New-York tribune., 1922-07-30

a coloratur singer, always coloratul
singer"-that is to say that singer
who started as soprano leggierc
must remain soprano leggiero ane
assume the characters called for by
/ the voice and style to the end of hel
career, no matter what her ambitions
or capacities. So she wrote to the
editor Of the Berlin "Tageblatt" tina;
she had grown tired of playing moth
I ing but princesses."
/ She had demonstrated that the rep
resentative of the queen in lies HUI
guenots" might also be an efficient
/ Valentine in the same opera, or g
Rachel in "La Juive," and a pre-emin-
ent Brunnhilde and Isolde in Wagner's
| dramas. She who had been a Rhine
daughter in the first representations of
"The Ring of the Nibelung' in Bay
reuth in later years returned to the
/ Wagneran Mecca to restore the decay
ing traditions of the Wagnerian man
ner and to instruct Nine, Cosima her
self in the principles Of him of whom
DpIH SpOhc IeNSICutly dS He
When the Mozart Festivals began in
Salzburg she became their strongest
prop, the chief exponent of Mozartian
ideals and prime mover in the project
of Mozart theater, whose most gem
erous financial contributor has been
the Beethoven Association of New
York. Thus much for the special in
formation of those for whom explana-
tion of some of the illusions in the
following letter may be necessary:
Nine. Lehmann's Letter
"My whole existence is bound up
with the experiences which | was per-
,nitted to enjoy in New York. My life
is attached to them, and how could
forget any of them or any individual
who made them pleasurable? You can
scarcely believe how happy the memory
of them makes me and the deep graft
tude which ! feel toward my mother
for all that She permitted me to exs
perience and feel. And how often did
| want to write to you about it all!
Unfortunately, the recent horrible time
tore all persons from their moorings.
No one knows whether the persons
",
whether they have changed, or how
greatly the world has changed for
US all.
True, | have a firm trust in all
whom | know, and am of the opinion
We cannot lose each other. We must
remain united in order to preserve the
things created, to promote art, make
mankind happier in the consciousness
of high ideals. We idealists are, in
deed, hard pressed at present and
ignored, but they cannot kill US nor
cur best feelings. With this sentiment
of profound gratitude, my dear Kreh-
biel, extend my hand to you across
the wide ocean and thank you from the
bottom of my heart.
"Your splendid article was particu-
larly interesting to me because l heard
Wagner talk great deal about Norma
in Bayreuth in 1875 and '76. 1t was
the opera that he admired above Ital-
ian operas and which my mother had
often sung under his direction and
which he, / believe, would have been
| glad to rearrange. He was always full
of enthusiasm when he came to speak
about it, as he also made a happy
face and overf1owed with admiration
for everything that was called Mozart
How often | had to sing arias from
Figaro! Wagner was right. There
is something infinitely great in
Norma and aside from the too many
f1ourishes, which might easily be re-
reduced in number the music is unique
in its melodies, which always touche:
me. Norma has become a Gluckiar
character to me; it must have a classic
effect with all its full blooded humanity
and care ought to be taken to cult
vate and preserve it and the art which
1T exacts How | should like to direct
some one in the study of it and stage
1T as | conceive it with the love which
| derived from my mother and all the
great condnctors-Jahn, Schuch, Rich
ter and others-who brought a lively
interest in the opera to the perform
ances-Jahn especially, who otter
heard it from Italian companies il
which he was corepetitor.
But nowadays nobody rehearses an,
few take deep interest in details o,
the whole. Singers have voices. bu
no vocal agility, or know nothing abou
technical or intellectual finish; s,
everything that is absolutely es
sential to the fundamental supports o
the art of song is ignored. Pupils il
Two or three years do not learn tn
A of the art, and some call them
selves pupils who have taken no les
sons at all, or five to ten at the most
and art is expected to grow on who'll,
uncultlvated soil which can grow onl
weeds. Some time ago I wrote to TIL
Tribune asking it to publish a motto
wherin | requested that the public d
not permit itself to be led by tn
nose by believing the claims of so
called pupils of mine, but to appeal t
me for information. Here have pur
sued such inquiries as far as tn
courtroom; on the other side this i
impossible unless proofs are sent t
me in the shape of public advertise
ments. However, can assure the pub
lie that | do not know a single pupi
of mine in America entitled to cal
herself teacher of my method, and
am about to prosecute some TO clea
the atmosphere. They read my boo,
and think they are receiving lessons
If it were only SO easy
Here in Grunewald I give lessons
and at the end of this month (June
go again to Salzburg to give the sew
enth Mozart course from July t
September /. | teach in the Mozart
cum, but this has nothing to do will
the festival performances, with whicl
have had absolutely nothing to d.
since 1914. The Mozart course is m,
/ Ey <