| Show r. r J 1 hT 1 T ri r 1 C. C l 11 o f 9 n r 44 J f i W 1 l i c 1 1 i. i J 1 1 Ir h Ii 1 h f r I at r fr i. i 7 M r. r i vS 4 i h c- c Jt 1 i 11 y pl 1 r t i Tl Y 1 T. T 8 I J f NE RICHES Renown an and t the e c RO oar r o I r r Y 1 r ra WOMAN V i T r A Applause a use F Prom From tom h T Thousands ous n ds O o ft 1 1 a r tG J 3 i Music Lovers Lovers But at Cost of of L the Price rice o of flier her Fame Love friendship ds i hio IP lS H Husband b an d t Jj i i x t t H- H Home Children and rut Mater Material Y ik iJ t E y y Comforts om ores ores- Rosa osa Po ons l 1 s i 1 Own wn Story tor J. J o of Her Success in to In toy t Y y- y J ry w Grand ran d Opera Climaxing in I J I t 11 1 7 1 lr z r t r f. f H Her R Recent L London d T. T on on Triumph rum flum ph Vr y t v p a r v tM d rf a q 4 t J Y x dr N k f. f t r y r 5 k i 4 i r f r i meaning of ofa and it intimately inti- inti fir r t Rr 4 r fir r h s s a song bring more Y 1 near to the listeners L l. l t E 4 y r fr When song after song strongly contrast contrast- contrasting rte ing in mood follow one one another in a pea pea-i program pro pro- a t y ifs b gram giam after each i is ended and before I Ising e f. f x R sing a note of the next to f follow I pu put l w y i ytri f a fr l r l 1 myself in touch with its particular mood tt a 7 d' d 7 yam ri f Y gY a r In heart In Ur attitude in facial ex expression I X cannot sing a sad cad song song with a smile r 6 r x r on my face I cann cannot t sing a tragic ariar aria arta s ss ha s Y S Jib Y j and let my eyes rove about bout the h hall Nall U. U s j S When I X sing a lullaby my arms are folded 4 4 r Y f. f as If it ID my own blond baby were in th them A the baby I should so love If a singer er o iti s would impress her hearers with the real reality 1 wy 5 it ity of cf her songs sh she must feel them in t iJ I 4 actuality in eve every fiber of her be being r s l 9 i i i Delightful kindnesses are shown me on oa a rf Sf t j tr it t ry 5 r r p r r my a- a singing tours they brighten the way i M ht b Jr i. i var k O OV V r r ras r 5 N C 1 r. r r y i as greatly great Y as ea does deco the a appreciation lotion of my r. r a f f t i 1 audiences At Greensboro In North Carolina Caro Caro- f ri x h I F lina recen recently the hotel at which I stopped f st it Z b 51 4 4 n was We at the intersection of uy several street streets i l x to r i F r t f 6 l n 4 S l f i x The traffic at that point was controlled by bya 3 k y r f ls a shrill bell beD 1 instead of oi silent lights ts That IJ t. t j 1 T r b bell U ke kept t ringing all day and all night y f Love Lore or Fame by J. J Y Y Hunter distin distin- distinguished r s British artist portrays a situation n which Rosa Ponselle avers ers confronts most girls who aspire to the role rote of a prima donna EARLY two decades ago go a little I Italian American girl standing standing stand- stand NEARLY ing illg at the altar of a church in Meriden Conn with a class in confirmation gave her name as Melba She was known to the priest as Rosa Ponselle daughter of a local merchant e an t but insisted upon adding the name o of f Melba after Melba after the great Melba Melba because because a-because because the latter was the childs child's idol and this brave little girl was sure I she Bhe was destined some sonic day to be another Melba Several weeks ago Rosa Rosa- Ponselle and Dame Dante Melba met met for for forthe the the first time in time in London It was in famous Co Covent vent Garden where Melba ruled a quarter quart r of a century ago as the queen queers of song and where now Rosa Ponselle malting making her debut abroad y was destined to receive the same tumultuous acclaim accorded the great Melba elba years ago How Rosa born American Ponselle born rican trained without European European Euro Euro- pe rn aid the first filSt bona ona fide American prima donna donna- L exported from f the United States States made made good not t only with Dame Melba elba I but with the enthusiastic English opera lovers opera lovers is now a matter of f hi history tory Awarded after lo long tg v years years' f ears ears' of working and waiting the glorious title of great artist Rosa Ponselle here ere tells her 4 own life story y and what it has cost her to achieve her goal t r. By Rosa Ponselle WHAT HAT does a a. prima donna pay for far her V career Most rost things that a girl leading leadIng lead lead- Ing a a. normal life considers hers by right S Many girls think that a nice voice a trunk full of or clothes a a. rich fa father the and an acquaintance with some one at the Metropolitan Opera House will make her hera a prima donna But even should she be become become become be- be come a prima donna on those merits she would not remain a a. prima donna very long It Is one thing to come before the public public public pub pub- lic but it is another thing to stay there And nd the only way to stay there granted that a a. singer has the gifts Is through hard work to the exclusion of all else forit for forIt forit it will wUl take the total of her time and strength to carry on For one month in the year I Can throw up tip my hands my-hands hands in freedom r dom the other eleven I ahi am studying rehearsing singing trav trav- tra v- v eling eUng It means isolation m with throngs about me It means forgoing much for which I long