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 viii bring him in $4,000 d
performance, or an income of $500, 000
year, is in spite of his pre- efninence,
4 natural, unaffected human like the
rest Of US When ne was asked 20
talk about his art and himself for the
readers of The Atlanta Georgian, he
acqLicsced without ifs" and butts,
and talked to his interviewer as
though the latter mad dropped in for
little personal chat
There is so much to be said about
the singing voice and how to use It,
said Mr. Caruso, that nearly every
one things he has right to discuss
it, Ard 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 | study a
role"
How He Studies Role.
Whatever YOU may say on such d
topic, Mr. Caruso. must unfailingly
prove interesting" interpolated the
l'lANl AN ~ tAs anu ~ iAleaN NC uhNAth NAieAN
the tenor speaks an excellent English,
with an easy flow of idiom
We'll, in beginning to study role, -
continued the tenor. the first thing
! do is to take up the text I go over
and over the words until | know them
by heart. Then and then only, do l
begin to divide up the phrases in ref
erenCe to the music, prolonging syl-
tables that are set to long notes.
phrasng the words according to the
way the composer has bound them to-
gether with his music, and saying
them rapidly or slowly, in accord
anCe with the speed that the composer
has indicated. Even my favorite I
Pagliacci' that | sing in Atlanta, was
learned thus
"All this I do without any direct
attempt to earn the music, but. of
course. | have uncOnsciously absorbed
q good deal of the melody. After
have learned all the words thorough
~, / begin at the piano with my aC-
dies completely as they are set down
Has No Favorite Part.
80 far as the acting of the role is
concerned, l never try to build up the
Interpretation of the part This al
ways comes to me gradually as | 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 ! want TO
do with the dramatic side of the char
actep. 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.
"to ask what your Tavorite role isl
Il never think more of one role than
Of any other in my repertoire" said
the tenor. lone part may happen 10
suit my voice better than another, and
there may be parts that the public
would rather hear me in than others.
Says Atlanta Is AppreoiatiVe.
But I would not permit myself 10
have any preference. No serious artist
would. Atlanta audiences, I 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 ~
the public-not the Atlanta part, /
am glad to SAYS that it wants hign
notes and loud ones from a singer
But that is not enough TO give for the
singer who is or tries to be an artist
~ believe that the public who sees
and hears the singer on the stage
very seldom realizes how much down