The New York herald., 1921-05-15
Boston Girl
Sings 3 Tones
bope Farrar
Miss Irene Cohen, 15-Year-Old
Songstress, Strikes
Four .E's."

Special Despatch to THE New YoaK HERALD.
Boston May 1i.-Miss Irene Cohen, a
hfteen-year-o West End girl who has
been studying singing but six months.
already "hits" three tones higher than
Miss Geraldine Farrar. Of the Metropoli-
tan and more than a tone and half
higher than Miss Rosa Raisa of the
Chicago Opera or Miss Rosa Ponselle OF
the Metropolitan. Moreover, this girl
sings three complete octaves. striking
four E's with remarkable buoyancy and
clearness OF tone.
Irene's teacher. Stetson Humphrey of
the Boston Music School Settlement in
Allen street. West End, says there is
no other dramatic soprano in the United
States with a range that compares with
little Irene's. As for musical interpre-
tation. he asserts that he never has
heard anything so creative and original.
The girls parents-and the teacher $
attitude is the same--are not elated at
the publicity which has come. they feel
prematurely. They are afraid alert
vaudeville folk or others along similar
lines will be offering tempting contracts
that will only serve 10 divert the singer
from her operate studies.
Irene must first finish her course OF
study at the Girls High School in West
to go. Then the plan is for her to study
at least two years for the operate stage.
She Is a thorough musician. having
studied for eight years at the New
England Conservatory of Music, where
she became master OF harmony ana
learned also to read music with the
greatest rapidity. =,
she probably will go to Italy. and II
her programme Of study Is fulfiiiea she
viii make her debut before she mas
reached her eighteenth birthday.
Born and bred in the West Ehd, irene
knew well the function or the Music
School Settlement. She knew tnat Whlie
lis purpose was to make it possible loi
tho moor TO obtain musical education
otners could go there also il they chose
she had heard much regarding inc
school and informed her parents tnat she
wished to study singing at the settie-
mrnt Her parents agreed TO ley hei
have her way, although she had SHOWN
no particular quality of voice up 70 tiiS
time. rr.,
she sang .'Pal of Nine for Mr. HUN
phrsy at the school upon her tirst viSl-
there. Her voice made no impression
whatsoever upon him on that occasion
He considered it as mediocre as the SOUS
itself. He was frank and gave her llis
opinion. ftOW'SNei, sHo ""'
TO go ahead and he agreed 10 give 70 hei
one lesson a week. for time at least.
rer voice '.hmbered up" and began 10
dev.,lop "At the end of two months,
Mr. Humphrey said. II discovered tnat
If Irene would open her mouth and sing
out she had a gorgeous voice. ma =
little later when l found the four ~ IN
her range and the beauty of the quallty
7 was literally filled with eonsternatloli
at the responsibility of developing sueh
a voice.
.It will take at least six months pc
fore her voice will be stable. At pres
ent 1t is easily affected. change IN
the weather, a slight cold. fit OF teni-
nsrament' and the voice wanes N
beauty and power. But this Is because
she is still so young. And It Is why the
demands of work in vaudeville would
probably kin her voice at this time"
Irene had studied but three month";
when she showed the effect or hel
splendid musicianship. In a single daA
she learned the chief aria OF i've
operas-namely, "Madama Butterfly
and "Tosca." Her memory OF words
and music was faultless, although nat
urally hsr rendition was far from per
feet. with but twenty-four hours prep
aration.
And what will prove of further bene.
fit the girl is well equipped in the mai.
ter of languages. She speaks French
and Italian with fluency. the two Ian
guages required in opera. More thar
this, she is fairly conversant with the
German. Russian and Hebrew.