to take
an interest in serious music. Impossible! No; the only thing you can do
for the public is to lift it, for one moment, out of its daily thoughts,
and with that we have to be content. Under such conditions, what
difference does it make whether you have German, Italian or French
opera? There is no immovable truth in art. You cannot say this is so or
so, and what difference do the means make as long as the end is
accomplished? If Italian opera is more effective than German opera, what
does it matter? All art is untruth. You may have been told that art is
eternal because it is true, but there you are mistaken."

[Illustration: ANDREAS DIPPEL

Of the Metropolitan Grand Opera and General Manager of the Chicago Grand
Opera, who through his tireless and skillful service is meeting with
great success in the establishing of permanent Grand Opera in the larger
cities west of New York, is an enthusiastic supporter of the Grand Opera
in the vernacular, giving the many excellent American singers an
opportunity to make their debut in this country and in their own
language. Mr. Dippel predicts the time is not far distant when New York
will establish the home of the National Grand Opera.]

EDUCATING THE MASSES.

The musician who refuses to make certain concessions to the public gives
proof of courage, but not of wisdom. One cannot expect to go before an
audience and sing over their heads, and by so doing educate them up to
one's own standard of music.

You must reach down from your lofty ideals and meet the public on its
own ground.

For example, in creating a love for the grand opera (which the people,
especially of the west, up to a few years ago have had no chance of
hearing), you must proceed gradually, carefully and with tact.

Teachers of voice culture should organize grand opera study clubs, give
concerts, using selections from the popular grand opera--I mean by
popular grand opera "Il Trovatore," "Carmen," "Faust," etc. These
operas contain airs that are attractive, and can be followed by the
masses.

It would not be long before the grand opera would share honors with the
now flourishing musical comedy in the affections of the music-loving
public, and the term "grand opera" would not sound to them like a
"bugaboo."

In Brooklyn one afternoon I passed a number of boys coming from school,
and was astonished to hear them whistling "Tannhauser." While this would
be quite natural in Europe it is rather unus