"Must Sympathise With My Feeling of Humiliation"

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 10, 15 September 1933, Page 15

"Must Sympathise With My Feeling of Humiliation"

To the Editor. Sir,-I have read with considerable interest your issue of the eurrent week. L would venture to suggest, however, that ‘"Imp’s" criticism of the programme of operatie songs arranged by me for the evening of Wednesday, August 16-your contributor is in error in giving the date as ‘Thursday, August 17-is lacking in that fairness which one has become accustomed to expect from your periodical. It almost seems to me that "Imp" has come under the influence of some person or persons who are not favourably disposed to the type of work professed by vocalists trained by me. I submit, Sir, that since my students sang in Italian, I am more likely to be a com(Continued. on next page).

(Continued: from previous page.) petent judge of their pronunciation ‘of that language than your contributor, { It is my profession not only to teach voice ‘production. but td teach Italian, and I say; without fear of contradiction, that those who-sang on the evening in question: had been well coached in the rendering in Italian of their various items, and that it is most unjust to state, as does "Imp; * that they were "not entirely at home with a foreign language." I value my. professional standing too highly to allow any student to perform in public under my direction unless he is competent ‘to do so. _ The musical body against which "Imp" so lightly levels this unfair criticism has come repeatedly before the public both at ordinary concerts and on the air. I hold, however, that before’ such ‘eriticism appears in the official columns of a radio paper it is the duty of the person responsible for the publication to assure: hiniself that it is justified and founded on facts, Observations by those on whose judgment-I place reliance state that the work of my students on August 16 reflected great _eredit upon both teacher and pupils. I know myself that the concert was the result of a yéar’s conscientious work on my part, and am ustifiably annoyed that: such a criti¢cism’ as which’ appears in your ¢olumn should ‘be directed against a programme which'numerous listeners-in assure me reached a level of merit rarely attained in New Zealand. — | I-think, Sir, that you must sympathise with my feeling of humiliation at the thought ‘that my professional reputation and ‘general standing as an artist and ‘teacher are thus at the mercy of incompetent, ignorant, and ill-natured criticism, --I am, ete,

GIOVANNI

STELLA

Dunedin.