rmack. Those who have only heard the
latter do little Irish tunes, have no idea of what he is capable. I have
heard him sing Mozart as no one else I know of can. These two artists
have, through ceaseless application, won vocal mastery. It is something
we are all striving for!"

III

=VICTOR MAUREL=

MIND IS EVERYTHING

Mr. James Huneker, in one of his series of articles entitled "With the
Immortals," in the New York _World_, thus, in his inimitable way
characterizes Victor Maurel:

"I don't suppose there is to be found in musical annals such diversity
of aptitudes as that displayed by this French baritone. Is there an
actor on any stage to-day who can portray both the grossness of Falstaff
and the subtlety of Iago? Making allowance for the different art medium
that the singing actor must work in, and despite the larger curves of
operatic pose and gesture, Maurel kept astonishingly near to the
characters he assumed. He was Shakespearian; his Falstaff was the most
wonderful I ever saw."

[Illustration: VICTOR MAUREL]

And then Iago: "In the Maurel conception, Othello's Ancient was not
painted black in black--the heart of darkness, but with many nuances,
many gradations. He was economical of gesture, playing on the jealous
Moor as plays a skillfully handled bow upon a finely attuned violin. His
was truly an objective characterization. His Don Giovanni was broadly
designed. He was the aristocrat to the life, courtly, brave, amorous,
intriguing, cruel, superstitious and quick to take offense. In his best
estate, the drinking song was sheer virtuosity. Suffice to add that
Verdi intrusted to him the task of "originating" two such widely
sundered roles as Iago and Falstaff. An extraordinary artist!"

One evening we were discussing the merits of various famous singers of
the past and present. My friend is an authority whose opinion I greatly
respect. He is not only a singer himself but is rapidly becoming a
singing master of renown.

After we had conferred for a long time, my friend summed it all up with
the remark:

"You know who, in my opinion, is the greatest, the dean of them all, a
past master of the art of song--Victor Maurel."

Did I not know! In times gone by had we not discussed by the hour every
phase of Maurel's mastery of voice and action? Did we not together
listen to that voice and watch with breathless interest his investiture
of Don Giovanni, in the golden days when Lilli Lehmann and the De