New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-03-10
Yesterdays Singers Best

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: There was a statement in NY letter
headed "Miss Farrar Defended which has
evidently given a wrong impression to many
readers. In this letter I said: "The artists
OF to-day are not equal TO the artists OF
Yesterday" Then I went on TO compare Miss
Hempe and Nine. Sembrich. | compared
them as singers of two different cpochs IN
music. Miss Hempel the singer of to-day and
Nine. Sembrich the singer Of yesterday Inc
voice of Nine. Sembrch is still heard, al
though it will always be preserved 10 pos
terity on her records If one allows for the
years which have begun 20 tell on her voice,
Nine. Sembrich is probably the greatest sing
or alive In her song recitals she sings songs
by Handel, Gluck, Bach, Beethoven, Schubert
Schumann, Lowe, Brahms, Bizet, Tschalko"-
sky, Hugo Wolff Strauss, Grieg. Debussy
and La Forge. She sings songs in six
different languages. In the Barber OF
Seville" she sang Chopin's "Msiden's Wish
70 her own accompaniment. On one occasion,
at the Metropolitan, she played Chopin ma
zurka. violin obblgato TO Christine Nils
sons singing Of ave Maria and lastly sang
an aria herself Surely the art that can
compass all these things is a consummate
establishment and never-ending delight.
Indeed, her art is so perfect that IL battles
and astounds; il is indeed matter or sorrow
that there are no more such all-around artists.
The same is true OF Media, Of Eames, Of
Patti, of Jenny Lind and Of many others
The fact that the secret of beautiful singing
is fast slipping away from all but Miss Hem
pei was we'll demonstrated in the perform
h. of
Hempel is beautiful singer and wonder
full artist, for art does not consist merely
in touching high notes. But I fail 70 see
how she, as yet measures up TO Nine SEM
brich am comparing these artists because
in Miss Hempel are all the qualities OF the
greatest artists to-day; in Nine. Semorich'
all those of yesterday. II Miss Hempel does
equal Nine. Sembrich. we may well expect
second Patti, for Sembrch has passed over
the hard road Of experience, wniie MISS
Hempel has Just begun. Miss Hempel IS
certainly the greatest artist at the Metro
nolitan singing to-day. Yet she has not
bv INV means reached the state Of pertee-
ton. Il is evident that singers to-day are
not a. great or capable Of as much as those
OF wears ago Why is Faust" no more per
formed? Why do we have no more OF |erdis
works? Of Rossni's? II is not because tney
are not works Of art il is because the sing
era TODAY cannot sing them. Where are
the operas of Mozart? They are to-day just
as beautiful and melodious as ever. Yet
only one person at the Metropolitan under
stands the music Of them. This condition
cannot be remedied for the singers them
selves are At fault. Such idol worship as is
accorded 70 Mr. Caruso is unnecessary and
foolish. He has indeed a beautiful voice,
but he sings no better than many others NJ
the Metropolitan. The male SINGERS OF TO-
dav are also not equal 70 the singers Of
Yesterday. Plancon, Tamagno and Gilbert
have disappeared. and their like, excepting q
few. doe, not exist to-day.
u. G. OWENS.
Port Henry. " Y. March 2. 1917.