Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-10-29
OPERATIC SINGING.
The AmaxinEly Difficult ROuIades and
FiOrIture of the Last Century.

The music written for the great singers Of
the last century is still in existence, and il is
on looking through the scores of Porpora
and Hasse, and Handel, and his rival in
Italian opera Buononcini, that one is struck
with amazement at the human throats which
were expected to emit these endless roulades,
these delicate Torture, the prolonged shakes
and trills. The voice is here treated like
any other musical instrument, and the limits
OF breath and tone seem to be utterly disre-
gsrded. In addition to these marvellous feats
of dgiiitd, the singer had to command the
breadth of style and power of voice neces-
ssry for the more sustained melodious pas
sages
Difficulties such as these could be sur
passed only by consummate art, and we ac-
cordingly find that the training of a singer in
those days was very serious matter, re-
quiring time and infinite trouble Nova
days a young vocalist, after a few months
superficial study, appears on the concert
platform and sings ballads TO the delight of
public unable to distinguish clever natural
ism from true art. Porpora, the master of
Farinelli, had another pupil, the hardly less
famous Caffarelli, whom for two, others say
for five, years he allowed to practice only
one exercise containing all the problems OF
vocal art in a nutshell. When this piece
had been perfectly mastered, Porpora dis
missed his pupil, saying: "Now, my son,
you are the greatest singer in Europe"
The exclusive cultivation of vocal skill
was at once the glory and the bane OF the
Italian school. A singer intent upon his
shakes and scales could pot possibly think of
the dramatic action suitable to the ituation,
neither was the musician writing for him
likely to regard the higher claims of his ar,
for which the public had lost all taste and
appreciation. In the same measure as the
feeling for the dramatic prophecies in mu-
steal art was reawskened by the great must
clans of Germany-Gluck, MOI art AVID others
the supreme r1le of the singer began 10
decline, and he was gradually reduced to his
proper task of interpreting the intentions of
dram atist and composer; while the orchestra,
formerly little mors than an accomp anyiug
instrument, became at the same time an i'm
portsnt exponent of the dramatic action.
Mozart, Verdi, Meyerbeer, Wagner, and
other masters have at various times been
credited with this victory of the compos er
over the vocalist, or charged with the de-
struction of the art OF singi ng, according to
the standpoint of their critlcs. II is unfor-
tunately true that the progress of the musico-
dramatic art has been accompanied by
decline of vocal skill, and the fact is easily
accounted for. Not that good singing is less
required in the music OF Wagner than in
that of Pergoleei; but there are in it certainly
fewer opportunities for independent vocal
uAoPIdJt anu WIN tAtbc opportunities tnc
chief inducement for practieing the bel eante
is gone.
The great mistake of the earlier masters
was that they transferred to the stage the |
vocal exercises which belonged to the school |
room. An old-fashioned aria of the forid |
type is little more than series of so5eggi, |
we'll adapted TO produce the voice, but worth |
ess as a medium of dramatic expression. |
Unfortunately, most modern singers fail TO |
Zee the matter in this light, and being no
onger allowed to practice their exercises be-
ore the footlights they refuse TO practice
hem at all, the result being such as has al
eady been indicated. We still have a few
EXCELLENT teachers and a number of gifted
ind highly accomplished singers, but there
s no longer a school of vocal aria "land of
ong." For Italy has no longer any Just
lain to that title, and singing may be learned
n London and Paris and Vienna as well as,
not better than, in Rome or Venice.-Lon-
IN Tr,oss