Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-03-17
Galli-Curci. April 5.

Galli-Curci, April 5.
Nine. Galli-Curci, who is to appear
with the New York symphony Orches-
ira. Walter Damrosch. conductor, at the
Belasco Theatsr April S. little realized
that she would be celebrity when she
first made her appearance in opera in
Chicago on November IS. 1916. AS Gill
da in "Rigoletto" she first came into
completely taken off its feet by her
marvellous singing. Galli-Curci is a
distinguished linguist and an excellent
pianist. She has sung in Italy. Spain
and South America: and is today. at the
age of twenty-eight. embarkfRg on a
career that is one of the most promis
ing of cotemporary artists.
At this concert Nine. Galli-Curci will
sing the Bell Song from "Lakme,
and the Mad Scene" from Lucia" two
arias which disclose her superb tech
n1que and vocal resources.
Aueuste Rodin-Rodin is not dead.
He is immortal. Such is the tribute of
Lou Tellegen.
The greatest pride of my life is that
I lived with him in his villa at Meu-
don, near Paris, for many months.
Next to Nine. Rodin, Rosa, as she then
permitted me to call her. and Of whom
we shall speak later, perhaps no one
had the opportunity of closer observa-
ton than l.
Let it be understood that I was not
his intimate. Rodin had no intimates,
not even his wife. He was not a re-
tally with his art.
AS the world goes / was his pupil, but
in reality l was only an observer. To
the simple village people I appeared in
hat
They knew that his real son and he had
been separated years before and in
their simple minds had glorified me as
the prodigal returned. So to all out
ward appearances / was his intimate
friend, but in reality 1 was only an
indeterminate part of his daily life and
my only duty was to be in harmony and
not at any time out of tune with his
genius.
Each day I accompanied him at 10
o'clock in the morning to the depot and
the train to Paris. And at O'Clock l
met him and walked to the villa. On
these walks he was as silent as the
grave. But at the time 1 knew him the
public had begun to appreciate his
genius and wealth was the result 1t
once in brief remark: Il am too old
for money"
He was the slave of his art You and
mattered nothing except that we
must be in harmony with his art. In
everything in life Rodin saw something
beautiful. Show him the ugliest thing
in the world and he would convert you
to its beauty.
What good fortune it was that per-
mitted me to visit the museums with
him. He would stand before some great
piece of sculpture and analyze it, Then
only would he become laxative. Every
line would be explained. His micro
scopic brain would ferret the different
meanings. The statues would walk into
life before you. and then would en-
fear.
Rodin spoke but little because he was
constantly observing. His brain di-
gested everything he saw. And every
thought found place in his art. He
was not what we know as a lovable
man. not free-hearted, not open, but
man of great silences. On the rare oc-
casions when he entertained guests or
prominence at dinner in the villa and at
which it was my great good fortune to
be present the guests did all the talk
ing and only a brief remark infre-
quently fell from Robins lips. He was
simplicity itself And the nearer his
thoughts approached beauty and truth
the more silent he became.
His personality was not forbidding, for
it was calm. He was not irascible and
the only Impotence l ever knew him
to show was when a pupil tried to make
a teacher out of him by asking ques-
tions and not following the masters ex-
ample in observing and thinking.
His daily routine was regular as far
as meals and work went, but he was
not a heavy sleeper. Sunday he spent
in his own museum at the villa and
rarely went into the city and studio.
Our evenings we spent in the garden
mostly silent. When he did speak he
called things by their name and while
not brusque avoided the forms of Gull
tured speech.
The impression that Rodin was SEN
geniuses he was courted by the sort of
women who like the reflected lime
light He may have been human about
all this, but he was not obvious in it.
We never knew.
Perhaps there never has been or ever
will be a sweeter combination of lives
than Rodin and Rosa, now Nine. Rodin.
She was kind and good to me and /
her if only for her devotion
to the great genius. Originally his
model and a very beautiful girl, she
became part of his very existence.
Through all the poverty of my
days." he said to me once;
Through all my misery and misfor-
tune. Rosa was always there"
She was great in her simple adora-
alleged genius. / have walked with her
in the museum. while she talked intel
ligently, enthusiastically and with mar
velous appreciation of his work. ana
then hurried away to cook his dinner
with her own hands. 1t is wonderful
To have had the inspiration of an asso-
citation with Auguste Rodin. but 1t Is
given to few men to have observed the
great peace and harmony of Rodln ana
Rosa as they walked arm in arm silent
~ in the garden each evening.