here, I try to sing it just as I would before an audience; I have
not two ways of doing it, one way for a small room and another for a
large one. If your tone placement is correct, and you are making the
right effects, they will carry equally in a large space. At least this
is my experience. But," she added, smiling, "you may find other artists
who would not agree to this, who would think quite differently. Each one
must see things her own way; and singing is such an individual thing
after all.

THE SUBJECT OF INTERPRETATION

"The interpretation of a role, or song, is everything--of course. What
are mere notes and signs compared to the thoughts expressed through
them? Yet it is evident there are people who don't agree to this, for
one hears many singers who never seem to look deeper than the printed
page. They stand up and go through their songs, but the audiences
remain cold; they are not touched. The audiences are blamed for their
apathy or indifference, but how can they be warmed when the singer does
not kindle them into life?

"To me there is a wonderful bond of sympathy between the audience and
myself. I feel the people, in a sense, belong to me--are part of my
family. To them I pour out all my feelings--my whole soul. All the
sorrow of the sad songs, all the joy of the gay ones, they share with
me. In this spirit I come before them; they feel this, I am sure. It
awakens a response at once, and this always inspires me. I put myself in
a receptive mood; it has the desired effect; my interpretation becomes
inspired through their sympathy and my desire to give out to them.

THE WORDS OF A SONG PARAMOUNT

"I feel the greatest thing about a song is the words. They inspired the
music, they were the cause of its being. I cannot imagine, when once
words have been joined to music, how other words can be put to the same
music, without destroying the whole idea. The words must be made plain
to the audience. Every syllable should be intelligible, and understood
by the listener. I feel diction is so absolutely essential. How can a
singer expect the audience will take an interest in what she is doing,
if they have no idea what it is all about? And this applies not only to
English songs but to those in French as well. In an audience there will
be many who understand French. Shall the singer imagine she can
pronounce a foreign tongue in any old way, and it will go--in these
days? No, she must be equally careful about all