The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-06-04

But didn't you have to secure some ton. something?' I queried, ito get an audience with him."
 "Oh, dear, no!' replied Miss Randall "On Sunday evening from to o'clock M. Jean DeReszke is at home. if you please, to any one who desires an audi ence with him, and he will hear anybody sing-ft matters not whom. He says very frankly that he receives no one on the rec ommendation of any one else, and that he much prefers a person with brains and intellectuality than big voice..
 Did you suffer from stage fright when you sang for him?" I questioned. T don't think l was ever more com posed," said Miss Randall. He is so big, so great, so simple withal, as all great people are, that he at once impresses you with his kindness and wholesomeness, and there is spirit of camaraderie be- tween him and you that is delightfully."- reassuring."
 Tt was six months after I had an au- l dience with M. DeReszke," continued Miss Randall, before I began my lessons with him, however, after 1 got to Paris. It was late in May, and he was leaving for 1 his summer trip and I was recommended to one of his. pupils--Louise Marcel, who, l by the way, has made great hit in this country this season, with the Boston Opera company. I studied for short time with oscar Seagle and I had several l teachers in the meantime, but at last in the early Fall 1 went to DeReszxe. He is the most fascinating person imagina- be-with a ready wit, an esprit that is charming, remarkable amount of versa ] tility and absolutely the gentlest person in the world. One of the things that was very amusing occurred after had studied with him very short time. He told me repeatedly of the unattractive habit had of dilating my nostris; suggested that it was fault that Emma Flames had also 1 l tried to correct it, and one day upon ] going to the Studio for lesson l noticed that he was looking at me very peculiar | ly. He made me turn my face. first to one side and then to the other. He gazed upon my nose and I saw that he was at once approving and yet disappearing. In a moment he said quickly: l "'C'est un jolie neg, Ma Cherie. C'est charmant mais-apres tout c'est un nez ce ne'est pas un Aeroplane.'
 After which his laughter resounded throughout the entire room"
 Tell me something about Madame Jean," l asked.
 l "Oh, she's very attractive and very unusual, very bizarre. Monsieur Jean is very much in love with her and she is really charming. She clatters like a clock all the time-talks incessantly,' said she, 1 and wears the most atrocious clothes; always dresses her feet in cerise stock ings and black satin slippers with cerise colored heels She looks like a Gypsy | and is very odd"
 "Of course, you know that their home in the Rue de la Faisanderie," continued Miss Randall. lis one of the most unique | places in Paris/ The studio, which ad- 1 joins the house by means of glass en- closure, is a dear little mite of a theatre, with a real stage, and this is where Mon sieur gives lessons"
 Does he ever sing in public now?' asked
 "Oh, never" was the reply. 'If he even | so much as deigns to demonstrate pas l sage to a pupil it is regarded as some l thing very wonderful. When he sang the 1 Garden Scene from Faust with me one l day ht lesson I considered it the great est compliment I ever had paid me. Oc- casionally when an old friend of his, like
 Patti, is visiting in Paris, he will give a Musicale at the little Studio-Theatre (which accommodates just 150) and maybe he will sing-then." tg
 You see, know the DeReszSes very very we'll" Miss Randall went on. 'T
 studied with Monsieur three years and
 was very intimate in their shome. I met
 many charming people through their kind icSS, anu I ittdii tSptCtdily luy BicdSdht friendship with Emma Flames and Geral- dine Farrar. When I had finished my work with DeReszke both of these singers advised me to go to Germany and really he was somewhat inclined that way, too, but afterward he thought, it best for me
 to go to Italy. which I did, and I have spent the past two years in Milan. l studied Italian opera roles there-not voice-because I had done that with De- Reszke. but what I needed was the lam | guage and the q hate the word. but none other will answer)--' --'atmosphere.' In Italy everybody sings it's In the air; it's in the
 blood. Some of them sing very badly. but they all sing. nevertheless I coached
 with Maestro Salvatore Cottone. who has
 been the instructor of Caruso, Bonci,
 Sammarco. and many of the great stars.
 Of course. in Germany singer has the
 chance of appearing in the Royal Opera. ' as well as in the Provinces, but after all
 M. DeReszke- considers my vHice of ltal-
 ian timbre. and there. I went. and I do
 not regret it at all. While in Milan had
 the pleasure of knowing Tito Ricordi,
 the god of Music in Italy, and when
 tell you that I am in his book-well, that lmeans everything to singer. It's fear ful not to be- because your chances are forever gone. If thatO the easel"
 ''And what are your plans. now that ----.-