hed singer or artist?

Do not these singers know better? Certainly, but they study their
audience, give the few their best, and the masses what they want. In
search for "art for art's sake," we turn to the "artist," and we find
him trying to please the audience.

We are living in a very material age. If you can afford to do so, live
art for art's sake in your home, but if you have to make your living,
and cope with the world to make a success, you must study your audience;
they paid their money and want to be entertained. You can strike a happy
medium, where you will not lower your dignity, as a singer and an
artist.

I notice that those who "rant" and "storm" on the subject of "art for
art's sake" seldom live it, of which we were given a fair demonstration
when one of our disciples of "art for art's sake" went on a "concert"
tour and was so anxious to "please" his audience, that the program was a
perfect vaudeville performance. It is needless to say that the "artist"
was severely criticised. Don't bill yourself as a concert singer and
then give a vaudeville performance. Use judgment. Watch the teacher who
is constantly talking "art for art's sake." Note to how many struggling
musicians he holds out a helping hand and how much of his time and life
he devotes to "art for art's sake."

We teachers charge enough for our lessons to make it possible for us to
devote an evening a week "to art for art's sake"; invite our pupils,
talk, sing, take up the biographies of the old masters, do ensemble
work; study the oratories and operas. I am sure this would help create a
greater love and understanding of the better things in music, for the
more we hear it, the more we love it. This would go further in helping
to create a love and understanding of "art for art's sake," and would be
a greater test of our sincerity.

Debussy, the well-known composer of Peleas and Melisande, says in an
article on "Art for Art's Sake": "Don't talk to me about elevating
public taste. That is the greatest 'bluff' one can din into your ears.
Just think for a moment what the public is composed of. How many in the
audience understand music? How many devote themselves to music during
the day? An infinitesimal number. The rest, where do they come from?
From offices, stores, business houses of some kind, or they come from
teas and gossip, and then they go to hear the opera. Most of them are
tired after a day's work or idleness, and such people you expect