New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-11-15
ALL OPERA IN ENGLISH
Reginald de Koven Predicts
This Will Be Demanded.
TO WIDEN OPERATlC FIELD
William Gillette Tells Academy
of Arts Actors Need to
Keep Up Illusion.

Chicago, Nov. 1.-THE most important
development in the artistic life OF the
American people at present is that which
is about to force all grand opera to be
given in English i'm this country, accord
ing to Reginald de Koven, principal
speaker to-day at the annual meeting of
the American Academy of Arts and Let
tiers. Grand opera would be popular with
all classes, Mr.. de Koven declared. when
II was sung In the language everybody
understood.
Enemies Of the innovation asserted, said
Mr.. lie Koven, that the great foreign
singers would not pronounce English so
that the opera could be understood any
better than now. To this he responded
that they could learn to enunciate Eng
lish, and that they would have to do so
If they expected to sing in this country.
THE language question is the most i'm
portant before the musical world now"
said Mr.. de Koven. There is no good
argument against our having our opera
In English. | can state from the practi-
cal point of view that English is even
as good a language TO sing as Italian.
which is called the best singing lam
guase. Sgnor Gatti-Casazza. director OF
the Metropolitan Grand Opera Company,
became famous as the producer OF the
Wagnerian cycle In the theatre of La
Scala, In Milan. Italy. l asked him: Did
you produce Wagner in German at La
Scala?' He answered.: No: II was sung in
Italian of course That shows that Ital-
ians can have Wagner sung in Italian in
the most famous opera house In the
world and we can have 1t sung in Eng
fish here"
Means Wider Field.
In addition to the thousands Of Ameri-
can singers forced to sing in Europe be-
cause there was not enough opera here
to support them, Mr. de Koven said there
were many thousands studying opera here
who could sing before their own country
men when opera gained its proper place
here.
Woodrow Wilson and Theodore Roose-
welt were hailed as fellow members Of
the National Institute Of Art and Letters
by the academicians. The fifty-seven
members Of the academy are elected from
the $50 members of the institute.
France, the one country where intel
lectual things are held in entire respect,
has for its President a leader I'm intel
lectual life In Raymond Poincare Presi-
dent Wilson is the Poncare OF America,
and Poincare is the Wilson of France"
said Robert Underwood Johnson, perma-
nent secretary of the academy.
Must Keep Up Illusion.
"Glibness In speech and action is the
fatal defect in the technique of most act
ing now said William Gillette. THE
illusion that what is happening on the
stage Is happening for the first time is
the illusion that keeps characters alive
When an actor comes into room that
he is supposedly not familiar with he
should appear to be on the lookout for
chairs and things he might run up
against and not seem to know just where
everything is. Similarly, a man should
show that he has to think before ho
speaks. Preservation of this illusion Is
more important than any other detail,
and II is the one most often neglected"
The academy will conclude its sessions
tomorrow with the award of the gold
medal for drama. which II seems certain
will be given to Augustus Thomas.