lar roles. Her repertoire runs from the _Marriage of
Figaro_ to _Die Meistersinger_. Her voice is a clear, pure, sweet
soprano; and, like Mme. Sembrich and Mme. Galli-Curci, she clearly shows
the value of her instrumental training in the accuracy, precision and
clarity of her coloratura work. She has made many successful concert
tours of the United States. In addition to being a brilliant singer she
is an excellent actress. She is now an American citizen and the wife of
an American business man.

THOROUGHNESS IN VOCAL PREPARATION

MME. FRIEDA HEMPEL

WHY SOME SUCCEED AND SOME FAIL

In every thousand girls who aspire to Grand Opera probably not more than
one ever succeeds. This is by no means because of lack of good voices.
There are great numbers of good voices; although many girls who want to
be opera singers either deceive themselves or are deceived by others
(often charlatan teachers) into believing that they have fine natural
voices when they have not. There is nothing more glorious than a
beautiful human voice--a voice strong, resonant, if necessary, but
velvety and luscious if needs be. There are many girls with really
beautiful natural voices who have lost their chances in Grand Opera
largely because they have either not had the personal persistence
necessary to carry them to the point where their services are in demand
by the public or they have had the misfortune not to have the right kind
of a vocal or musical drill master--a really good teacher.

Teachers in these days waste a fearful amount of time in what they
consider to be their methods. They tell you to sing in the back, or on
the side or through the mask or what not, instead of getting right down
to the real work. My teacher in Berlin, at the Conservatory, insisted
first of all upon having me sing tones and scales--mostly long sustained
tones--for at least one entire year. These were sung very softly, very
evenly, until I could employ every tone in my voice with sureness and
certainty. I don't see how it could possibly have been accomplished in
less time. Try that on the American girl and she will think that she is
being cheated out of something. Why should she wait a whole year with
silly tones when she knows that she can sing a great aria with only a
little more difficulty?

The basis of all fine singing, whether in the opera house or on the
concert stage, is a good legato. My teacher (Nicklass Kempner) was very
insistent upon this. In