Preliminary Practice
It is very important for all who wish to become artists to begin their
work not with practical exercises in singing, but with serious
practice in tone production, in breathing in and out, in the functions
of the lungs and palate, in clear pronunciation of all letters, and
with speech in general.
Then it would soon be easy to recognize talent or the lack of it. Many
would open their eyes in wonder over the
sing, and the proletariat of singers would gradually disappear. With
them would go the singing conservatories and the bad teachers who, for
a living, teach everybody that comes, and promise to make everybody a
great artist.
Once when I was acting as substitute for a teacher in a conservatory,
the best pupils of the institution were promised me,--those who needed
only the finishing touches. But when, after my first lesson, I went to
the director and complained of the ignorance of the pupils, my mouth
was closed with these words, For Heaven's sake, don't say such
things, or we could never keep our conservatory going!
I had enough, and went.
The best way is for pupils to learn preparatory books by heart, and
make drawings. In this way they will get the best idea of the vocal
organs, and learn their functions by sensation as soon as they begin
to sing. The pupil should be subjected to strict examinations.
In what does artistic singing differ from natural singing?
In a clear understanding of all the organs concerned in voice
production, and their functions, singly and together; in the
understanding of the sensations in singing, conscientiously studied
and scientifically explained; in a gradually cultivated power of
contracting and relaxing the muscles of the vocal organs, that power
culminating in the ability to submit them to severe exertions and keep
them under control. The prescribed tasks must be mastered so that they
can be done without exertion, with the whole heart and soul, and with
complete understanding.
How is this to be attained?
Through natural gifts, among which I reckon the possession of sound
organs and a well-favored body; through study guided by an excellent
teacher who can sing well himself,--study that must be kept up for
at least six years, without counting the preliminary work.
Only singers formed on such a basis, after years of work, deserve the
title of artist; only such have a right to look forward to a lasting
future, and only those equipped with such a knowledge ought to teach.
Of what consists artistic singing?
Of a clear understanding, first and foremost, of breathing, in and
out; of an understanding of the form through which the breath has to
flow, prepared by a proper position of the larynx, the tongue, and the
palate. Of a knowledge and understanding of the functions of the
muscles of the abdomen and diaphragm, which regulate the breath
pressure; then, of the chest-muscle tension, against which the breath
is forced, and whence, under the control of the singer, after passing
through the vocal cords, it beats against the resonating surfaces and
vibrates in the cavities of the head. Of a highly cultivated skill and
flexibility in adjusting all the vocal organs and in putting them into
minutely graduated movements, without inducing changes through the
pronunciation of words or the execution of musical figures that shall
be injurious to the tonal beauty or the artistic expression of the
song. Of an immense muscular power in the breathing apparatus and all
the vocal organs, the strengthening of which to endure sustained
exertion cannot be begun too long in advance; and the exercising of
which, as long as one sings in public, must never be remitted for a
single day.
As beauty and stability of tone do not depend upon excessive
pressure of the breath, so the muscular power of the organs used in
singing does not depend on convulsive rigidity, but in that snakelike
power of contracting and loosening,[1] which a singer must consciously
have under perfect control.
[Footnote 1: In physiology when the muscles resume their normal state,
they are said to be relaxed. But as I wish to avoid giving a false
conception in our vocal sensations, I prefer to use the word
loosening.]
The study needed for this occupies an entire lifetime; not only
because the singer must perfect himself more and more in the roles of
his repertory--even after he has been performing them year in and year
out,--but because he must continually strive for progress, setting
himself tasks that require greater and greater mastery and strength,
and thereby demand fresh study.
He who stands still, goes backward.
Nevertheless, there are fortunately gifted geniuses in whom are
already united all the qualities needed to attain greatness and
perfection, and whose circumstances in life are equally fortunate; who
can reach the goal earlier, without devoting their whole lives to it.
Thus, for instance, in Adelina Patti everything was united,--the
splendid voice, paired with great talent for singing, and the long
oversight of her studies by her distinguished teacher, Strakosch. She
never sang roles that did not suit her voice; in her earlier years she
sang only arias and duets or single solos, never taking part in
ensembles. She never sang even her limited repertory when she was
indisposed. She never attended rehearsals, but came to the theatre in
the evening and sang triumphantly, without ever having seen the
persons who sang and acted with her. She spared herself rehearsals
which, on the day of the performance, or the day before, exhaust all
singers, because of the excitement of all kinds attending them, and
which contribute neither to the freshness of the voice nor to the joy
of the profession.
Although she was a Spaniard by birth and an American by early
adoption, she was, so to speak, the greatest Italian singer of my
time. All was absolutely good, correct, and flawless, the voice like a
bell that you seemed to hear long after its singing had ceased.
