The sun., 1919-03-02
Singer Tells of Its Influence on Her
Life and Art and Her Debt
to Principle
By WILLIS STEEL.
to Principle

TT is Nine. Amelia Galli-Curci
speaking. And the diva in her
apartment of a great city hotel
seemed to feel relieved when she rea-
Iized she wasn't to be cross-examined.
She stood in the room waiting to greet
the stranger-she is not one to make
IAN entrance" bat a very unaffected
person, simply clad in the plainest of
little. dark, afternoon gowns, with her
abundant, shining black hair coiffed
in the soft, easy fashion that looks SO
rrtless and is so artful. Extending her
pretty hand Qt is the prettiest hand J.,
the led her visitor to scat beside her
TN blue divan and said with an in
take of the Breath. signifying resigna-
ton: ASK me your questions I will
rnswer what 1 can-with truth
It was with the repetition of that
word truth" that she resumed her
role of the afternoon as soon as she
comprehended that II was to be a
,nonologue, for she said:
81 have to preface whatever I say
IN this way for often the people who
come to see me aim, to get me to say
more in their desire for the big thing,
the picturesque statement. l can give
them only the real without the strange
flowers of romance, so / fear many go
away disappointed. but without reason,
for what is bigger than the truth
And what is so little and so homely
too Why are people so afraid of it
that little, straight and homely truth
1.-TWO things I am most proud of for
myself; that is, after my pride and
JOY that people like me as an artist
and these two things are: have never
wilfully lied; no, not even when it is
hard to tell mother who brings her
budding prima donna that the bud Will
never flower And I have never owed
money. It was my horror even as a
child to he in debt to a person, any
person. 7 earned the money to pay
my lessons, and they were all paid. and
to-day have still the same bourgeoise
dread of debt"
Dfscloses Her Sense OF HumOr.
The great coloratura has the incest
sense of humor, and she laughed heart
jly when she heard that there were
persons, one of whom sat beside her
VINO never seemed to be able to reacf
her solvent HONtNNL SlN6SAJ
they admired it.
-Truly there are other views thar
mine on all subjects, and IL I have
started off the pitch it is because
know how easy it is for the operate
aspirant to sink into flood of Cbiga
tons which she assumes at The start
or at least to struggle against them al
der CaJcer. - ......
ESQ. we will start again and at TIT
beginning. Mine was at Rome at the
CONSTANT and in 'Rigoletto.' / wa
very young, very gauche and not
single tiny bit nervous To-day II l.
different. | am very nervous, and Whef
I am called for the stage, 1t matters
rot the role, I have to force myself u
90 on. 1t passes, this nervousness
FOR repeat to myself this artists cree
which is my soul. I say, You arr
here to seek to give the people pleas
ure: 1t is your highest desire, ant
they will feel it and forgive YOU
much
eyes, I try to show them the low
feel: I smile. but 1t is not meant al
the conventional operate smile; Oh
hope not! I smile because l wan
10 like them, and IL they smile bac'
u Is because they wish to like me
Does it seem banal to say this? IL
truth express my meaning badiy
but this is my meaning. to establish
once a feeling greater than kindness
n feeling between US of loving KIND
ness.
"This is my ninth season, and m
artists creed has sustained IN
through them all. never more thai
now. The people OF New YORK re
snond to 1t; no audience could be NOR
responsive.
"ThInk what sympathy dAep an
sincere means to a singer! She Is n
longer conscious OF self, she stand
rot between her composer and he
audience obscuring him and mystify
ing them, she is a clear glass thipugl
Which they see his heart What doe
it matter then how am dressed Q
how hpld my hand OF where on tn