but cannot realize My voice is the best gift God gave me When I was was' 13 years old I turned to it means of support My father met with business troubles I had to work Going to the manager of a picture motion-picture th theatre atre in Meriden Menden Conn where I was b born rn I 1 asked Will wm you pay me mc to sing between the pictures Let me hear you he answered The only things I 1 knew were hymns we sang In the childrens children's choir at church I 1 sang some of them Tears rolled down his cheeks Perhaps he was ashamed of them at any rate he said gruffly Go home and learn some somo cheerful tunes Those would break up my show adding then uthen Ill I'll take you I T engagement was followed by another another another an- an other also at a Meriden Menden motion motion pic plc- plc ture tute theatre where they paid me mor more Then The came my singing in a a. cabaret in New Haven Following this I ventured to to New York securing a vaudeville engagement engagement engagement engage engage- ment with my sister that lasted two years Meanwhile I had saved my money carefully paying for formy my vocal lessons ns out of It In another six months came the g glorious orious night of my debut as s prima donna at the Metropolitan Perhaps you know the rest rest for I 1 have been singing there and andin andin in concert ever since I l love ve home life life I love friends about me but if one works works' eleven hours bourg a day there Is no time to keep up friendships My old friends knowing th that t my feeling toward them is unchanged think Rosa Rosais is 18 too teo busy t to see me which is true Therefore they stay away Last season season I sang seventY seventY- three seventy times thirty opera performances three forty t concerts On my concert tour I met many e it r j 7 r 1 J r I H charming people people only only to say good That is one of or the drawbacks In being a wandering mInstreL Meeting those interesting people and saying good-by good to them mak makes me realize discouragingly what a big world it is how many different fields of life are presented and that I 1 can have e only a little glimpse of them One city where I sing Is lovely the lovely the next is an industrial one shrouded in smoke moke At one hotel the beds seem made of nuggets at another 4 they ar are downy at atone atone at atone one hotel the soup tastes as though the j 3 ay s NS fire had gone out years ago at another another an an- other it Is all that one could ask To ro these Jatter latter and many other minor matters matter s one grows accustomed it is 18 only their accumulative tive effect toward 4 the end of ot long travel that gnaws at stolid patience However there Is something else which is far more serious girls leading the nor nor normal mal life may be surprised to hear it While I 1 must as prima donna forgo friendships I must for the same reason cherish nb tender illusions I cannot en encourage encourage encourage en- en courage love love though I have havo my dreams dreams' of It I Isee see a handsome man his face fac Interests in interests interests In- In me perhaps he is presented Then someone some one comes up to say Madame your train is 15 leaving L Lean can never go with aman a aman man to the theatre and enjoy a play I Iam Iam l' l lam am singing an opera performance that evening or resting up for another the next night or too tired from a a. long re rehearsal rehearsal rehearsal re- re t to think of ot going out at all aU However there is 15 much more demand upon one in the they singing life than those hours on the stage or rehearsing for them For instance Norma in which I Just justs s sang ng at rit Covent Garden London had not been Jeen given in America for tor thirty-six thirty years No lio one whom I I 1 knew had bad sung it there there- therefore tore fore no one could tell ell me anything of ot 1 its S traditions I had bad as it were to create through my Imagination th the tho role rote from Its foundations upward Going to the Public Library in NewYork NewYork New York and the library at the Metropolitan Museum of A Art 1 I stud studied ed the history of Normas Norma's times Umes eo ao 0 th that t I might characterIze character character- Ize her faithfully get at h her r psychology s as influenced and impelled b by those long- long gone surroundings I st studied ed books of costumes es to to get every minor detail downto down downto to to the Jewelry correct For weeks when I was not Dot studying text and mUl or ore ore- re- re I 4 t.- t. f k l c t ln f IS I'S wa r r n rr G. G r N Ji ra f hC Jl y 1 r n rYr rY rr t f n. n r r r fw f p y y y f 7 t ti rl r d t Y t J y N s Y e f r ter i f J yn q 4 f w 1 xv f r r Y 1 fJ r l y ya a R t q l i r ts i f i 6 Y i r ri r i fY kf n 1 i r a r f i a pry 1 sS B r Y it a y it aN aNI I t WI s Y hip I ILOVE fr 1 Sy N Y Y A n y I LOVE LVE to give ha haJ hap happiness ap t J n d b by hy m my Sin sing sing- fi in ing I love m my career I r ws w p s am a thankful for Gods God's 4 b best est gl sift gift f t to me m my voice vOIce voce j i i 4 ff But there is here i is a hunger e r that J r t r. r f Y is is not appeased by hy these x I look about in the theion s s me i iY n isolation ion of home and I Y m my 9 t. t I fancy what what a a different Y scene it it would present with th husband and chi children r f o of f m my