Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-07-14

IIHALl4Ns july l4.-The last time I
saw Estelle Wentworth in L. 8
A was when she was singing
with DeWolf Hopper in "HappyIand."
quite one or two years ago. Now she
has a repertoire of twenty grand OBJ
eras, including ''Lohengrin,'' Tam
hauser," "Otello" and Butterfly She
has taken the great German cure
for light opera-and If YOU watch
closely you'll see her back in the L.
5. A. one Of these fine days as-but I
am bound over to secrecy, and / must
say no more. Miss Wentworth has
mommer and mommer is right here
with her, and | saw mOmmer. and /
always believe that discretion is the
better part of valor.
l wanted Estelle Wentworth to tell
me all about this fetch of foreign
study, this alleged will O. the wisp
that lures American CELLS far from
their own firesides and-well, GER
tainly doesn't invariably bring them
to the Metropolitan Opera House.
You hear of the poor things going
abroad" (their local paper says, Miss
So-and-So sails tomorrow to STUDY
singing abroad preparatory TO making
her appearance" etc., and then
darkness. Darkness then, and moth
ing more.
Miss Wentworth was singing in
King Clar1ke's magnificent apartment
on the kurfurstendam (don't try to
pronounce it; just let it slip past your
eyebalD when l met her yesterday.
The road from DeWolf Hopper to
German grand opera has given her the
prlma dOnna's leading requisite-em-
bonpoint. I could scarcely believe
that the statuesque Miss Wentworth
had frivoled in comic opera.
A Hard Road.
ITS a hard road to travel. never
theless." she said, laughing. as 1 made
the above commons in speaking
voice" for | couldn't repress them.
y think that American parents ought
TO be very careful. The young girl
who comes over to Germany to study
takes all sorts of chances. Oh. l don't
want to talk about that inane topic
the temptation Of the stage, and so
on, That is silly. What / do want
to say is that the moral atmosphere
in Berlin is quite unlike that of Paris
In Paris things are just risque and
left to the imagination. In Germany
nothing is left to the imagination. 1t
is all very sure, and
Miss Wentworth blushed slightly,
and ! didn't care to press the point.
Besides It was not very enigmatic,
was it, After all
The first thing an American girl
needs when she comes to Germany
10 study music is money. Money.
Money. | can't make that emphatic
enough. Living, at least in Berlin,
is quite expensive, and she has got
to take many music lessons each
week I've seen scores Of girls
come here without the necessary
cash. I've seen them literally
starve. After paying for their les
sons they have had barely enough
70 rtheir board and lodging 1t has
been pitiful. And then, they know
nothing of what they are undertake
ing-the long arduOus, discourage
ing months of study. with Slight
reCompense. Perhaps the poor Amer
lean girl has been leading soprano in
the church choir at Squidunk, She
thinks that in two months she can
return, equipped to conquer. Oh, don't
smile It is true. 1t is painfully true"
Miss Wentworth spoke with con-
viction She spoke rapidly and with
out deliberation. The ring of truth
was in all she said.
"A girl must take many lessons
each week. Would you believe that
| have taken fourteen in a week?
/ assure you l have First there is
the German language to acquire, and
that means something. Many Amer
lean girls haven't money enough for
more than one or two lessons each
week Let them stay at home. Don't
let them come here"
Surely they can learn singing at
home?" I suggested feebly
Without a doubt replied Miss
Wentworth, But the teachers in New
York can not place their pupils be-
cause there are no opera houses in