The sun., 1919-04-13
sosz4~ 10"''"e'V
Geraldine Farrar
Holds Training
Abroad Is Essen
tial Not for Tech
nique but Breadth
of Education

she will command several languages,
she will have a certain stage presence
and some knowledge Of dramatic ex-
preston; she will have made q study
of the various other arts and will
know the value and meaning OF paint
ing. poetry, sculpture. great drama,
and she will have had an opportunity
20 develop that spark of genius which
lies latent in the hearts and minds OF
all of us, and, above all, she will be
able to hold attentive a largo audi
ence as in her days OF studio training
she was able to hold few persons.
81. who have given many years in
work and untiring effort to achieve
the best that Is in me, know how nee
essary these years Of growth and
training are to artistic success, and
feel that such n group of municipal
opera houses offers the only possible
means Of obviating the necessity for
study and debut abroad for American
singers. and even should such a group
materaliZe I still feel that few
years Of work and sojourn in Europe
would he essential for the highest de-
velopment Of the natural gifts Of
every singer, as they are essential Tor
such development in every student or
Interpreter OF the arts"
Nine. Sembrich Agrees With GaStf.
Nine. Sembrich. who was for so
many years a brilliant member of the
company at the Metropolitan Opera
House, agrees with NJ. Gatti that some
place OF preparation Is necessary, al
though she does not name Europe.
Were there in every American city
for instance" she said to THE Sun re-
porter. IAN opera house such as the
cities Of Europe possess, it would GER
tainly not be necessary for the singers
who are anxious to make a reputation
TO go abroad. OF course, there would
always be the study OF languages. 30
many things have disappeared from
the list OF the opera singers qualif-
cations since / left the stage that
knowledge Of the languages may also
have disappeared. But I doubt that
just indeed as I doubt that many OF
the things which are supposed TO have
gone really have departed forever.
IF there We're opera houses, say, IN
Cleveland and San Francisco, in At
lanta and Detroit, the American sing
ers could there derive all the benefit
of routine which they now seek
abroad. II is really for the sake OF
learning the operas and familiarizing
themselves with appearing before the
public that the American singer has
been accustomed to go abroad. Such
a course would not be necessary II
there were opera houses enough over
the country to supply training schools
for the few destined to get to the
Metropolitan Opera House.
"Of course II there are fifteen fne
American coloratura sopranos, which
Is quite conceivable, Mr.. Gatti cannot
engage them all for the Metropolitan.
Only the best could expect TO go there.
But they could all learn the routine of
their professions at the opera houses
in the smaller cities. which could not
expect to compete with the first oper-
attic theatre of the country. Indeed
Mr.. Gattl has made the Metropolitan
Opera House the foremost operatic
theatre of the world J so we'll recall
the great singers now not 10 be found
anywhere in the world who were in
the company with me. But it remained
for the present impresario to make
the Metropolitan a real institution.
With its wonderful chorus and Or
chestra, the beautiful scenery and cos
tunes which are certain TO make every
opera a delight To the eye these are a
great contrast to the old days of
brilliant virtuosity and neglect OF all
tho dramatic effects which used to pre-
vail at the theatre
Naturally, there could he no place
in such an organization but for the
best singers. They must come TO the
theatre as finished artists, They can
not hope to have their training in such
an institution before the eyes OF tho
public which is accustomed to the best
in every department OF opera and can
not therefore be expected to take its
principal singers before they are ripe
for the taste OF a public like that OF
New York. SO while II is not in the
least necessary to say that American
singers need Europe 1t is at least
true that they need some place IN
which to prepare themselves for ths
exaeting standard Of the Metropolitan