The Washington herald., 1918-04-03
SELF-CONTROL

How people like TO read about sue
cess, And q big suereas, coming sud
denly, they find thrilling.
A few weeks ago 0aili-Curci, the So
prano who. In Chicago, had been ac-
claimed a. 4 second Melba or Tctraz-
Etnl. took New York by storm.
In an evening the singer. . years Of
age. was placed among the sreat ar
fists Of the world.
The newspaper writers gathered
around her. asking her 10 explain the
secret OF her sucoesA
As q rule. artists are not good at
sHpiaining. But this young woman
was an exception. She said she be-
lieved she owned her success TO 4
faculty she had been cuItiyating for
many years. seIf-control.
A few night later Galli-Curei disap-
pointed an sudience. And shortly af-
terward she disappointed another su-
dience.
Where was her self-controI? Even
II she didn't happen to feel very well
or to be not In her best voice, why
couldn't her self-controI have carried
her through2
Perhaps it could have carried her
through. But II enabled her TO resist
the temptation to appear in public and
TO earn money and applause at a crit
Zeal time In her life when she was
under close observation and when she
realized the importance of revealing
herself only At her best.
II all singers, in fact, all per-
formers. could only acquire self
control, how much torment they
would escape.
There are opera singers who suf-
fer acutely on the days when they
are to sing.
One singer. when she is. dressed
for'her part and standing in the
wings, often wrings her hands and
walks up and down, exclaiminE,
Il cannot sing tonight"
When the time comes for her TO
go on she knows she must 60 and
she goes and she sings beautifully
The instant she begins her nery-
ounsess leaves her. She has her
work to do and 1t keeps her so alb
sorbed that she doesn't vorry about
herself After making a good start,
as she always does, she gains con-
fidence and goes on triumphantIy
to the end.
There Is a Frenchman who has
made a great reputation as an opera
singer and who. q few years ago.
had some unpleasant publicity on
account OF divorce proceedings
brought by his wife.
His trouble can be traced directly
to his lack of self-controL On the
days when he was going to sing he
would be so uncontrolled that he
would act like a maniac.
And naturally. this lack OF con-
troll affected his disposition at times
when he was not going to sing. He
became hard to live with.
He paid dear for not cultivsting
a quality that would have been
most valuable to him both in his
work and in his life. He loved his
wife and he made desperate efforts
to win her back. But even in those
efforts he showed the lack Of self
control that made him a failure as
a husband. His furies made her
more determined to keep out OF his
way.
There are singers. brilliantly en-
dowed. too, who, for lack Of self
control, never win great success.
Some of them are unable TO get as
far as to make an appearance be-
fore the public. Others, even after
some announcements. find them
selves unable to sustain their re
sponsibility.
Some years ago a very charming
young singer. who had acquired some
reputation in Europe, appeared on
the stage Of the Metropolitan Opera
House. At the sight OF the vast
auditorium she completely lost her
self-control She was stricken dumb.
Another singer had to be summoned
TO take her place. She was never
heard Of again in this country.
That tragic incident might have de-
stroyed her confidence for the rest
of her life. If she had only developed
self-control il would never have oc-
CURED. BY successfully appearing in
that huge auditorium, filling il with
her voice, she would have gained a
stimulating victory. And she would
have discovered that the space. in
stead of being formidable. was really
inspiring through the opportunity it
gave for the release Of her voice.
All singers with self-control be
come inspired when they sing in. a