Scan 5
Musical Courier 1896-07-01: Vol 33 Iss 852, 1896
52 lines. Read by computer on 20 September 2026. Printed page 6. See the scan on archive.org.
1What are you going to do, practically—say when that suit is gone and you must still be presentable?
2What did A and B, your comrades, do in that case?
3How did C get that good position?
4Oh, well, she had a superb voice and talent. She was one in a thousand.
5D was not; how did she get it?
6Oh, well, she—things fell out of the sky on her—clothes, house, engagements, all at once. There she goes now—phaeton, coachman, footman, silk, velvet, plumes—pretty, isn't she? Things do fall out of the sky that way, you know, on people.
7What's become of E, F and G?
8Gone home discontented to discontented relatives. H is teaching—ugh! I is singing as a "barber's apprentice" in a vaudeville (she knew seven grand opera rôles by heart!) J is singing in a choir, K is going to marry Deacon B so as to get his money to come back with—she was always plucky (?) and will never give up. She'll be back here, you see!
9There must be a falling off in the number of students coming out here. Such results—
10There are seventeen that I know coming out this fall to the very teachers of those very failures. I know them all.
11How do you account for it anyway that so few successes rise out of the mass. I hear beautiful voices all over in America—
12A-h-h-h! Of course, but see! Who come over here? Not a lot of picked voices and picked talents, but a lot of girls who can afford it! Who may have voices or may not, and who most likely have neither voice, talent, nor—more necessary than all—study seriousness. I know lots of poor girls singing round in churches and even teaching school in America who in one or two years over here, or even with careful study at home, would beat anything I have ever seen in Paris. Some of the poor things have the care of mother or sister to hold them where they are. Some of them don't know how or what to do, and some of them could not buy an extra pair of gloves to come down to the wharf if they got a chance to cross.
13Will you think of this once! The very cheapest sort of a student here—one who takes from only one teacher and of the cheapest rank, who lives in a cheap boarding house, goes absolutely without anything in the shape of comfort, pleasure or musical profit—must pay $150 a month—not counting clothes.
14A girl has to be mighty well fixed at home to face even $150 a month for two or three years, with the passage money and uncountable extras.
15Think what these girls are spending here who "take" from five or six teachers, go home or travel summers, live in dear boarding houses, and indulge in home luxuries and many pleasures!
16And lots of them are doing little more than passing time pleasantly—a sort of semi-soirée, or flirtation, or dress parade in studios, out evenings, receiving, dancing, visiting, as at home, and who have picnics besides!
17These are not the poor talented American girls, I assure you. If one of them has voice, talent or earnestness it is in spite of, not on account of, her conditions. You can't skim cream off of thin milk. But that does not get them engagements just the same. When it comes to making money through us those artist dealers—
18But What Can Be Done About It?
191. Destroy the illusion that surrounds vocal education in Paris, which, while it is valuable and has its place, is not what is thought of it in America.
202. Prove to the earnest students that the close study of composers is better than tradition; that the teaching or instructor's gift is worth more than the musical vagaries of broken down prima donnas; that the sky of the Eastern Hemisphere does not hold the monopoly over either musical knowledge or artistic sense, and that all the above absolutely and actually does exist to-day in America.
213. Prove to students that they do not learn French by coming to Paris, and they are rejected year by year and by the score by managers solely because they cannot sing it; also that they need not come here to learn acting, as there is not a single school of acting in the whole city of Paris, and that, as for hearing good music, there is more of it and for a longer time of the year in any standard city of America to-day than in Paris.
224. Found a society in America for the search and protection of poor musical young people—to find out first what they would be best fitted for, so as not to have a good teacher wasted in a poor prima donna, or a charming sourette in a squeaking oratorio failure—to place such where best suited to their training at home, and keep them there till they have exhausted the resources and need more, to place them properly before managers and positions when ready.
23(If a European finish be deemed necessary, give it them the last thing.)
