isa-normaladvance-1909-00205

Description:	THE NORMAL ADVANCE205Letter from Miss ParrMt Dear Mr. Edington : You have askedme to write of things that have interested meand that would be of general interest to yourreaders, so I hesitate to write at all, because,like the well-known Idiot, I have been interested in everything from the big lion at theBronx Zoo to the lions on Broadway. Theother day I fed peanuts to the squirrels, foxesand guinea pigs in Central Park before listening to Grand Opera, and enjoyed both to amarked degree.I wish I could have gotten my old chorusclass via wireless the evening I heard TetrazziniI told them of her last year, told them that shewas fat, fair and forty, but that she outrivalledthe birds when she sang. The climax of herwork seems to be in the mad scene in Luciadi Lammermoor. Just to my right, the nightI heard her in Lucia, was a nice little Italianwho appreciated a fine point when he heard it,and who actually clapped at the psychologicalmoment (a thing seldom done) and who hissedme because I tried to open a box of milk chocolate during the orchestral prelude. I took warning and used pantomine during the remainderof the evening, so as not to distress his Highness, the Count Spaghetti. At the conclusionof the Mad Scene, I watched him. As therefloated out to the audience the last high tonethat was almost painful it was so sweet, CountS got his hands in a clapping attitude.As Tetrazzini held and held and held the toneuntil it seemed to melt into nothing, his handskept opening like a mouth that is surprised,until I had to shrink to one side to give themroom. But I felt sorry for his palms, when thecrash came.I wished again that the chorus might haveheard The Messiah and the old HallelujahChorus that we used to sing in Chapel, givenunder Damrosch with the New York Symphony and four-hundred voices. I was proudof Corinne-Rider-Kelsey and George Hamlin,because they did so well, and are both Americans. When I heard Mrs. Kelsey sing I KnowThat My Redeemer Liveth I was glad that Iwas receiving the same instruction of whichshe has made such good use.I had also told the Chorus much of Melba.,She is now so large that in love scenes, she hasto be the verb. It wasnt so funny this year asit was last, for this year she was at the Manhattan Opera House where the tenors happen tobe large. I heard her play in La Bohemewith Constantino as Rudolph to her Mimi. Butlast yearwhen she and Bonci played together,Bonci looked like a nice little boy that she coulachastise, instead of having the appearance ofher lover. Melba is still an artist, but the freshness is gone from her voice. Sembrich voluntarily retired this year, and Eames was compelled to do so. The older singers are givingway to the new generation. Caruso, Zenatello,Martin and Taccani are the beautiful-voicedtenors Homer, the only contralto worth hearing, and Tetrazzini, Gadski, Rappold, Farrarand Trentini are the favorite sopranos. Andeven Farrar sang so poorly the last few timesI heard her, that she dampened the entire performance. I have learned that a beautifulvoice one year may be sadly out of gear thenext. Olive Fremstadt is an instance. Lastyear her voice was beautiful, but this year, ithas retrogarded most decidedly. Bonci sangmiserably at the beginning of the season, buttowards the last, he regained almost all his oldtime beauty of voice and interpretation.In the way of drama, the last one seen hasalways been the best. Grace George in AWomans Way, was the very last one that Iheard in New York. There is electricity in almost every line, the entire play is electric withfun, sparkle and pathos, until there isnt a dryminute in it.
Source:	http://indstate.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/isuarchive/id/34235
Collection:	Indiana State University Archives

Further information on this record can be found at its source.