe .
gray tailored skirt and an altogether
democratic-looking knit jacket II was
red, idecisively red / have seen them
on the golf links and on the tennis
courts.
The only thing striking was her jew
els. These sparkled from every nnEer
the VIII Die repertoire. diamond, rubys
emerald and others that must remain
nameless A course In applied jew
eiry ought to be the equipment Of every
competent reporter.
Second Time In RIehnonA.
Madame Sembrich is POLISH and
speaks an English entirely her own.
She was born some fifty years ago In
wisbewzyk, Russian Poland. You
sneeze 1t. Nobody outside OF Russia
risks pronouncing It. Madame does II
with grace, because madame speaks,
in addition to Russian and Polish, Eng
ush, German, French. Italian, Norwe-
CLAN, Esperanto and two or three other
tongues too numerous to mention
rs this your nrst visit to Richmond?"
That is always q safe question j
asked IL with the assurance that there
could be no Comeback It II q good
practice to open an interview with .
great artist in just this manner. 1t 10
neutral. and there u no chance to put
your foot in It.
-Oh. no. no." replied the diva. depre-
catingly. Il was he-e four, ave years
ago. and sang At, At what you call IL
your theatre. academy"
That was q little break How could
have forgotten that she was here
As q matter OF fact I had not known
So I set myself right BY asking ut
once:
Don't you ind the town much
changedT
At this question Madame Sembrich
grew enthusiastic
Wonderful. wonderful! 10 has
Grown % big. % much. did not know
It. There were TO big buildings when
I was here. And now. now you have
many. walked this afternoon Tar out
west to your Monument Avenue. II -
beautiful II was not here before"
The diva has some mem ,ry.
Ras Hspes s0s A0esSeo.
The return to shop talk vas inevi.
table. Here felt my way carefully.
ignorance In the realm Of good music
Is 80 widespread in America Report
ers should not be blamed for their en-.
vironment-
Yes. madame thought that America
Is making wonderful progress In mu-
sic sixteen years ago. when she urSs
came TO this country, there were %
few composers ana %, 50 few artists.
Now. there are many. Not % many -
there should be In this great, wonder.
fuI country. but every year they -
come move and more. and some az
maybc ten years. maybe hfteen years.
maybe twenty-five years. America VIA
too. have her great compcsers.
Tour people are Of 20 many Sao-
ments." she said no nation q only
one gnmixed race has proouce6 gress
artists. See England. no great eoO-
posers. no great ssnges But ehse
great country Of many people. this
melting pot should some day give s's
srtisss-
TUs0<1 Tv0s Xss - -
Don't ysu think, Madame ssmbricA,
that the populsstsy % ragtsme ID tnsS
eoussry hes @ucA % DO With TIE ooOV
progrpss In better muster Thot Woo
N altoeether s1roet qusossoA al
shssghe ed enc with Q brsgee To-
ture.
-Rssssme, Rassime- exclssa~e
0pnsas With - excttea s6rugUsNG -
~ OhOuDoen. ~Ah, ~. fAer0 ofOI
Sugu1Oo 0UgUoe - S0ssU UUsUoA ooel