Evening star., 1922-11-16
\ LII American girls who are
\ interested in singing are in

A LII American girls who are
~ interested in singing are in
~ terested most intensely in
= the development of an op-
cratic career for the young American
gifi, Marion Talley, the fifteen-year-
old prodigy soprano from Kansas
! City, Mo. Miss Talley's voice is said
to be unusually mature and full OF
promise for a wonderful develop.
ment when she has had the neces-
sary training in technique, languages
opera star must have as an intelli-
gent background for securing the
most out of a fine voice.
Miss Talley Is another of the splen-
did examples Of what the American
girl of flapper age really is capable
of. She has all the poise and self
confidence of the girl Of today, but
the reserve and quiet dignity that.
while also of today in many In
stances. is not generally recognized
as characteristic trait OF the twen-
tieth century fiapper.
Gatti- Casazza. maestro OF the Metro
politician Opera House, and many
other musical critics. have eyinced
the very warmest admiration OF MISS
Tailey's voice.
In appearance Miss Talley is just
a regular girl, rather plump, and with
her blond hair fairly short. although not
In the exaggerated bobbed fashion: 1t
is curled, however and hangs about
to her shoulders. She has very clear
cut features and the frank gaze that
shows the quiet, determined purpose
behind it.
Miss Talley realizes fully the need
Of the further training that will re-
qufre at least three years of concen-
trated study to develop her voice suffi-
ciently to handle the great arias Of
operate roles with finished charm.
With the number of delightful voices
that are found In school glee clubs
and church choirs of girls-even the
small voices would seem that
American girls would in general de-
velop their voices to a greater extent,
rather than attempt to play the piano.
time, at least. The piano is perhaps
the instrument above all others which
requires a really skilled musician, IL
not one with a touch of genius. to
get real music out of it rather than
mechanical notes. Yet nearly every
family insists that at least one daugh-
ter in the household must be able to
play before company
Another point in favor Of the culti-
vation of the American girls voice
is this: Almost unanimously visiting
Europeans raise their hands to their
ing qualities of many American
voices. 1t may be because 80 many
American women and girls who live
in the cities have to compete with
the loud vibrations Of mechanical We
hicles and equipment In offices and
shops that they unconsciously pitch
their voices too high and strain them
greatly.
Go to any large gathering of
women, such as a tea or luncheon
group, and the noise will be singu-
larly unmusical: only occasionally
Yet. when American girls have culti-
waited their voices by even few sing
ing lessons. SO that they get the
resonance of the tones caused by deep
breathing and thus balance the pre-
viously emphasized nasal tones, there
critics have stated that the best
voices on the professional stage and
in opera in Europe are the American
girls voices.
It is interesting to know that the
cred ere 1i seriousiy S for deveiopment % until
almost the end Of the sixteenth CEN
tury. Previous to that time practi-
cally no music was written for solo
singing and not much for choruses.
This was the gradual comOlnlng OF
dramatic action and musical setting
which was the crudest form of the
present opera. Then oratofio singing
was started. In Florence, Italy. about
1900, modern italian music had its
conception. This music empha sized
the vocal part of the compositions SO
distinctly that it was necessary to in
crease the attention to voice train
ing, and composers insisted that their
compositions be well sung. Thus was
the old Italian method established.
francesca Lamperti and Manuel Gar
cia have brought this method up to
date. The German and French meth
DDS have also developed. but as yet
the English and Americans have not
originated any distinct methods of
voice culture. This is. therefore. a
field that is open to much discussion
as to the best method to be used. and
it IL notable that the New England