The San Francisco call. [volume], July 14, 1907, Page 38, Image 38

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

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38
ELIZABETH SPENCER COUNSELS YOUNG SINGERS
James Crawford
ONE of the performers in "Mam'
selle "Awkins," at the American
theater, is a daughter of the late
Governor Gilpin of Colorado.
She is billed as Elizabeth Spencer
I and rated first soprano of the
' company. Competent critics, however,
agree that the quality, range and cul
ture of her voice entitle her to similar
rating in a more pretentious organiza- j
tion. My knowledge of that fact, con?
bined with a suspicion— subsequently
verified— that she had studied vocal
art in Europe, led to her adoption as
the subject for this page. ;.-
She is made pertinent by the con
troversy now raging in high musical
circles over Madame Xordica s re
cent declaration of intention to es-j
tablish an "American Baireuth" ton
the benefit of American girls who
yearn, for an operatic career— and
what American girl with a good sing
ing voice does not? The great Wag
nerian soprano believes that by creat
ing within easy distance of New York]
a facsimile of Baireuth she can soon
irsake it the Mecca of the thousands
of American" maidens who annually
fiock abroad to acquire a vocal edu
cation. - - y~~I
On the other hand, Madame Schu-j
mann-Heink opines that Madame Nor- j
dica's project is absurd, inasmuch as j
the ."atmosphere"' of Baireuth cannot j
be transplanted, and i that "atmos
phere"' is no less essential to the train
ing of a singer than is the personality j
or the method of the teacher.
"Both ladies are right." said Miss
Spencer, who evidently had devoted
some thought to the discussion. " 'At
mosphere" means environment. While
it is true, as Schumann-Heink says,
that the Baireuth atmosphere cannot
be transplanted, there is no reason
why its counterpart could not be cre
ated and maintained somewhere in the
United States."
"Then the traditions of Baireuth
are not its mainstay?"
Where Music Predominates
"No, indeed. As* in all the other
music centers of Europe, Baireuth's
facilities for promoting study are its
chief asset. There the student hears
or' sees little else than music or some
thing pertaining to it. In this country
music is merely an incident — anocca
nonal break in the national materialism
—raid unless' the student lives as a
recluse she cannot avoid the distract
tions that are ruinous to music study.
li-s-he were to work as earnestly in
America as in Europe the results
would 'be equally gratifying. You
don't happen to know of any place
in the United States where a girl can
hear only music or discussion of
music all the time and on every
side?".
I did not. . V*v a>
"Well! that's the kind of place ? Xor
dica aims to establish, and that's the
sort of atmosphere Schumann-Heink
alludes to. In the coming American
Baireuth there will be music, music,
music and more music. The student
will find it simply impossible to 'get
away . from music when she is not
asleep — and even then she will dream
music"
"You speak from experience?"
'Not at Baireuth. After getting all
that Denver could do for me in music
culture I was sent to the Sacred Heart
convent in Paris, where Madame
Blanchard of the Conservatory came
to teach me singing and Signor Ri
cardi taught me violin. I spent four
years there and was regarded as a
well advanced pupil when a summons
from home changed my plan of going
in for grand opera in Europe.
Rebuffed by Impresarios
"In the meantime I had mastered
the leading soprano roles of several
of the most popular Italian and
French grand operas, but there was
no such thing as getting a debut in
New York, despite the fact that I
bore the label of European education.
The impresarios frankly told me that
they,' consulting the desire of the
American public, preferred to engage
: foreign singers with some profes
sional reputation to American singers
without any, and I was led to infer
also that in their selection of artists
they valued fame as much, if not
more, than voice."
"I have heard that Henry W. Sav
age doesn't do that kind of thing."
"Mr. Savage was not one of the
managers I applied to," said M iss
Spencer; "but I know that there are
. many American women with good
voices who would be pleased to sing
for him and the other day I read that
he has engaged two more foreign so^
prani to sing Madame Butterfly next
season, making four foreigners cast
v for that role.*' '.
" "But he has established a bureau
in Paris for the benefit of American
singers abroad," I pursued. .
"Has he?" was her response, simply
delivered.
"So" you went into light opera?" I
led.
"No. 7 " vaudeville/ she replied.
"While trying to get suited in light
opera I _was offered a whopping sal
ary to sing and play my own violin
obligates on one of the eastern cir
cuits, and - 1 accepted. Since then,
however, I have sung in. light opera,
comic opera and musical comedy."
