To the Editor of the "Normu Cua Dany News"
Sm;—Your critic's views on the premiere performance of this famous opera denotes a complete absence of musical understanding besides a' very poor musical ear. He states that "the majority of principals had a tendency to sing out of tune"—I would greatly appreciate it if he could indicate what passages were thus sung, for I attended not only the premiere performance but the second as well, and am at a loss to see what he actually mei Referring to Miss Dltzova, he goes on to say that "it is got her part..."?nd why not, may T ask? Having spent almost a third of my life on the Continent of Europe, and having had the fortunate pleasure of attending several Grand Operas I fail to see anything wrong in the casting of Miss Eltzova as Carmen. Her interpretation of that everlasting characder was one of the best I have ever witnessed and her rich mezzo-soprano voice was a real musical treat. Her singing in the first act "was faultless. and your critic dares to say that "it was marred by false intonation." I feel I must excuse him.
the sound of cannon and ma-~gun-fire must still be echoing or was he in the office when that shell took a ff ing jump through the "North-China Daily News" Building into the Whangpoo?
"Miss Zorich achieved some fairly inaccurate "sustained high notes during her big song in the smugglers" deir..." here again, I must confess that a careful inspection of his eardrums should be no longer delayed, as the notes were perfectly clear and dh tune. The same applies to his "remark about Mr, Kudinoff "who bardly sang a note of the Toreador song in tune." If anybody did sing "cult of tune, it was not Mr. Kudinoff, aid for the life of me I cannot see To the Editor of the "Nort Emma Dany NEWS"
Sm—I feel certain that all members of the foreign community will wish to echo the sentiments you finely expressed in the leading article on November 12. These are days in which our Chinese friends are going through agonies of mind and soul Those who have the imagination to understand what it means, and a heart to sympathize, will take the Occasions that present themselves to show to individual friends something at least of what they feel for them, hard though it be to express.
1 would venture to suggest that there is one more thing We might do. We might refuse to have anything to do with all proposals that "would seem to be taking advantage of the situation to create a new and privileged position for foreigners. even in the sacred name of trade.
The people of this country are our partners. To make some fresh arrangement when they are immensely preoccupied with maintaining the very existence of their nation would look rather like something that bears the ugly name of conspiracy. We British may be a nation of shopkeepers, but both we and our American cousins are des-berately proud of our reputation for a sense of honour, for sportsmanship and for fairplay.
I would also venture to hope. on the same grounds, that there may be no tame acquiescence in any attempts to interfere with our liberties in the central districts of this Settlement.
Surrounded though we may be, we are not living here in a conquered or occupied area. The Settlement is a partnership. No one partner has the right to overrule the interests of all. I think we owe it to the nation in whose land we live to assure them that the Shanghai Municipal Council with its loyal and efficient police force, backed by the Powers concerned, will continue t be entrusted with the responsibilities of government. To acquiesce in any other proposals would be indeed to compromise our own reputation and the whole future of this city,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.