Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-14
OCAL opinion of home talent
may sometime take its high
coloring from local pride. $50
that those Whn sit above the

OCAL opinion of home talent
may sometime take its high
coloring from local PRIDE $50
that those who sit above the
clouds to pass upon the merits
or a singer or an actor are loath to &C
cept it in reaching a conclusion as to
real merit. 1t is gratifying alike. how
ever. both to Washington and to Miss
Gretchen Hood, who made her local
debut with the Aborn English Grand
Opera Company Wednesday evening, to
be assured that the enthusiasm shown
by her audience at the performance and
the pleasing reviews of the local press
met with an even more emphatic in
dorsement from a competent critic of no
less center of culture and education
that Boston.
William E. Brigham, the Washington
correspondent of the Boston Transcript,
and formerly one of its musical critics,
had this to say of Miss Hood:
The Capital city probably has pro-
duced another American prima donna
At least this is the well considered opin-
ion of musical people here who have
heard the Marguerite of Miss Gretchen
Hood, Washington girl. who made al
most her first professional appearance
in opera with the Aborn Opera Company
at the National Theater this week.
Miss Hood is the daughter of Edwin
NJ Hood. now and for many years rep
resentative of the Associated Press at
the State, War and Navy Department
one of the best informed and most trust
ed writer's of the American press She
was born in Washington about twenty
y,rba fin
musical gifts might have brought dis
tinction had they been developed like
the daughters. -......
Miss Hoods grandfather. George Ely,
was German piano maker of the school
which was taught to build the whole
instrument from the floor up. even to the
screws holding the parts together. He
came to this country with the famous
William Steinway, founder of Steinway
x Sons, and the two men for a time
worked together at their trade in New
York. BY coincidence the elder Metz
croft FOUNDER OF the musical house of
that name in Washington. whose son is
manager of the Columbia Theater, was
also one of this same trio of German
piano makers who came to the United
States at the same time.
George Ely not only could build every
part of a high-grade piano, but he was
n tEoFouSH musician ana founded the
famous Arion Society in New York His
own voice was high baritone of superb
quality. and it is said that even in his
seventy-s!xth year his singing of the
baritone parts in The FLYING Dutch
man was delight to hear He never
was professional singer, but occasion
ally he was drafted by the operate man.
ayers, singing with artists like Parepa
Rosa He died about two years ago in
this city
Miss Hood was given the best teaching
available IN Washington and this proved
SO sood mat she attracted the attention
OF Nine Ernestine Schumann-Heink
when that great singer was filling an
engagement here. Nine. Schumann-H eink
ADVISED her TO so TO New York for trial.
giving her letter of introduction 10 the
kappelmetster of the Metropolitan Opera
Company.
He will tell you either to go on or 70
stop, said the artist. and YOU will be
wise to follow his advice
me director tried the girls voice and
SO competent had been her instruction
In Washington that he earnestly sug-
gested she go to Europe not so much
Tor perfection of technique or a re-
Placement OF the voice as to study dra-
mauc action and the music Of leading
roles.
Miss Hood followed this advice, study
ing at Brussels under Caiso who had
peen the dramatic teacher of Louise
Homer. Going TO England to visit friends
sne encountered Oscar Rammerstein, then
In his prime as an impresario and Ham
merstein insisted that she should go to
Paris with d Aubigne, who had been one
OF the teachers of Felce Lyme one OF
the greatest of Guldas. Again wise ad-
vice was followed. and incidentally Miss