"And you are content?"
Philosophical in Failure .
"'To be content in my \u25a0 profession
means loss , of ambition," she said,
"and without ambitiononehas.no ex
cuse for being in my. profession^ .But
if not laden with -contentment, I carry
a fair burden of philosophy."
" '.Don't worry/ eh?" .
"Yes,, or .'lf not today, perhaps to
morrow.'" , .
'" "Or. 'What's' the use?' "
;-".: "They .all mean* the same thing. I
:find : some solace in the reflection; that
if I'm not a prima donna in grand
opera, neither am I obliged to work
as hard as would be necessary if I
were holding that position. But, for
j goodness sake, don't construe that
into a confession of laziness."
| "No; I accept it as an ebullition of
philosophy. Now tell me, if, knowing
all you now know and were again
that little girl in Denver, with a com
fortable and refined home and an as
sured place in Colorado's best society,
would you go abroad to study music
and strive for honors in grand opera?"
"As it would be absolutely impos
sible for that little girl to know all :I
now know about the slings \u25a0 and ar
rows, etc., it is equally impossible for
me to give an intelligent answer to
your question. But if you desire to
; know what my experience would sug
gest to any little girl who contem
plates doing what I did, I'm at. your
j service."'
"It would be valuable advice."
"Dont's" for Young Women
\u25a0 "Well, my counsel would be con
fined to 'Don't,' unless she were to
ask for reasons. Then I would tell
her that not more than one per cent
of the young women who go to Eu
rope to study singing with a view to
entering grand opera attain their
ambition. I would tell her that unless
she loves music more than anything
else on earth she will find her study
period abroad very trying; that she
will find herself among people whose
ways and standards are different from
those to which she has been accus
tomed, whom she does not understand
and who do-not understand' her; that
most, if not all, she has learned of
singing in this country must be un
learned, and that she must again be
gin at the beginning. I would tell her
many other things of . like discourag
ing tenor — and then she would go to
Europe to study."
"Certainly. What she would hear
from me has been told many times by
many people— but she always goes.
It is useless to forewarn youth, for
youth is ever hopeful. Youth is am
bitious, too, and youth cannot realize
where one should fail, even though
thousands have not succeeded. And
the experience abroad is good for
youth."
"What, wifh, the almost inevitable
disappointments you have cited?"
"They are not without compensa
tions. The stay in Europe has a
broadening and deepening effect on
the mind of any young woman of
ordinary intelligence, and 4 from con
tact with a life and people so different
from those at home she obtains new
ideas and inspiration. Thus she is
unavoidably fortified to. meet the dis
appointments when they come."
"Then why say 'Don't' to her?"'
"Because she might be a single ex
ception and accept- my advice. I'd
take the same slim chance of restrain
ing her that she'd take of winning
operatic fame by disregarding my ad
vice. She might be the. one per cent."
"And if she is of the 99 per cent,
her European experience may enable
her to be a good teacher at home."
How Instructors Are Made
"There again I must disagree with
you. If opera is her object, she de
votes all her time and strength to be
coming able to sing a few selections
in style as near perfection as she can
command. She does that to equip
herself to convince any impresario
who may give her a hearing that she
is a really finished singer. But unless
she ; studies with exclusive intent
to teach she cannot become a first
class teacher. Most of the great oper
atic artists could not teach if they
wanted to, because they know ex
tremely little about the actual way of
training of voices of others: Their
study was a matter of receiving not
of delivering, education."
"You have not tried teaching?"
"No, and not because I'm a great
operatic artist, either. I did not ac
quire the art of teaching, and if I
were familiar with it I could not prac
tice it, because I am temperamentally
unfitted for drudgery."
"Isn't it drudgery to appear twice
a day itf vaudeville or sing the stuff
turned out by the one finger com
posers of socalled musical comedy?"
"Drudgery can't attach to any task
which teaches you. something. In
vaudeville or musical comedy there
is always something to learn.' Teach
ing music takes from you and gives
nothing in, return."
"Have you a final word of counsel
for the young girl?"
