Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-04-14
By IRVING WE'LL.

NEW YORK, April 14-Enrico Ca
russo. acknowledged to-day to be the
greatest OF living tenors, whose voice
next season will bring him in $4,000 a
performance, or an income of $500, 000
a year, is, in spite of his pre- eminence,
q natural, unaffected human like the
rest of us When he was asked 20
talk about his art and himself for the
readers of The Atlanta Georgian he
acGLiesced without "ifs" and butts"
and talked to his interviewer as
though the latter mad dropped in for
a little personal chat
There is so much to be said about
the singing voice and how to use 1t, !"
said Mr. Caruso, that nearly every
one things he has a right to discuss
it, Al d nearly everybody does. Per
haps it would be better if I did not,
although l suppose I should not be
accused of vanity if | did. Anyhow,
it may be that my ideas might prove
most interesting and explain them
selves best, if told how 1 study
role"
How He Studies Role.
Whatever YOU may say on such a
topic, Mr. Caruso, must unfailingly
prove interesting interpolated the
interviewer, and it may be added that
the tenor speaks an excellent English
with an easy flow of idiom,
We'll, in beginning to study a role, -
continued the tenor the first thing
do is to take up the text. ! go over
snd over the words until / know them
by heart Then and then only, do
begin to divide up the phrases in ref
erence to the music, prolOnging syl-
tables that are set to long notes.
phrasing the words according to the
way the composer has bound them to-
Rether with his music, and saying
them rapidly or slowly, in accord
Rnce with the speed that the composer
has indicated. Even my favorite !
Pagliacci,' that / sing in Atlanta was
learned thus
AN this I do without any direct
attempt to earn the music. but. Of
course l have unconsciously absorbed
. good deal Of the melody. After
have learned all the words thorough
ly I begin at the piano with my sc-
oompanist and then | learn the melo-
dies completely as they are set down.
Has No Favorite Part.
so far az the acting of the role is
concerned I never try to build up the
Interpretation Of the part. This al
ways comes TO me gradually as l have
been studying the words and the mel
odies BY the time | go to the first
stage rehearsal, ] have absorbed
enough of the spirit Of the part to
know pretty definitely what 7 want TO
do with the dramatic side Of the char
hcter The details are, of course.
worked out later with the stage di
rector and when the other principals
are on the scene
1T is natural, Mr. Caruso' ! asked.
ITO ask what your favorite role is2'
- never think more of one role than
Of any other in my repertoire" said
the tenor zone part may happen to
suit my voice better than another and
there may be parts that the public
would rather hear me in than others.
Says Atlanta Is Appreciatlve.
but I would not permit myself to
have any preference. No serious artist
would Atlanta audiences, ! am GER
tain, appreciate the artist as well as
the role and the melodies
"A singer must concentrate everF
particle Of nervous force he has upon
the role he happens to be singing.
When ] go on the stage to sing ] am
KEYED up to the same tension Of nerV-
Gus power-the most have to give.
But the public naturally, perhaps, in
sists upon its preferences and its dis
likes. one trouble with some part Of
the pubic-not the Atlanta part, ]
am glad to says that ID wants high
notes and loud ones from a singer
But that is not enough to give for the
singer who is or tries TO he an artist.
Il believe that the public who sees
and hears the singer on the stage
very seldom realizes how much down