icut, and
Chicago, Illinois. She studied the violin when she was six and the piano
when she was twelve. It was the ambition of her parents to make her an
instrumental performer. She studied voice with Mrs. S. R. Duff, who in
time took her to Paris and placed her under the instruction of
Trabadello and Lucien Fugere. Her operatic debut was made in
Charpentier's _Louise_ at the Opera Comique in 1900. Her success was
immediate both as an actress and as a singer. She was chosen by Debussy
and others for especially intricate roles. She created the role of
_Melisande_; also, _Fiammette_ in Laroux's _La Reine Fiammette_. In 1907
she made her American debut in _Thais_ at the Manhattan Opera House in
New York City. Later she accepted leading roles with the
Philadelphia-Chicago Opera Co. She is considered by many the finest
singing actress living--her histrionic gifts being in every way equal to
her vocal gifts. In 1921 she was made the manager of the Chicago Opera
Company.

THE KNOW HOW IN THE ART OF SINGING

MARY GARDEN

The modern opera singer cannot content herself merely with the "know
how" of singing. That is, she must be able to know so much more than the
mere elemental facts of voice production that it would take volumes to
give an intimation of the real requirements.

The girl who wants to sing in opera must have one thought and one
thought only--"what will contribute to my musical, histrionic and
artistic success?"

Unless the "career" comes first there is not likely to be any "career."

I wonder if the public ever realizes what this sacrifice means to an
artiste--to a woman.

Of course, there are great recompenses--the thrill that comes with
artistic triumphs--the sensations that accompany achievement--who but
the artist can know what this means--the joy of bringing to life some
great masterpiece?

Music manifests itself in children at a very early age. It is very rare
indeed that it comes to the surface later in life. I was always musical.
Only the media changed--one time it was violin, then piano, then voice.
The dolls of my sisters only annoyed me because I could not tolerate
dolls. They seemed a waste of time to me, and when they had paper
dolls, I would go into the room when nobody was looking and cut the
dolls' heads off. I have never been able to account for my delight in
doing this.

My father was musical. He wanted me to be a musician, but he had little
thought at first of my being a singe