Books › Musical Courier 1928-06-21: Vol 96 Iss 25, 1928 › scan 15
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Musical Courier 1928-06-21: Vol 96 Iss 25, 1928
64 lines. Read by computer on 28 September 2026. No printed page number was found. See the scan on archive.org.
1Anne Roselle's Career But Eight Years Old
3Young Singer Has Made Remarkable Strides in That Time—Started as an Actress in Hungary—Then Discovered She Had a Voice—Worked with William Thorner—First Operatic Engagement with Scotti's Company—Metropolitan Opera Debut Followed—European Successes—To Sing Turandot in Verona This Summer
5WHEN Anne Roselle was a little tot her mother used to take her to the theater occasionally. On arriving home, Anne acted the various parts she had seen the others do. Once, after the circus, she entertained her class at school; first she was the horse, then the lion, and then the clown. The teacher, thinking she was just naughty, punished her and kept her after school, not aware that what she thought was just naughtiness was the beginning of a dramatic talent that sought an outlet.
7GOES TO BUDAPEST
8Anne Roselle was thirteen when she went to Budapest to visit some relatives. One glimpse of the big city and the child did not want to go home again. What is more, she expressed a desire to go on the stage. Mother was dumbfounded, but after a while she took the child to Sidonia Rakosy, the celebrated actress, who now at the age of eighty is still active. Mme. Rakosy had a dramatic school in Budapest and the child, during the interview, put on such an act of crying and insisted that she be given a chance in the school that Mme. Rakosy accepted her as a pupil.
10A TALENTED ACTRESS
11Three months later Anne had made such progress that she was given the small part of Alice in the school production of Rip Van Winkle, an operetta. Mme. Rakosy's sons had four theaters, where they allowed their mother to put on Saturday matinee performances given by the school. Alice's part came in the third act when she had a little song. The critics called her "a ray of sunshine" and commented at length on her decided talent. From then on her progress was such that soon she was appearing on the legitimate stage in drama, comedy and operettas.
13STUDIED VOICE
14Not until 1918 did Anne Roselle begin to study voice. She had never realized she had any sort of a singing voice. One day her old friend, Erno Rapec, sent her along to Hugo Riesenfeld, who, on hearing her, advised voice study. Mr. Riesenfeld also gave her a job singing in the movies for two years. Before we leave the subject of studying voice, we must add that the singer says she owes all she knows in that line to William Thorner, with whom she continues to work when in this country.
16WITH SCOTTI'S COMPANY
17While Miss Roselle was singing at one of the movie palaces in New York she came under the attention of Antonio Scotti, who was taking his opera company on a coast to coast tour. He signed her the same day she was engaged for the Metropolitan Opera Company. As a member of the famous baritone-impressario's company, Miss Roselle made her operatic debut as Nedda. It was in Birmingham, Ala., and when mentioning the event the other day, Miss Roselle recalled with pleasure the kindness of Florence Easton and Frances Peralta who helped her make up; also the ribbon, earrings and other little ornaments loaned by members of the company to complete her costume. Everyone seemed genuinely nervous for her, but she came through with colors flying.
19TOSCA WITH SCOTTI LATER
20Last fall Miss Roselle sang Tosca to Mr. Scotti's Scarpia with the San Francisco Opera Company and achieved a brilliant success. Before the opera Mr. Scotti sent his valet to ask permission to see her. He came to her dressing room to give Miss Roselle some ideas in the action of the first act, which she appreciated greatly. Turning to leave, he said with a shake of the finger and a smile: "Remember, Anne, you are a great artist now, but if you do not do as I tell you, I am going to scold the way I used to when you were with me."
22TURANDOT "GREAT"
23After the performance the genial baritone was tremendously pleased, and even more so after Miss Roselle's Turandot, which he characterized as "great work."
25SINGING ONLY EIGHT YEARS
26It has been only eight years since Anne Roselle began singing professionally, yet she has made remarkable strides. Two seasons she sang at the Metropolitan, but she admits she was young and had lots to learn then. She resigned and went to Europe, sandwiching in, before going, some excellent performances with the San Carlo Opera Company. Mr. Gatti told her what she needed most was experience and to enlarge her repertory. She has been following his advice to the letter ever since.
28ANNE ROSELLE, in Fedora.
30The first big thing in her career after the Metropolitan was her success (which she says was a revelation) in Vienna; the second red-letter day being when she caused a stir in her first performance of Turandot, a stir that was felt in America; and now the third red-letter mark is set for early July, when she will sing six performances of Turandot in Verona. Incidentally, this will mark the first time she will have sung in Italy, although she has visited there. Roselle should enjoy a splendid success for the critics have called her voice "the true bel canto," stating that, while it is lyric, the singer's depth of emotion makes her a real dramatic. As she was an actress first, the combination is a happy one.
