Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-25
Bv HENRIETTA M. REEFS.

patton, because of the bright remem-
brances OF last year, when their
casts were splendid and their operas
put on with wealth of detail and
vocal beauty, which afforded constant
enjoyment. Many of the same sing
ers are noticed in the casts for the
operas to be presented this season.
Puccini's "Tosca," one of the operas
which we seldom are afforded an op-
portunity to see, Mascagni's Iris"
for which we are told Nine. Tamaki
Miura personally supervised all the
scenic properties in order to have
them absolutely correct, and Japa-
nese, and la Boheme," also by Puc-
chi, with Miss Maggie Teyte and
Ricardo Martin as principals. The
Boston Opera company set them
selves a high standard last year,
which makes their return looked for
ward to as an event. In the
Boyd theater they will also have that
added asset of a more intimate and
personal sympathy between the sing
ers and the audience, which makes
each persons present feel that he in
dividually has share in the perform
ance.
One of the chief reasons for the
sensational success of Madame CALI
Curci, a success not of one time or
one place, but which increases with
her every appearance, is the fact
that over and above being mere
singer with a phenomenal voice, she
is also sterling and we'll founded
musician. There are many people who
have been endowed by nature with re-
markable voices, which they develop
to a greater or less extent, according
TO their teachers or their own intelli-
gence, and application, but it is as a
house built upon the sands because
they have no genuine musical founda-
ton underneath it. Singers upon the
whole the world over are the most
VIGOROUSLY lacking in general NIT
steamship. Fortunately there are
some exceptions. But Madame CALI
Curci, before she became singer,
had won fame and medals as pianist
in the great conservatory where she
studied, and later attracted attention
for her study in harmony and coun-
terpoint. Hers is not the success of
few high notes, mere brilliancy, or
the emotional appeal of voice, which
dies away on sober afterthought; it
is rather the lasting success of
thorough musician who has been able
to express herself freely upon beau
tifully toned and intelligently devel-
oped instrument. Many noticed that
she, used her voice as an instrument.
Had we foreseen the events Of the
week we could not have timed our
editorial upon clean musical work bet
ter than last Sunday. Galli-Curci's
singing was transparent as a crystal,
so clean and iridescent were here
trills and cadenzas, her phrasing and
attacks. In fact, all of her work, was
marked by that clearness that only
comes from clean technic, and the ap-
probation of clean sounds. To digress
for a minute, let's ponder again upon
her great ease. She stood there a
picture, like quaint old-time minia-
ture, and sang with no more effort
than if she were conversing with her
audience, performing all her marvel
Gus feats of vocalism with neither q
gasp nor wriggle, after the manner
of numerous of her stouter and more
imposing looking sister prime dome,
and gaining much better effects.
-
After all to be a musician is the
most important point. Kreisler would
still be Kreisler if he played upon
much less perfect violin than the val
liable old instrument he uses, and
Godowsky is still the master pianist
whether he plays upon a poor piano
or one with wonderful tone. The
point is that it is not the instrument
that makes for success. 1t is the per-
son behind the instrument who must
be trained, for the instrument of it.
self cannot go very far alone.
The finest Steinway ever built will
never become concert piano unless
concert pianist uses it. In the same
way the most wonderful voice ever de-
veloped cannot attain any ultimate
success unless the person it belongs
to is a well educated musician. And
yet there are many vocal students who
go right on building and building
their vocal instruments, and who for
get that to get to the desired goal
they must also train themselves in
music. They get along very we'll for
awhile up to certain point, and then
they come up against great invisible
obstacle, and they cannot get over it.
Some of them cali it prejudice, some
of them ignorance on the part of
everybody else, others personal dis
like, and others Partially and unfair
ness. 1t is known by many misapplied
names by many who either cannot or
will not admit that it is none of them,
but rather lack of musical intelligence
and musical development. Granted
that during their period of tuition they
have builded well with the kind and
quality of voice they had, and that
they can sing high or low, or loud or
long, and even loud and soft, smoothly
and evenly, they cannot get over this
obstacle with it, for the simple reason
that it isn't voice obstacle; it is one
of music as an art. Some of them dis
cover the obstacle and know it in its
true colors and are of the undaunted
and persevering kind who will go
back and slave to overcome it, and
to get the broad musical foundation
which is as necessary in the voice
line as it is in every other. With a
general musical education
to work from, the whole problem of
vocal technic would be much simpler
for the student and because they
would have clear and definite idea
of what they were working for, fewer
voices would be ruined. But the
others, alas, refuse to acknowledge
that they do not know all that is
necessary if they have worked to
certain limited extent upon their high