245. Examinations by judicious musicians of pupils who enter classes with public life in view, to the end of preventing those in whom the step would be absolute idiocy and waste; also examination of teachers.
256. Prove to artists that a European reputation is not necessary to success in America, or even to engagement to go there; and that ability to fill a house is stronger than jealousy, influence, protection, or any of those mythical interferences with success.
267. Found an opera company to utilize young talent.
27This last, the most important to present stage Parisian students, need not be by any means the quixotic enterprise that it reads. For many reasons.
28In the first place, on account of the expensive conditions of grand opera there is not that dissemination of operatic knowledge that is demanded by a music loving people. Frequent hearing and much study of operatic works is necessary to make them in any way valuable. The superficial panoramic glut of a few prize performers accorded to the few American millionaires, who can afford the privilege of seeing them, is in no sense educational, and by no means satisfactory. This has already been urged by thoughtful musicians.
29By a selection of talented, conscientious students, that is, finished students—débutantes—very valuable, very interesting, and highly artistic performances might be secured, which would be in turn lessons to younger students, and would leave a little pocket money in the hands of older people who are starving for opera literature.
30Not only so, but good all around artistic, wholly musical, and even brilliant performances might thus be secured to the States, an advantage of which they sadly stand in need.
31The interest, personal and relative, created in a country by the appearance of a number of young people who were friends and relatives would put money in any manager's pocket who knew how to manage it.
32This enterprise would weed out nine-tenths of the rubbish that is convinced it could do anything if it had a chance, and it would be the saving, socially, physically, morally and financially, of scores of young American girls who do not know where to turn under the present system, and who are, after all, American women who should not be allowed to go to waste without some patriotic endeavor.
33It would be a stepping stone to grand opera talent, a conservatoire if you will, which would train, develop, fit, reject, and who knows but develop great and worthy talent for our country's pride and glory.
34There is positively nothing whatever done in this crisis by the American people, individually or collectively, for this special class of needy. It is too big a class and too valuable to lose wholly, and people are giving every day for less worthy and less inclusive objects.
35This need not be an English opera or an American opera. These students here are supposed to be trained in all tongues and all rôles. If not, it is time to find out their deficiency, and this would be another supreme object of the enterprise, the unearthing of this traditional European educational system, to prove to both students and people on both sides the insufficiency or value of the so-called one and only preparation for prima donna life.
36I feel, for one, as if surprising developments would be at hand, and that much good, wholesome house cleaning—the riddance of cobwebs of years of undisturbed accumulation—might thus be accomplished.
37Home-taught girls could enter into competition with the exotic element, and so would be disclosed to them just what they could receive in Paris that they can under no circumstances get at home, and there would be some ground to establish a trip abroad upon.
38Things are ripe for this sort of thing. Everything calls for it, or at least for thought and discussion upon it, on the part of all true American men and women.
39If going out on the musical stage cannot be prevented for our girls, it should at least be surrounded with the care and devotion that will make as little of a disaster as possible of a "Musical Career for American Girls."
40FANNIE EDGAR THOMAS.
42Seidl Season at Brighton.—The Seidl season at Brighton opened on Wednesday afternoon, June 24, and continued on Wednesday evening, when one of the first three Wagner festivals was given, the soloists being Clementine de Vere-Sapio, Gertrude May Stein, H. Evan Williams, Emil Fischer and Royal Stone Smith. Although the day was one of downpour, over 2,000 people were present to enthusiastically inaugurate the proceedings. The concerts progress nightly with artistic and popular success.
43Mrs. H. H. A. Beach Wins.—The Columbian bronze medal and diploma have been awarded to Mrs. H. H. A. Beach, of Boston, in the following specification: "For a valuable collection of musical works, including songs, a mass, concerto and jubilate for dedication of the women's building at the World's Columbian Exposition, for the great care and study shown in the conception and technical detail."
