The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-12

NN v HI bag and pagease' AieiN
 WW and paraphenalia galore, Miss
 Rosa PonselIe, the famous dra- matic soprano of the Metropolitan Opera arrived in Birmingham late Tuesday aft ernoon. happy and radiant over giving her first concert here this evening.
 looked about to see if Mir. Caruso wasn't somewhere in hiding, because you know the celebrated young prima Donna has never sung in opera without IFS majesty"-but l remembered of course that this was concert" and not opera and instead of finding MT CaTuso, ~ho is at present warbling in Havana 70 ire tune of 'steen million ducats waroIe' I fetnd Mr. William Tyroler The DE piano-conductor straight from t Metropolitan Opsia who mas coacnei ara tHayed for lFalrar, and Barrieato5 apd Ponselle and Matzenauer and all the ether big stars or that famous "TeE2le O. Music"
 olive-skinned, dark-eyed, with the TO- bust figure of the prima donna, Hosa Ponselle measures up to the ideal or the l Italian-American prima donna, we nave always conjured up in our brain-oig or form, big of voice, and big of tempera- | ment and big of intellect. | Quick as lightning before Miss Tom selle and MT Tyroler had time 10 regis- ter" for their respective apartments at the Tutwier, scrible like l began: Tell me your life story?'' l I'm a singer, not a talker," parried Miss Ponselle.
 That's just it." came back at her. | Singers always make good takers be- cause when their success has been as sensational and as phenomenal as yours there's so much to talk about! | Her brown eyes flashed and she smiled cordially as she said
 1 What shall I tell your l Let's see," I hesitated for moment. i "Oh, yesl Suppose you tell me the most thrilling moment In your operatic ca reer."
 l Really" retorted Miss Ponselle in the blandest tones, "I hesitate to say. My | career is only just beginning. In opera | I am still a novitiate-just starting you see."
 | This, mind you, from a young Italian | American girl who made her debut With l the one and only Caruso which set the musical world by the heels. l peered through my tortoise shell glasses for some indication of humor, but there was | none Therefore I continued undismayed in my task.
 Were you nervous?" asked Dolly.
 "When?' parried Miss Rosa. (She is a stickler for what IS specific.)
 'At your debut" I nominated.
 "Naturally," she responded and sighed eloquently enough to convince me that making a debut on the Metropolitan Opera stage is a serious business. Then like a shot out of a gun, she querrled; 1 "Wouldn't you be nervous?"
 "But didn't sing" q was rather pleased at that report; 1t was sort of snappy and protected me against further oiy Fro hot T thought
 Suppose you did slng?" she went on. She can qualify as a trial lawyer, Miss Rosa Ponselle. There's no escap- ing her analytical mind. Perhaps that Is one of the reasons why "Oberon" had for her no more apparent terrors than
 La Forza del Destino."
 '"WeI." I replied lamely, eff I were
 of the singing class and a chance tc
 debut at the Metropolitan came and
 tapped me on the shoulder I daresay I'd
 die of fright"
 Miss Rosa laughed heartily. in that . approaching "twenty-five-hund dollar
 a-performance" creamy dramatic so , prano of hers.
 But if you didn't die, and you actually
 found yourself before the Metropolitan
 footlights looking into thirty-five hun
 dred faces that loomed into thrice tha number how do you imagine you would feet?"
 I pondered a moment before replying
 "scared stiff" I then said.
 50 was I-for minute. But my | nervousness wore off. Then grew
 calm; as calm as anything you can think of that is noted for calmness."
 I was getting somewhere-now,
 During the first act of 'Forza ce
 Destino'" continued Miss Ponselle mus , irgly, "I discovered how sympathetic ar audience I had That encouraged me
 MT. Caruso, too, was like foundation l of rock beside me so that somehow
 felt reassured After the big scene