"Yes. Tell her, for me, that sing
ing for friends and having music for
an accomplishment are two entirely
different things \u25a0 from . singing, for the
great general public and having music
for, a profession. And you might add
that praise from admiring friends and
relatives here at-home,, or even in
indulgent '. comment by local critics,
should be no warrant for*her starting
to Europe to ; prepare ' herself -for
professional career. Many a girl who
charms, by her. singing in the drawing
room faces a chill when she sings to
the public." :-^Bn
;"-• \u25a0 • •
Alcazar's Next Attraction
~ "The Moth and the" FlameV was pro
duced at the old Alcazar on O'Farrell
street, but . its - production on Monday
evening at the new Alcazar should
create much of-interest, inasmuch as
Herbert :Kelcey; and lEffie Shannon will
have the leading roles and play them
Just- as they did when the drama
created a sensation ~on Broadway.
.. When Clyde- Fitch's -one act play,
"The Harvest," ; was ; produced at the
Theater of Arts and Letters in New York
some, years ago by subscription, iin< the
audience at;, itsi production "were ' Mr.'
Kelceyi and / Shannon,', and \u25a0'- they
were fs6;deeply;* impressed with; the'
power of "The Harvest", that they •Im
mediately * sought^ Mr. : Fitch •. • .\u25a0. \u25a0 and re-
Quested : him;to lengthen : out,*if possible^
tne\: playl into; one. suitable ;for/an-even
ing's entertainment, Inis Mr. : Fitcb*
THE- SAN FRANCISCO GALL, SUNDAY, JTILYI4v
\u25a0 . ' . ; ; \u25a0\u25a0 ~ *
did, and as "The Motnand the Flame"
the play was produced at the Lyceum
theater, where it Jumped into public
favor immediately, \u25a0> and has since been
one of the strongest plays in the rep
ertoire of these stars.
' The story of "The Moth and the
Flame", is that of -a woman following
her betrayer. - Edward ' i Fletcher, '-: a
wealthy man, is the cause of , the vic
tim's trouble, «and when he 'is about to
marry the . ceremony ' is ; stopped i at the
altar by the ". denouncement /of ; his vic
tim. Even then ;thei promised bride
does not want"; to throw- over the man
of her; choice,; and; does; not bolievol the
accusation until Fletcher strikes down
his accuser, i. Then all lier love. for. him
is killed.. 1 Belascof& Mayer will ; give
"The Mqth and': the Flame" an excellent
production j and j the support of the stars
will be powerful. ...
• X i •','• i -'• \u25a0\u25a0*\u25a0'\u25a0 \u25a0 ,/\u25a0 i. :'\u25a0
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Ethel Barryrnore \ Succeeds
Ethel Barrymore's engagement at the
Van Ness theater; is pro vlng except ion
ally ; successful and * the charming,' act
ress is the recipient, of splendid-ova
tions • at- the ; close Tof • 'every J act {during
the ; performance Vof i;. "Captain ./. links.*;.
The i fantastic comedy, by,, Clyde Fitch ", is
a play of gopdly s interest/' and with 1 such
a delightful actress in "the role of Tren
toni, -• there 'cannot ;fall'jto'beTa' splendid
drawlngjpoweri to Uhe; attraction. IThls
comedy,: it .will , be 'remembered/,, was ;\ the
medium -by which 'Miss Barrymore first
rose to; stellar position*,: and since then
has been "... one \ of !; the ': ; most : notable
among.: the many; notable •: hits^of -her
tours. There; isinot a little in '/Captain
Jinks" \u25a0. that', discloses ; Miss : Barrymore's
art ; and exquisite" humor, cj In" its i love
scenes , she *is I delightfully I natural * and
her rare " acting! qualities are . in? evi
dence? all : through ; . the^ ; performance.*
Apart "; fromjr this.'f thej*"^ authentic! \u25a0% old
fashioned costumes ; and fstage I settings
must i appeal ito * connoisseurs :• and ' good
judges.- . _ \u25a0\u25a0;•_ '.r. r .v : '•_ [*\ r : \
J-\ The necond, and: last .week, of the en
gagement ;i commences Monday,; night.'
