Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-10-15
The Critic Talks
TO Music Lovers

- arOuSlng the most interest In the
musical world at present is "who will
be the successor of Enrico Caruso as
the worlds premier tenor?' After the
passing of an artist supreme in any
line. this question Is always discussed,
impossible for an artist of the very first
rank to have an immediate successor
in the sense that any person conspicu =
ously before the public with him can
completely fill his place.
Even where two artists divide the al
legiance of the public so evenly that it
10 a matter of difficulty to distinguish
which is the favorite. the ono who is
ultimately decided to be the lesser never
succeeds to the full honors of the other,
II by chance he happens to survive him.
This has repeatedly been shown in the
days Of the older Italian singers, such
as Farinelli, Cafferelli and others. when
the. matter of supremacy was decided
by public contest--pcrhapS n good way,
but one which frequently led to stab
bings and other more or less pleasant
affairs which frequently made the lives
Of the great singers of that time more
full Of incident and more hectic than
those of our present day song birds.
THERE are many reasons why this
1 matter of non succession should
be as it Is, but the principal one is be-
cause Of the Overwhelming influence
which an artist, admittedly at the very
head Of all competitors. cxerts over the
lesser lights of his profession. This ap-
plies not only to the interpretative mu-
steal artist, but to all lines of,cndeavor.
outside Of the field of music as well as
in 1t.
The tendency Of all the lesser lumi-
naries is to initiate as nearly as possible
the things which, in their minds, make
for the success of the leader. Too often
this results merely in the imitation of
mannerisms without getting hold of the
real reasons why the one person Is su-
preme in his line. This is found In COM
position as well as in interprctative art
as, for example. witness the example
OF the modern French composers who
Initiated the externals of Cesar Franck
without his genius. The result of this
imitation in every field is that the
faults of the master are copied by those
VINO lack some essential elements which
made the other supreme.
In music, more than in any other art.
II Is easy to initiate the faults of the
great--their mannerisms if they are on
tne stage and their outward forms in
composition, Many a, good artist has
peen compelled to take a position lower
than that to which his abilities might
nave raised him had he only elected to
s!ilke out on the lines which he con-
slurred best and not followed some ad-
niitteuIy greater ones example. Most
pe9pie long to soar with the eagle, but
only few have the eagles wings.
ThdlS tendency to initiate, in music,
= Is a deadly one for more than one
reason. The imitator can never hope
70 equal the original, and it's cult.vn-
tloh Kills self-Criticism and thus pre-
vents the development of an original
ssEie' which, though 1t may be not 30
nllgh artistlcally as the perfection Of the
.nlhs initiated, is still better both for
snS person and the art, than n mere
tiollowihg OF some one else. Imitation
t nus never yet scored really substan-
line. ""' O'"N'
a. for these reasons, therefore, the
successor of Caruso win probably DC
man possessed Of a great voice with
oII ~, which nothing can be done), who
nIIl seek an entirely new form of cx-
preston, just as Caruso's form was diff
nnreht from that of Jean de Reszke, as
pe heSzkc'S was different from Cam
gshlhl and 50 on back to the days of
aario' hubini and the other great lights
VI The Italian bel canto.
C THE tenors of the Metropolitan
opera Company the most frequently
n;aI n;suIuohed 10 Gigli, and 1t cannot be de-
eS that this young tenor, at the close
na M us nrSt season with the great COM
tMay' Is further advanced artiStically
Isa. an was Caruso at the close Of his first |
N a put the career of Caruso, meteoric as |
was and with the essential back
aaouhd OF one of the finest voices of ail |
"a presented its most striking phase
Ssr .ne manner in which the great singer
,is.oned himself both vocllly and ar
hVa'ly. II il doubtful II there has
voia parallel case in the history of the |
ss. ce' Like that of some of the great |
Vsu W yGupoSers, especially Beethoven and |
n,rin, iu., his development was in three
~ Al The first of these he depended upon
~, great natural beauty of his voice |
nost mos ''s a power as well as quality for his
ons,, % GuectlVe work. OF the marvel
ttS'y finished art which he was later
Az sHow there was little promise in the
Ia. Wsr year or so. He was then n good
sHn sah opera singer with an unusually
nsnt second period was the develop |
viii oi more finished style Of sir5tux I,
bis greater tendency to depend upoa
tIs ny combined with the beauty of
sona' '0'ce than upon the latter asset
came :. IN the third and last period
w ue development of character