32RETURNING CHRISTMAS
33Following the Verona engagement, Miss Roselle will fill some appearances in Germany, Austria and Hungary, returning to America for the Christmas holidays with her family. In speaking of her European contracts keeping her away from home so much, Miss Roselle commented that the only reason why she would like to be back at the Metropolitan is so that she can be near her family in New York, for she feels "like a lost lamb without them."
35MAY CONCERTIZE
36There are, however, many cities in America which have expressed a desire to have Miss Roselle on their concert courses; so, providing certain European dates can be changed, she will probably concertize here for a limited time early in the new year.
38HAS EXTENSIVE REPERTORY
39Everywhere Miss Roselle has sung in Europe, the leading critics have praised her highly. In her sojourn abroad the soprano has gained tremendously in her art and has now an extensive repertory. Listed among the Italian operas are: Turandot, Tosca, Boheme, Madame Butterfly, Aida, Trovatore, Masked Ball, Otello, Traviata, Andre Chenier, Fedora, Pagliacci, Cavalleria Rusticana, L'Amore de Tre Re and L'Oracolo. Others are: Faust, Thats, Strauss' Woman Without a Shadow and Salome, Mozart's Don Giovanni and Wagner's Lohengrin and Tannhauser.
41STRAUSS' SALOMÉ
42Miss Roselle has appeared with equal favor in concert in Dresden, Vienna, Budapest, and other large centers. Strauss, after one of her opera appearances, gave a supper party at his home in her honor, at which he expressed a desire that she do his Salome, a role which she essayed with distinct success and one which she enjoys singing tremendously.
44A HARD WORKER
45Miss Roselle, in fact, says quite frankly that she idolizes her art and is never so happy as when she is working. When she was learning Salome, she used to work four and five hours a day, until her maid hid the score; then, Miss Roselle says, she nearly went mad. Certain lines would come to her mind in the middle of the night and she would jump up and hunt the score. Not finding it, she would pace the floor; but the good old maid, fearing a break-down, was firm and kept the score in its hiding place.
47Work, real hard work, seems to have no terrors for Miss Roselle. Perhaps that is why she has come up so quickly. The further she goes in her art, the harder she works and the more she loves it. Her slogan is, "A wide knowledge does not hurt anyone!"
49Rhoda Mintz Studio Activities
50The Rhoda Mintz studios will remain open this summer for a special June and July session in order to accommodate those who wish to continue their studies and also to enable a number of out of town students and teachers to come to New York for study or to "brush up" their repertory with Mme. Mintz. One vocal teacher is coming from South Dakota to work with Mme. Mintz.
52During 1928-29 Mme. Mintz will be heard extensively in concert, but she states that this will in no way conflict with her regular teaching schedule, as she will accept only engagements within a short radius of New York City.
54Mme. Mintz' artist-pupils continue to fulfil many engagements. Lillian Flosbach has been re-engaged for next season at the Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church of Plainfield. This soprano recently gave a song recital over WBRR and has been invited to give another over the same station on July 1. Simeon Sabro, baritone, has returned from a tour which included appearances in Indianapolis and St. Louis prior to which he appeared for four weeks at the Capitol Theater in New York. Milton Yokeman, tenor soloist of the WGBS Old Time Minstrels, sang over WOR recently. Three well known male quartets, the Fordham Four, heard regularly over the air for the past two seasons; the Mintz Melodists, heard through WGBS and WRNY, and The Melody Four, a feature of the Daily Paskman Old Time Minstrels, have had their training and coaching in the Mintz Studios.
56Commencement at College of Fine Arts
57The College of Fine Arts at Syracuse University presented its graduates in music in a series of thirteen public recitals, beginning April 25 and closing June 1. On June 8, the college held its annual commencement, eight of the twenty-four graduates taking part in the program. Perhaps the outstanding numbers were those of Mary Becker, who not only played Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen for the violin with orchestral accompaniment but also closed the program with a fine performance of Liszt's piano concerto in E flat major, with the orchestra. This is the first time that a student has appeared at one of the college commencement concerts as a soloist on two different instruments. This program was one of the best offered during the entire year at the college. The audience was an exceptionally large one.
59Harriet Cohen Engaged for Bucharest Philharmonic
60LONDON.—Otescu, conductor of the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Opera in Bucharest, on hearing Harriet Cohen play in Warsaw, immediately engaged her for a Philharmonic concert in the Roumanian capital next season. S.
62Charles Naegele for Harrisburg
63Charles Naegele, pianist, has been engaged by the Harrisburg, Pa., Wednesday Musical Club for next season.
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