There ; will 5 be? matinees ; on Wednesday '<
%nd Saturday. \u25a0 '\u25a0".'.;•' ' ' .\u25a0. \u25a0 ' \u25a0-', \u25a0\u25a0'\u25a0 ' i " < „
;\u25a0 * ,- : - •"• . •• \u25a0 • • ' '\u25a0\u25a0
Novel Feature rat' Orpheum : :
The most • prominent : feature :i of the
billTAtlthel'prphfumff^ltheXweek^be^
ginning jthisTafternoonlwin|be'Cthe|flrßt
appearance olf ßenjamin* QixaflnUa^bis
own one act play "In ", the "White House,"
In which he will impersonate the role ot
Abraham Lincoln! - Mr. Chapin has
made the; life; and": character of -Lincoln
the study -of his own-life^ andmen who
knew -the s martyred? president and, saw,
Mr.; Chapin's 'performance have : pro
nounced- the resemblance and the limi
tation, of Mr., Lincoln's mannerisms and
outward \ characteristics little ; less : than
marvelous. Among .; these ; was ?\u25a0_ Mark
Twain, who said there ,was?"a living
and a' real Lincoln -before his eyes," and
described; the .characterization :as "a
miracle." Mr. Chapin will 'be supported
by^hls own^company, y
Willard rSlrhms, who was one of .the
most popular comedians the 1 Tivoll- ever
had/twill, /with "' the assistance of \u25a0 Edith
Conrad, : present' theYdiverting.- sketch
"In ; Flinders* "Furnished Flat." fAn
other novelty will be Muller.Chunn'and
Mulleriin; their s hoop rolling act, .'which
is unique In ; its '\u25a0ytay and remarkably
clever. 1 ;:'r-." i , ~t^ ' \u25a0.:';'.
: JThis Js the; last .'jveekVof the- Jack
.Wilson i company,;; Rose" and "Jeannette,".
Bert and Bertha" Grant/ Bernar.and his •
marionettes y and - Anita's Bartllng.r; the
Juggler/ \u25a0••
Heroic Bandit at Central
if The picturesque history of Jesse James
and -his "broth er: Frank,* the ' most' noted
of JAmerican*outlaws,>. is faithf ully^fol-^
lowed } In', the J> melodrama that ; is *tos be
this ; 4 week's f Central* theater, attraction,*
; Jamesl Boys s ini Missouri." t ßegin-;:
ning \with~(tho4 matinee today . thVpley \
willicontln'ue' one" week.,.
;' ,Herschel : Mayall' has, the trolo of -Jesse
James,^ whose [chief i work ! in" the : play^ Is
in desperadoes £bf *a* more
unprincipled , and .^dangerous" ;| type."
Evelyn jSelble, ' the' leading • lady, ; will
play * the Vpar 1 1 of "Jennie i Summers, . 5 the
sweetheart of Jesse' James. T* James Corf'
rlgan ; has \a; rich* comedy as j
Llge>Punkin^' and Jthe> opposite i role. of
Liza Jane \ is ?• taken r. byl Sadie J AirislejV?
Otherspn^tirercast}are;Thb"masiH.iHef^
I ron^whoiatltholend f of £ the \ play j kills
Jessef James Cwhlle|being|prptected|by
tlii^laJjier^GUSiMsrUmer. r-aj; Franlf
James,, and - Juliette Chandler, / Frank's
sweetheart! '
Musical Show at American.-''
% With today's /matinee -v^ill . begin the
second , and ; final .week S of * "Mam'selle
'Awklns," the new musical comedy which
has ? been big ; houses . to the
American- theater, the past week. -This
production has done more ,to popularize
theibig. Market? street playhouse; than
anything:., that '* has previously been
given' there.;
The .'-complicated • plot 4 ; of \ this 'piece
brings; about so' many, amusing; situa
tions that 'the abilities of .the comedians
» the j principals are \u25a0 all comedians
—are well brought into action/ Kathryn
Miley,-as the heroine, and Sam Sidman,'
inhiSjroletof;Hans-Hofbrau; the Ger
man ; who r \ impersonates^ Lord '" Balf ord.
score 2 hits. : The other/principals, In
cluding \ Dick Temple, Maurice Darcy,
Eugene - .Weiner, . Evan ! Baldwin, '? Laura
Oakley J and ; Elizabeth Spencer, T share
equally.'the honors^of the piece/ and ex
"cellerit !is i rendered - by : &', good
looking .and '..well ; trained : chorus.; ?
