Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-28
HOW THE ITALIANS SING.
THE VOICE SHOULD BE FORMED IN
The ROOF OF THE MOUTH.

THE ROOF OF THE MOUTH.
| A Chapel Masters DiscoTery-An Art II aich
| Is Preserved In Italy for the Natives.
| How a Young 1Ian Who Couldn't Sing
| Developed Basso Profundo Voice.
'Ninety per cent. Of the people Of this
country could be made TO sing BY proper
| teaching said Havdon Tiila the other day.
''italy is nation OF singers because the PEG
pie are taught In the right way, and for no
other reason whatever. Moreover, very few
aliens who go 20 even the best Italian mas
tiers ever get the benefit Of the instruction
which is open TO the natives. It is an art
which is preserved for the Italians
Mr. lila sat in bis music room on Fifth
avenue and explained a method of voice Gre
ating which IS as variance with the generally
accepted laws of singing, and told the story
Of the discovery OF the Italian way OF teach
ing.
TIE RECEDEsG LOWER JAW
''More than a century ago." he said, "a
chapel master IN Italy, while examining tne
vocal powers Of a number Of people who were
candidates for membership in the reserve
choir, discovered voice of remarkable vol
ume and beauty. Its owner was a peasant. a
young man with TO education, who evidently
knew nothing of music. But such a voice the
old chapel master had never heard. He was
so much interested that he made study of
the fellow, and discovered that he had a pc
cuiar formation OF the face, in that the
lower jaw receded very materially from the
upper He also noticed that in singing there
VoS nouSiIara tioo of ha opa,-
hang of the upper jaw. This discovery set
the chapel master upon a course Of scientific
investigation ard a series of comparisons of
the faces of the members Of his choir. In the
end he concluded that the voice In singing
and in speaking as well-should bs formed in
the roof of the mouth, and that the throat
and chest had nothing to do with it.
"And this IS the underlying principle of
the Italian method of singing" continued
Mr. lila 1.-THE formation of the face de-
ter1nines the question whether person should
be able to sing or not. A man or woman
whose lower jaw recedes considerably from
the upper should have good singing voice.
One WHOSE lower jaw projects beyond the
upper viii have an indifferent voice, if any.
But any person with proper teaching and
practice may improve upon the conditions
''As the voice is formed in the mouth, it
should require no physical effort and no ex-
traordinary expansion OF the lungs to enable
a person to sing his highest or lowest note.
Patti, little slight woman, with compare
lively small lungs, fills the largest auditorium
with her voice, even on its highest notes.
There should be no physical effort III singing,
no exertion OF the lungs. The voice rests in
the roof of the mouth like an egg in a cup,
and should be used with perfect ease on any
note"
While NIB. Tilla was speaking, one Of his
pupils entered the room. He was a tall
young man Of slight build and with rather a
flat chest. He vas shy in manner, and not
thoroughly at ease when he saw that strangers
were present. The formation Of his face was
of the sort which lila had described. as in
dicating fine singing voice, and toe teacher
at once proceeded to illustrate his theory.
a CASE IN PoIET.
The young man is q Ecotchman. He IS a
carpenter By trade, and, according to his
own statement, never sung note until a
month ego. lie had Z desire to learn to
sing but his friends discouraged him, as Re
had no voice. a number OF teachers Laughed
at the man because Of his ambition to sing,
Httl 40 CCultlh DIOuuco u EJ4lG.
He sat in a chair in one corner Of the room,
bashfnl and diffident, with his chest contract /
ed rather than expanded, and looked at the
floor as he fumbled with his watch chain.
But when lila sat at the piano and struck
chord the young man opened his lips and let /
out tone Of quality and volume that made /
the nerves OF his listeners tingle with pleasure.
Then, at TillA's request. he LETT his place and /
stood against the mGntel, with a spectator on I
either side, watching lis profile and noting
the play Of his jaws He sang number of .
practice phrases sustaining tons on B fat, /
with bit of recitative, and then dropping ,
plumply TO E fat, Then he repeated the music .
transposed into the keys Of d, d fat and c, .
and surprised his listeners by dropping TO
lower c, with a full, round, vibrant tone Ike F.
that of an organ pipe, aud singing three or
four words ANY singer knows that it Is one .
thing to sustain a very high Or q very low
note, and quite another 70 pronounce three .
or four syllablss on that note
The young man song for an hour for the .
pleasure Of tie listeners. Els voice wss such
q remarkable bssso profundo That the little
audience would have kept hirn singing for
much longer had not other duties claimed ais
attention Of course, the voice vrss not in
perfect state, nor was the young man thor
ough master Of its use. Long practice and
training VIII be required 10 at it for its best
service, but the volume and quality we're be-
yond dispute. And the ease with which tho
youns man sang, il whatever pose he hap
pened 10 strike, with his lungs in their nor
NAL state Of expansion, not even contracted,
set 81 defiance all ths generally accepted
theories q singing.
''The true Italian method CT singing Is easy
to acquire said NJ. lila "a few simple
rules govern It Long hours Of fatigui1y
practice are rot a. all Necessary. Vixen oucs
you start IN tie right direction your voice
will grow es you slssp. and you VII awake
each morning surprised at the improvement
II hes made since tie previous day. "-5Sew
York Star.
Some Famous Suicides.