44Mrs. Beach is well known as the composer of different orchestral works which have been performed by the leading orchestral societies of America, by her Mass in E flat given with impressive results by the Händel and Haydn Society of Boston, and by numerous delightful songs. Her success at Chicago has been won through her Festival Jubilate.
46IT cannot be gainsaid that the royal attention which Emperor William II. bestowed upon the young Czar of Russia on the occasion of the coronation festivities at Moscow was at the same time the most novel and the most tasteful one that could have been offered. You have read of this concert of the German Embassy in Russia through the cable, and I doubt not that the musical entertainment which Prince Radolin and his beautiful young wife were able to furnish for the Russian Imperial couple and the other high and highest guests was mentioned as the most recherché treat of the entire festivities. As such at least it is described in the several newspaper reports that have come to my notice, and Director Henry Pierson, of the Royal Intendancy, whom I just interviewed (he returned from Moscow last night), told me that the Emperor Nicholas himself had spoken to him in terms of highest delight and praise about this soirée.
47A private rehearsal for this affair was held in the Royal Opera House here in Berlin in the presence of Emperor William II. on the day after my return from Leipsic last week. His Majesty sat in one of the front rows of the parquet, not in his royal box, and listened most intently to the performance of the entire program, such as it was given at Moscow. It consisted of no less than ten numbers, and was of a variety and beauty such as has rarely been heard before in Russia. Almost exclusively works of German composers were on this program, which was most tastefully and gorgeously gotten up and was printed in German letters.
48The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra had come on from Scheveningen to perform at this concert, and to-day returned from Moscow directly via Berlin to the Dutch sea shore place, where they play for three months every summer. The entire trip of all these artists, to whom were joined some of the best soloists from the various court opera houses, several great instrumental soloists, Director Pierson, Manager Hermann Wolff, the latter as special representative for the orchestra; Court Conductor Dr. Muck, and Conductor Siegfried Ochs, the latter going along "for fun," all traveling together in Pullman cars, had something American about it. It was not only as far as distances are concerned, indeed, almost an American overland journey, but this time also as far as comfort and amusement were concerned. I am told that this motley gathering of artists behaved as gayly as children, and that they had lots of fun and champagne aboard. But to return to the musical part of the program.
49The Philharmonic Orchestra did, under Dr. Muck's excellent and most careful guidance, as well as the royal orchestra would or could have done, for which organization they were substituted, as the royal band could not be dispensed with in Berlin as long as the opera season is not closed. They played first, of course, the Russian anthem, which was struck up when the Emperor and Empress of Russia entered, the latter leaning on the arm of Prince Henry of Prussia, while Emperor Nicholas conducted Princess Radolin, the wife of the German ambassador.
50The real concert opened with Weber's Euryanthe overture, which Dr. Muck led with rare verve and his never failing musical intelligence and clearness. Then Emil Sauer, the Dresden pianist, who is a great favorite in Russia, played with F. Zajic, the great Berlin violinist, the first movement from Beethoven's C minor sonata for piano and violin. Frau Herzog, our charming soprano from the Berlin Royal Opera, followed with the Marten aller Art aria from Mozart's Seraglio, which (I am giving Mr. Pierson's description to me) she sang with full, resonant voice and flawless coloratura. Milka Ternina, from the Munich Court Opera, a singer whom you heard in New York last season, then gave a tender and yet powerful version of Isolde's Liebestod. Concertmaster Prof. Carl Halir and Henrich Gruenfeld, 'cello, both of Berlin, performed together with the pianist Bernard Stavenhagen, of Weimar, in most finished ensemble and with tender expression, the adagio from Mendelssohn's D minor trio.
51The greatest success of the concert was achieved by Miss Erika Wedekind, the graceful, petite coloratura soprano from the Dresden Court Opera, who sang, as she does everywhere, Alabieff's The Nightingale and Chopin's La Coquette. These two songs, especially the first named tour de force, which Miss Wedekind sings with a bell-like
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