"£ The manyj new -«ongs," as well ' aa I the
grand'" cakewalk .. and <i the barnyard
minstrel show are features of the pro
duction. ."• '; : \u25a0 ' JH™B*
'• -\u25a0 •-.\u25a0' ," \u0084•.\u25a0'•
Oakland's) Best 'Offerings
i'J/M^Barrie'sdelightful comedy. f'The
Professor's VjLov©;,-; Story,',': • .-will i' be
mounted fat" 'the ' Liberty -playhouse,*
Oakland, 4 this i week, andHn* the ; role lof
the \old "sprof essor,;- Fra^nk >t ßacon;' will
make> his.; reappearance I with? the fcom-'
pany after^an -absence ; of ; nearly a" year.'
Barrleihasineveriwritten'ailine'ithafJs
notiworthy^ofritheYattentionVoti every.
f fSSSSJ-i gf 'goodv 1 modern:; flction,%%ind ! in
his "comedy, "The Professor's Love
Story,", he tells a delightful story in a
charming : manner.
.Frank Bacon, who has already estab
lished a reputation for- his excellent
portrayal of the professor in this play,
will be surrounded by Henry C. Morti
mer, . George . Friend, Henry Shumer,
George Webster, E. L. Bennison,
Justina Wayne, . a new member of the
company; Blanche, Douglas. Georgle
Cooper, Mabel . Blake and Madelaine
Maxwell.
• • • \u25a0
"The Highwayman" will be sung for
the last times this afternon and even
ing at Idora park,' Oakland, and to
morrow, night the company will appear
in \ the Strauss s opera, ; ."The Merry
"War.'*>\This:is one of i. the standard
light* operas : of the ; German'repertoire,
and is 'replete .with the charming and
catchy . melodies of the waltz king. /
..The usual .band concerts win be
given; this v af ternoon, . and as a special
feature < Prof es*or Hamilton will . make
an ascension ' and parachute* jump at ' 5
o'clock. ; \ ;IT '. i.l
Commencing tomorrow- the nark . will
offer a. sensational out of door feature
each week, as \ they, do In the • big east
ern parks. \r .The first attraction will be
"The Great ••Colby," who will leap a
gap of 35 j feet ? on ' an . ordinary, bicycle
every afternoon -at 3:30 and evening
at .10 o'cIotk?IBf&SUKBBKAB3BM&
:" . . .- - \u25a0-.\u25a0:\u25a0- \u25a0/,• _ •; •
Magnets; That Are Promised •:,•
\u25a0?$_ Ezra ; Kendall ; opens \u25a0. his engagement
at rlthe ';Van : Ness "< theater , next Sunday
night 1 In^;swell iElegant' Jones," which
Is; said '\u25a0 to ; be J a"^ combination .'of quaint
comedy . and-. unique /character v study i
v with Jts j locale •at an ; IndiahalvlllAge of
.mudbath • ' fame. Herbert ' K*^l Win
! low, who wrote "The Vinegar Buyer"
ror air. Kendall. Ut tha author of
Swell Elegant Jonea."
• • •
The new season at the Novelty tha
ater wiU be inaugurated on Monday,
July 22, with a special company- in tho
latest ' melodramatic successes. Special
scenery Is carried for all the plays to
be offered and the opening production
will. be "The Struggle of Life." ,
•. • •
i Walter. Craven, who came out with
the Frawley company and was at the
Xovelty theater until the company dis
banded, is now in charge of the stage
at the Central and . will remain there
during the summer.
• • • *
Denis O'Sulllvan's special' engage
ment of three weeks at .the "Liberty
playhouse, Oakland, will be inaugura
ted Monday evening." July 23, in Bouci
caulfs "Arrah Na Pogue," which will
be given a most picturesque produc
tion. Mr. O'Sullivan will Introduce
many of his Irtsn songs -srbJcli hay«
made him famous in two continents.
Subsequently he will play a brief sea
son at the Alcazar in this city.
• - • • \u25a0
:. Following rrhe Merry War" at
Idora park the pretty Japanese opera.
Geisha." will be presented wtth
Wallace Brownlow^ the new baritone.
In ..a prominent role. A big revival of
"Robin Hooti" is in contemplation. '
" • '- • \u25a0\u25a0•\u25a0-.
: Cyril Scott, who has not been seen
her© since his appearance with- Charles
Frohman's original rrhe * Girl I Left
Behind Me" company, IsTto return
in v"The- Prince Chap:" ' The produc
tion'will be the* same as offered in
_ _-