Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-14

man, wizard in the of records, who had this
say:
"The American singers the best singers the face
of the globe | have hesitation in making the state
ment. OF hundred voices tested in Europe,
may be good enough for the photograph OF hundred
tested in America there will probably be four good ones
You know the record is merciless. 1t tells the whole
story of anybody voice. If examine under micro
scope tell you every weakness OF that voice he
record dscoses adenods, disorders of the nasal tubes
malformations of the mouth, a lack of proper breath
control everything. It's evidence is final and inds
putable Nobody go back of what is written by the
human voice perfect record.
"And the records prove the truth of what have OBJ
served. The singers of Europe not healthy
strong those of America. That IS only OF
the factors in the proposition There many other
things that enter into it,-education, environment,
brain power industry 1t be gainsad that there
be really wonderful singer without brains. The
greater the brans the greater the voice. that II the
physical voices equal. And, after having made
thousands of tests have been convinced that Amerl-
the greatest singers in the world Some fine
day the public of the United States will awake to the
fact that it has in parors and theaters the I'm
voices earth. Some OF the most perfect voices
have heard have been those of Americans who wouldn't
permit the use of their records
nNE of the most interesting problems with which the
companies deal is the value of grand opera records,
records made by the great stars of grand opera All the
companies handle some of them. At the outset, of
course it must be admitted that the names of these
singers in companys catalogue source of profit
able advertisement. That the company managers say,
is in most the prime consideration However,
anybody who is familiar with phonograph realizes the
truth of the following observation from photograph
expert:
"You count on the fingers of two hands the great
opera singers who photograph singers. Think it
over You will realize that majority of these much
talked Of voices cloudy and unsatisfactory phon
ograph The explanation of that is that their voices
are far from perfect And another explanation is that
these artists when they sing into photograph, must
rely solely and absolutely their voices This is
vastly different from standing in the middle of gor
geous stage setting and reinforcing the charm Of their
voices by the power of their acting while tremendous
orchestra kindly browns slurs the imper-
fections OF their singing.
"Ths is undeniably true; but there always has BEEN
and there always will be- steady demand for grand
opera records. People like to have them their houses
like play them for their company and callers like to
be able say that they have record by this great
tenor that wonderful soprano But when just the
family is around and everybody wants to enjoy the
monograph, Brother is likely to drag out good rag
the latest turkey trot and Sister IS right behind him
with soft lovesong sung by excellent tenor who gets
forty dollars for each record that he makes
striking thing brought to light by these whose
principal object please the popular taste and meet
public demand is that of the greatest calls IS for
sacred music. One company has on hand figures to
show that twenty per cent Of its entire business
is1wss