Evening star., 1936-11-21

OF An 6A0 @ASAP@N1
friend.
For many years Schumann-H -Heink
has stood as the only example OF the
rare combination of unsurpassed ar
tistry and rich womanhood. She has
fulfilled these two careers with honor
and without any need to sacrifice one
to the demands Of the other. Nor did
she narrow the limits Of her womanly
sympathy to the confines of her fam
lily, but extended her generosity to the
. whole world. Wherever she saw .
need she was ready to minister to 1t,
not because it was the thing to do. but
as q natural outlet for her warm
: hearted understanding of humanity.
All the success that she attained and
all the adulation she received could
4, not chill the warm springs OF altrulsm
that was so deeply part of her ma
ture. Never IN her career was she
the celebrated prima donna to the ex-
clusion Of her strong womanly per-
sonality. Not once did she sacrifice
the living of full life to the glory
Of q public one. She developed both
the contrasting gifts. with which she
was endowed, to the fullest extent,
and her reward is not only lasting
place in the hall of fame, but the
. more difficult to accomplish and more
worthwhile one Of a shrine in the
hearts Of those who were fortunate
enough to be brought in contact with
her.
RUT there is more to be regretted
in the passing Of Schumann-
Heink than the loss of an artist and
friend. With her going, the old ideal
Of what a great musician should be
has come to an end. The new order
Of things is in keeping with the prog
ress Of the world, but how the prog
ress Of art will be effected remains
to be seen. The great point, which
Is on the way to be forgotten and
which Schumann-H -Heink's career ex-
emplified, is that art and the artist
are enriched by human experiences.
Music is not language which speaks
Of unreal things, but one designed to
make known. the deepening power of
all experinces, whether sad or happy.
It breaches the gospel of hope and,
through its gentle medium, cuts the
bonds of earthliness and allows the
. soul to expand its divine inheritance.
Artists are priests of a beautiful
religion, consecrated to a great work.
No more than minister of the gospel
can be of service If he know not the
Eorrows and shortcomings and hap
piness OF the human heart, can an
artist fulfill his mission in his particu-
lar realm If he Be not sympathetic
to every element That makes up life.
There Is so much glamour about an
artists career today, much more than
In the heyday Of Schumann- Heink'i
greatness, when she did her house
work and cared for her children be-
tween public appearances, that one is
apt to feel that the important thing
Is to do everything to keep the glam-
crous atmosphere intact.
IN THIS era We have many artists
who by their appearance, their
mode of living, the sensationalism of
their comings and goings, have Gre
ated an exotic atmosphere in which
they live as beings apart from the or
dinary run of mortals. If they are
desirous of helping humanity by CIV
ing it the consolation that resides in
music, their art does not show it. The
superficial, the glittering and the i'm
pressive are what they seek by its
means.
Schumann-Heink, the great artist
Nri1o wax hroaIrht IN the MetronoIitan