own d Rosa Ponselle loves children but her car career J 4 denies her fist marriage and A. A z 3 4 r motherhood she r i j 2 states st r M i. i l N iry Y j vY y 7 ay I f t. t Y f 7 y O the role ab absorbed ab- ab R f f k my thought I I t tate ate au and l I slept the rest of the time I lived li Norma Eating does not wisely ly play playa a prominent part In the lives of prima dO donnas On the days when I have to sing at the opera or in concert I 1 have one oue real meal a d day y served d at 3 o'clock in the afternoon Then I cat eat pretty much much what I I want Breakfast Breakfast Breakfast Break Break- fast is of ot fruit and crackers supper is along th the same simple lines the latt latter r Comes comes mes after the opera or concert Is 15 ended However n not t tonly only 1 is too much food bad for for forthe the voice but one c cannot look like Uke a n nb b balloon and still sUll' appear rom romantic My Biggest Joy as a a. singer Is In making people happy by my singing Other joys of mine in the singing life may not sound thrilling to you Be that as It may here are s sonic some me of the them In the Uie opera of Gioconda Glo Gio conda dressed in a gorgeous pink costume cos cos- costume tume I wander among the glories of ot old Venice of which cb my mother told me much in Andrea JAndre chenIer I b have ve as the daughter of aristocrats my romE romance nce with a revolutionist whose fate tate I t share on on the scaffold In Norma Norm I am the High Priestess ruler of a a. people whose marriage and motherhood bring her fall from pow power r in 1 I am Queen of a m mythical cal land loving the white stranger tranger w who o co comes ea to me i j r q r jf j I r. L I pt Ti f 4 It Is play acting No it it is 15 reality With the glamour of a a. gre great t orchestra carrying my voice oice as though on soaring wings the moving figures of my colleagues about me the costumes scenery lighting lightIng light light- Ing a great audience beyond the glaring footlights which screen them from me but whose presence I feel f el so strongly that strongly th that thatIs t Is real romance too Not the kind of ot romance ro romance romance ro- ro mance that being loved by a big curly- curly headed blond man would bring me me but nevertheless romance romance that stirs the blood and the emotions IN N. N THE surroundings of an opera performance performance per per- per per- once I am deep In it I om am m living it Between the acts and In my dressing room to change costume I do not realize that I 1 am Rosa Ponselle I seem instead to be Aida Alda Gioconda Norma the woman I Iam am singing When the last curlain curtain cur cur- tam lain falls I ama am a rag but contented In concert another kind prima of prima prima- 1 t J L' L Y Jk kA 4 i i J donna doima happiness is given me the happiness happiness happiness hap hap- of ot seeing faces and the expression on them which the blinding footlights of tho the opera prevent When I sing a a. lullaby for instance It does not take long to establish establish lish Ush the identity y of young fathers and mothers there when I 1 sing the aria Pace Pace Peace Peace from The Force of Destiny whose refrain is lean clean on God GoeS for peace and solace It softens and Irradiates Irradiates irradiates Irra Irra- tired faces In Annie Laurie I IsIng Ising Ising sing to the young who regard one another bo h r with tenderness O 0 Sole MIo Mb will wUl bring to some face maybe up In the gallery seats scats an expression as ns of seeing in a vision his beloved Italy To ac act In son song on the concert stage Is unforgivable In the artistic sense Butone Butone But one cannot stand stolidly and anding sing such a a. song a as for tor instance Silent Tears by Schumann It Is through the attitude in which one ne stands and by the play of ot facial expression that one can cnn heighten heighten- the t. t Jt sL Ar il rY V ill irAY J UNABLE to sleep because of it and m my r J concert there on the next evening I telephoned the office In despair saying unless the bell were stopped Z I could 8 neither sleep nor sing It was stopp stopped d. d y not pot only for t tall the he balance of ot the night but bu all aU the next day I X had heard and read much of Southern chivalry then I experienced ex- ex r it t Another of or those charming Channing incidents incident w came at Keene Beene N N. H. H When men I X w went nt out outon outon 7 on the stage not onI only the Chorus with which I was to sing WIg stood up up to to greet me but the whole audience In Washington where I sang in Norma Norman last spring with the Metropolitan Opera Company on tour tour- r President and Mrs Mrs Coolidge were in th tho audience They left after the first act Next day the President received me Almost Al Almost Al most his first words expressed appreciation tion and regret at leaving so early because Mrs Coolidge had been ill from anxiety i over her mothers mother's illness i Of course m many ny letters come to tome me and f those which touch me most are from patients patients pa- pa i in in hospitals and in homes who can tan s sonly try P only hear bear hearme me on the records or at over the i. i radio Through enforced travel and hard rd study I Have nave g got of t education The element lemen of bf i 1 1 1 1 fb r ti I l. l I A. A ft b J Iy bS y y I 8 i r a rF r 4 ti I a J JI 4 |