Yet she could give no explanation of her art, and answered all her
colleagues' questions concerning it with an Ah, je n'en sais rien!
She possessed, unconsciously, as a gift of nature, a union of all
those qualities that all other singers must attain and possess
consciously. Her vocal organs stood in the most favorable relations
to each other. Her talent, and her remarkably trained ear, maintained
control over the beauty of her singing and of her voice. The fortunate
circumstances of her life preserved her from all injury. The purity
and flawlessness of her tone, the beautiful equalization of her whole
voice, constituted the magic by which she held her listeners
entranced. Moreover, she was beautiful and gracious in appearance.
The accent of great dramatic power she did not possess; yet I ascribe
this more to her intellectual indolence than to her lack of ability.
More
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Auxiliary Vowels
Like the auxiliary verbs will and have, [=a], [=e], and oo are auxiliary vowels, of whose aid we are constantly compelled to avail ourselves. It will perhaps sound exaggerated when I present an example of this, but as a matter of fact pronunciatio... Before The Public
In the wide reaches of the theatre it is needful to give an exaggeration to the expression, which in the concert hall, where the forms of society rule, must be entirely abandoned. And yet the picture must be presented by the artist to the public f... Concerning Expression
When we wish to study a role or a song, we have first to master the intellectual content of the work. Not till we have made ourselves a clear picture of the whole should we proceed to elaborate the details, through which, however, the impression o... Connection Of Vowels
How do I connect them with each other? If I wish to connect closely together two vowels that lie near to or far from each other, I must first establish the muscular contractions for [=a], and introduce between the two vowels, whether they lie near... Development And Equalization
Naturally, a singer can devote more strength to the development of one or two connected ranges of his voice than to a voice perfectly equalized in all its accessible ranges. For this are required many years of the most patient study and observatio... Equalizing The Voice; Breath; Form
Through the lowering of the pillars of the fauces, which is the same as raising the soft palate, the outflowing breath is divided into two parts. I have sketched the following representation of it:-- Division of the breath. By raising the ... Extension Of The Compass And Equalization Of Registers
The whole secret of both consists in the proper raising and lowering of the soft palate, and the pillars of the fauces connected with it. This divides into two resonating divisions the breath coming from the source of supply, and forced against th... How To Hold One's Self When Practising
In practising the singer should always stand, if possible, before a large mirror, in order to be able to watch himself closely. He should stand upright, quietly but not stiffly, and avoid everything that looks like restlessness. The hands should h... In Conclusion
The class of voice is dependent upon the inborn characteristics of the vocal organs. But the development of the voice and all else that appertains to the art of song, can, providing talent is not lacking, be learned through industry and energy. ... Interpretation
Let us return to the subject of Expression, and examine a song; for example, Der Nussbaum by Schumann. The prevailing mood through it is one of quiet gayety, consequently one demanding a pleasant expression of countenance. The song picture m... Italian And German
How easy it is for the Italians, who have by nature, through the characteristics of their native language, all these things which others must gain by long years of practice! A single syllable often unites three vowels; for instance, tuoi (tuoy[=e]... My Purpose
My purpose is to discuss simply, intelligibly, yet from a scientific point of view, the sensations known to us in singing, and exactly ascertained in my experience, by the expressions singing open, covered, dark, nasal, in the head, or in the neck... My Title To Write On The Art Of Song
Rarely are so many desirable and necessary antecedents united as in my case. The child of two singers, my mother being gifted musically quite out of the common, and active for many years not only as a dramatic singer, but also as a harp virtuoso,... Nasal Nasal Singing
By raising the back of the tongue toward the soft palate and lowering the soft palate toward the tongue, we produce nasal sound, such as is heard in the pronunciation of the word hanger, for instance. The air is then expelled chiefly through the n... Of The Breath
The breath becomes voice through the operation of the will, and the instrumentality of the vocal organs. To regulate the breath, to prepare a passage of the proper form through which it shall flow, circulate, develop itself, and reach the neces... Of The Breath And Whirling Currents
(SINGING FORWARD) The veriest beginner knows that in order to use the breath to the fullest advantage, it must remain very long diffused back in the mouth. A mistaken idea of singing forward misleads most to press it forward and thus allow it t... On Vocal Registers
What is a vocal register? A series of tones sung in a certain way, which are produced by a certain position of the vocal organs--larynx, tongue, and palate. Every voice includes three registers--chest, middle, and head. But all are not employed... Practical Exercises
The practical study of singing is best begun with single sustained tones, and with preparation on the sound of ah alone, mingled with o and oo. A position as if one were about to yawn helps the tongue to lie in the right place. In order not to ... Preliminary Practice
It is very important for all who wish to become artists to begin their work not with practical exercises in singing, but with serious practice in tone production, in breathing in and out, in the functions of the lungs and palate, in clear pronunci... Preparation For Singing
