The Washington times., 1915-04-18
TWinkling Stars and a
Satellite or T1vO
By GARDNER MACK.

Speaking of nice things and pleasurable
sensations. 1t is only natural that the
personality and vocal ability OF Eleanor
Painter. prima donna OF The Lilac
Domino should be recalled-and the
facts regarding the incident that led
TO the engagement OF Miss Painter lor
her present role and brought about
her Introduction to American audiences.
Some little time ago something vas
said in this column about the people
who interpret the purity OF musical
thought with the truest OF vocal eN-
preston tor khe sake OF the music of
the thought-the music's music. Miss
Painter happens to be one Of the per-
sons whom nature and ,ralning have
so equipped. And she happens also to
be a very patriotic young American.
-Four years ago Eleanor Painter was
a singer in the choir OF an obscure
church in a Western town that gets
very little publicity except through
the postal guide and the railroad time
tables. She made up her mind that
she had been given rather wonderful
thing when her fairy godmother en-
dowed her with such a clear. flexible
voice. and such thorough apprecla-
ton of musical values. She determined
to go to New York to study. and be-
ing young woman who acts quickly
upon her determinations. she went TO
New York. There she found she could
not study what she desired. and so
she proceeded to Berlin.
For two years she lived the stu
dents life-the real students life in
Berlin. There are probably hundreds
of places familiar to people who have
spent day or two in the haiser's
capital which Miss Painter never saw
or heard of-she was too busy working
with her teachers. At the end of two
years she was given a position in the
Chariottenburg Opera House purelf
on her merits as a singer.
The Charlottenburg Opera House. as
people will tell you who know their
| Berlin, Is no inconsiderable establish
! ment from musicians point Of view.
She was very highly praised for her
singing in Madame Butterfly, "
"Mignon." and other operas requiring
great tiexibility of voice and purity OF
! tone. together with a faculty OF COM
| bining both into the very essence of
musical poetry.
! Last July-just before the beginning
of the war-Miss Painter was singing
an audience that seemed particularly
sodden. The young prima donna felt
that she must do something cxtraordin-
airy to wake the people from their SOM
nolence. And she sang with spirit
and an abandon that startled the
burghers from their seats. One of the
persons in the house. who was made
up like burgher so that nobody would
| know what really attractive young
man he was. happened to be AndSeas
| Dippcl.
Dippel doesn't like hot weather, and
he was feeling particularly bored that
| evening. At least he was bored until
"Mignon" commenced to sing. And
then Sc sat up straight in his chair, and
continued so to sit until the end of the
performance. He hurried to the direc-
| tor of the opera. obtained the necessary
| introduction to the young singer and
| That is how Eleanor Painter came to
sing the leading role in The Lilac
| Domino"
The stoliGity of the Britisher is most
ly stall!
Marie Doro is responsible for this
Idea, II not for the actual statement--in
part. Miss Doro hasn't said this in SC
many words. But she has come back
from a long stay in England with sure
| cure for "nerves"-and everybody knows
/ that people who habitually control their
nerves grow stolid-hence the natural
deduction that has been set forth.
! The Britisher stalls of an attack ol
nerves by reciting poetry to himself
That sounds romantic-but it's ex'
tremelIy practical. When an Englisf
rstirss TO her beudoir and rseitss Mar,