The sun., 1919-04-13


be so well begun here now, and the
singing experience and stage training
which is SO adequately given in the
smaller opera houses OF Europe could
be acquired here also if public demand
and artistic enterprise would provide
the means.
AT present there Is practically no
opportunity for training in the pres
entation OF opera roles between the
level OF the various studios and the
height of the Metropolitan Opera
House. With the exception OF the
Chicago Opera Company md one or
two travelling companies which have
very short seasons. there is no place
In America where singers can acquire
the experience and training needed by
them if they are to sing the great
opera roles as Metropolitan audiences
demand that they be sung.
This situation is as bad for the
singer who does not wish TO go
abroad for the years Of hard work
without which she cannot hope ade-
quately TO present the big roles Of an
opera repertoire as It is for the pub
lio which does not wish to hear in
thoroughly experienced body of sing
ers, such as those who sing at the
Metropolitan. number OF attractive
young women who have beautiful
voices but who are entirely without
depth and who are quite undeveloped
of brain and soul.
1T has frequently happened that
women coming direct from a studio
with no real singing experience what
ever have sung upon the Metropolitan
stage, and this. OF course. should not
be, however fine voices the singers
may have. Such singers have been
commented upon with enthusiasm
because they are Americans and have
secured their training, such as It Is,
In America; but this senseless boost
ing of tho American product merely
because it Is American and entirely
aside from its merits is, to my mind.
mere sentimental patriotism and not
at all akin to the really deep and
sincere patriotism which should be
ours.
1T is the same frenzied American
ism which makes many persons insist
that we shall have American opera,
which, personally, l do not think is
possible of success, since English Is
the hardest of languages to sing. The
foreign operas are not successful
when sung in English because the
poetic language in which they are
written cannot be transcribed into
English, and so far there has not been
an American opera Of any artistic
value.
For myself. have refused to sing
in an American opera. not because II
is difficult to sing in English, but be-
cause no American has as yet sue
,ceeded in writing an opera OF suf1-
cient beauty OF music or words TO be
considered a worthy expression of our
national ideals. At present We have
no musician of sufficient genius and
breadth of experience to offer any
thing that nearly approaches even the
less important OF the foreign operas
and so far none of our real poets have
considered the opera libretto as a me-
dunn OF expression.
FavOrs Municipal Operas.
$50 the insistence upon the worth
Of a singer or an opera solely because
the one or the other Is American ap-
pears to be very poor patriotism and
might even be considered mere ma
tional arrogance.
There offers. however, the means OF
adequate training for American sing
ers in this country. as l have men
toned, and this means is the estab-
lishment Of a group of municipal
opera houses in a number OF our cities,
where a singer who has had the usual
training in vocal technique may make
her debut in small roles and gradually
perfect a repertoire Of bigger roles,
gaining at the same time assurance
and experience. so that when she Is
ready TO appeal To the very critical
public that makes up the audience OF
that goal Of all singers. the Metro
politan Opera House, she will have be-
hind her years of such training as
now can be obtained only in Europe.
by hard work in the various roles
assigned her aud by inosssant study