No one can sing properly without first preparing for it, mentally and physically, with all the organs concerned in the production of the voice. We have in this to perform three functions, simultaneously:-- First, to draw breath quietly, not t... Resonant Consonants
K, l, m, n, p, s, and r at the end of a word or syllable must be made resonant by joining to the end of the word or syllable a rather audible [)e] (eh); for instance, Wandel^e, Gretel^e, etc. A thing that no one teaches any longer, or knows or ... Sensation And Position Of The Tongue
We feel the placing of its tip against or beneath the front teeth; and place the tip very low, so that it really curves over in front. (See plate.) Its hinder part must be drawn back toward the palate, in the pronunciation of every letter. F... Singing Covered
We sing covered as soon as the soft palate is lowered toward the nose (that is, in the middle register), and the resonance and attack are transferred thither so that the breath can flow over the soft palate through the nose. This special functi... Singing Toward The Nose Head Voice
When the peak of the softest part of the palate is placed forward toward the nose, instead of being drawn up high behind the nose, as in the head voice (see plate, head voice and nasal tone), it forms a kind of nasal production which, as I have al... The Attack
To attack a tone, the breath must be directed to a focal point on the palate, which lies under the critical point for each different tone; this must be done with a certain decisiveness. There must, however, be no pressure on this place; for the ov... The Cure
There are no magic cures for the singer. Only slowly, vibration upon vibration, can the true pitch be won back. In the word soaring lies the whole idea of the work. No more may the breath be allowed to flow uncontrolled through the wearied vocal c... The Great Scale
This is the most necessary exercise for all kinds of voices. It was taught to my mother; she taught it to all her pupils and to us. But I am probably the only one of them all who practises it faithfully! I do not trust the others. As a pupil one m... The Head Voice
The head tone signifies, for all voices, from the deepest bass to the highest soprano,--excepting for the fact that it furnishes the overtones for each single tone of the whole vocal gamut,--youth. A voice without vibrancy is an old voice. The mag... The Highest Head Tones
As we have already seen, there is almost no limit to the height that can be reached by the pure head tone without admixture of palatal resonance. Very young voices, especially, can reach such heights, for without any strain they possess the necess... The Lips
Of special importance for the tone and the word are the movements of the lips, which are so widely different in the bright and in the dark vowels. These movements cannot be too much exaggerated in practising. The same strength and elasticity to wh... The Position Of The Mouth (contraction Of The Muscles Of Speech)
What must my sensations be with the muscles of speech? How shall I control them? The best position of the mouth, the means of securing the proper use of the muscles of speech and of the vocal organs, is established by pronouncing the vowel [=a]... The Sensation Of The Resonance Of The Head Cavities
The sensation of the resonance of the head cavities is perceived chiefly by those who are unaccustomed to using the head tones. The resonance against the occipital walls of the head cavities when the head tones are employed, at first causes a very... The Sensations Of The Palate
The sensations of the palate are best made clear to us by raising the softest part behind the nose. This part is situated very far back. Try touching it carefully with the finger. This little part is of immeasurable importance to the singer. By ra... The Singer's Physiological Studies
Science has explained all the processes of the vocal organs in their chief functions, and many methods of singing have been based upon physiology, physics, and phonetics. To a certain extent scientific explanations are absolutely necessary for the... The Tongue
Since it is the function of the tongue to conduct the column of breath above the larynx to the resonance chambers, too much attention cannot be given to it and its position, in speaking as well as in singing. If it lies too high or too low, it may... The Tremolo
Big voices, produced by large, strong organs, through which the breath can flow in a broad, powerful stream, are easily disposed to suffer from the tremolo, because the outflow of the breath against the vocal cords occurs too immediately. The brea... The Vowel-sound _ah_
There is much discussion as to whether ah, oo, or some other vowel is the one best adapted for general practice. In former times practice was entirely on the vowel-sound ah. The old Italians taught it; my mother was trained so, and never allowed h... Theodor Wachtel
The most perfect singer that I remember in my Berlin experience was Theodor Wachtel in this respect, that with his voice of rare splendor, he united all that vocal art which, as it seems, is destined quite to disappear from among us. How beautiful... Trill
There still remains the trill, which is best practised in the beginning as follows:-- The breath is led very far back against the head cavities by the [=a], the larynx kept as stiff as possible and placed high. Both tones are connected as clo... Velocity
Singers, male and female, who are lacking velocity and the power of trilling, seem to me like horses without tails. Both of these things belong to the art of song, and are inseparable from it. It is a matter of indifference whether the singer has ... White Voices
There are also singers, male and female, who use too much head tone through their entire compass; such voices are called white. Their use of the palatal resonance being insufficient, they are not able to make a deeper impression, because their pow...