The sun., 1919-03-09
Story of Her Unusual Career Bears Vital Message to Am
bilious Young Sngers-Unspoiled by Fairy Fortune, Her
Chief Aim Is Hard Work, Her Desire More knowledge

anything like its best. And my head
was 50 hot and my hands were so cold
I felt wretched,
After the second act had a long
rest and began to come to. I knew
the hardest was over and had not
failed absolutely. When went on
again thought my voice sounded bet
ter, or perhaps l had ceased TO be so
critical. Ny head cooled and my hands
Grew warmer. And after II all was
over, what a relief. what a resurrec-
ton! For it was precisely as if / had
DIED and come to life again.
And then could honestly feel
happy. had not failed. They told
me I had sang beyond their expecta-
tons and 1t was then I cried!"
The new singer Is still a girl In looks
but big girl, and her mind. as this
story OF that first night told in her own
words would indicate. is still ingen-
nous. While it is likely that Porttd
spoke only for effect on her cardboard
BdsSdnio the words that heroine en-
ployed to describe herself do describe
La PonSilla
AN unlettered girl, unschooled, I'M
practised,
Happy in this, she is not yet so old
But she may learn happier than this,
, She is not bred so dull but she can
learn"
And, most happy for her future
is what Miss Ponselle says. that she
really wants to learn everything worth
learning.
Rosa Tells Her own story.
when they tell me I'm a finished
artist and merely have 10 go on 1t
makes me furious" said she. "wha,
do people take me for? An imbecile ?
! know what I have to do--work, and
at more than music. want to know
! things, and what need is time. Al
| the opera house they don't rush me
they don't overwork me and the roles
sing don't take 1t out OF me as the
two-a-day used 20, although my sister
and never shrieked or sought to &c,
| the vaudeville strain.
I'VE took the music as easy as we
| could. but we didn't know what harm
we might be doing TO our voices even
then. Carnela thought she was q
dramatic soprano and studied incor-
rectly for one; sang any old thing, so :
prano, contralto, whatever was needed
My brother Antonio-he's an aviator
in the South now-has the best voice
in the family. He's a tenor. don't
know whether he will study for the
stage or not; father wants him to &c
into the coal business with him.
THE first idea of singing Tor a living
came 10 me when I was between 9 and
10 years old. A teacher in the public
school, she's now Mrs. Ida Roethe and
lives in Brooklyn. tried some of the
voices for a little entertainment. and
she chose mine. The other children
mimicked me and ridiculed the way I
sang till I ran to her in tears and said
didn't want 10 sing for her. She
took me in her arms and said; Never
mind them, Rosa. they will remember
what they have done some day when
you are great singer in opera
THAT was the first seed. but It took
a long time TO sprout My people had
money enough to take care OF us girls
and opposed Carmela when her singing
| teacher II Meriden brought her down
to New York, got her a. position and
!
directed her TO vocal teacher. She
wanted me TO study also, but knew
better. had taken six or seven sing
ms lessons Of a man here, but he
didn't interest me and I said:
Nonsense, you don't catch me
going TO a teacher who will tell me my
voice has been badly placed and instead
OF singing soprano should be singing
bass not for mel
"But that was Ignorance. In a couple
OF weeks began TO notice a big i'm
provemsnt in CarInela's voice, and ]
went with her to one OF her lessons
After IL I asked her teacher to try my
voice and he refused,
I'm going TO put Carrnela into
opera said ne, land one great singer
| in family Is enough
AT last persuaded him and he tried
me with the scales. from the easiest to
the most difficult. sang them with.
out an effort and I saw him wink tc
Csrmsia. I stopped and said;