The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-07-26


severe in his criticism when he SAYS that
the German singers have as rule much
better general education than the Italians,
but in the most necessary education for .
singer, the technical they are far behind
the Italians He adds that the Italian
singers study singing as very difficult
art, which requires earnest will and great
efforts to be acquired, while the Germans
are generally satisfied with the good voice.
the general motive and a noble dislike OF
vocal training.
Great allowance should be made for
those who do not study singing for the
purpose of making it their profession. The
system that advocate and teach makes
a principal point of the hygienic benent TO
be derived therefrom, as il com bines voice
and body culture. As | said before
healthy voice exists only in a healthy
body. The dreadfully over-heated rooms
in this country are conducive TO all the
physical ills and aches known to man.
No matter how many heavy wraps are put
on before leaving a super-heated room. 1t
is almost impossible to preserve the lungs.
The dangers are too sudden, and not even
the most robust can stand them. The
body should be so hardened that 1t does
not require warm rooms. In order to 90
this, cold additions daily are necessary.
But | would not advise any one TO begin
cold baths in the winter. but to wait until
summer or fall. At first the system may
be two much weakened even TO take cold
baths in the midst of summer, IN when
case recommend lukewar water uDtl!
the bather is strong enough to not only
endure but enjoy cold water baths. In
the winter time ablution water should be
brought into the bedroom in the even
ing. so as to have it the same tempera-
ture of the room. For weak persons
recommend the addition of sea salt TO
the water Frequently / have banished
an incipient cold by indulging in cold
bath. [ never omit daily exercises OF
walking, drilling, skating, riding. row.
one is healthy and blessed with plenty
of vitality a cold bath does not weaken IN
the least. If any one follows daily pro-
gramme of exercise and has . good clear
conscience, either he or she will soon en-
Joy excellent health. Breathe good pure
air, and not the unwholesome heat OF
crowded drawing-rooms and railroad cars.
When l was a little girl / was almost
amphibious, and thought nothing OF
plunging into cold water and taking
swim. l remember my father, who was
an officer in the German army, was
stationed at Potsdam, near Berlin, and
was with him. 1t became question as TO
whether the soldiers stationed there should
battle every day in cold water. The chief
surgeon had it in his power to make the
decision. When he heard that / took
cold plunge every morning he said: That
settles it; the soldiers shall battle every
day and not be outdone by little Anna
Hoffmeister." And.for this additional
arduous duty, which is next to godliness,
the soldiers blessed me in way not set
down in the prayer-books.
Another abuse In America which / am
glad to see is condemned by all physl-
clans, is the over-indulgence in candies
and sweetmeats. The result of such indnl-
gence is spoiled stomach and bad teeth.
/ have often wondered if this dangerous
taste is the reason for the far-spread repu-
tation of the American dentists. Women
who have bad teeth and spoiled stomachs
can never expect to become great singers
or perform the functions of womanhood
satisfactorily. How women can enjoy
meal when they have spoiled their appe-
tite by munching candies between times is
a mystery to me. Not half the nourish-
lily enjoyed. Eat nothing between
meals, so as to have an appetite,
and not sit down to the table expecting
what Americans call coming appetite.
The pupil who expects to have her voice
fresh and full and strong should not use
SO much vinegar for seasoning, and drink
milk instead of tea and coffee. Tea and
COnto nave no IN ln6Ill, anu
simply help to destroy the nervous system.
As rule, people singing or speaking much
want more nourishment. Free and nat
ural singing is most healthful exercise,
as the splendid physique of renowned
singers fully demonstrates. One of the
most notable examples of the healthfulness
of singing is that of the wife OF my beloved
singing master, Professor Schmidt-Koehne
of the Royal High school, Berlin. Whena
Olri his w "a m uat
place on account of her weak lungs. 1t
was thought she was in the clutches
of that fatal and often lingering disease,
consumption. Every day she INDUCED in
vocal studies, and her lungs began to grow
stronger, and today she is the embodiment
of health and possesses one of the finest
figures, an ideal Brunhilda She is thor
oughly convinced that she owes her life to
the study of vocal music. Studying with
her made rapid progress. because she had
that rare faculty in teacher of being able
to initiate every fault so that the pupil
could see the difference between the correct
and the false. Teach the pupil how to
listen. This leads to the question. should
children be taught singing? The develop
ment of the ear is one of the slowest, but
most fundamental parts of instruction. A
child is more apt to catch the sound of diff
ferent dialects and idioms. / know this
from experience, because my father, being
IN the German army, was often transferred
to different places in the empire and, al
though | was in my childhood years,
rapidly picked up the dialect in each PROV
ince. and the result was that spoke all so
fiuently no one could tell where was born.
Now this is an example for my claim that
the ear and taste of a child ought TO be
trained early, to avoid that tiresome work
OF undolng IN later years many faults and
bad habits.
When child, cousin Of mine used to
come TO our house and play pieces by
Chopin, which l disliked very much be-
cause they sounded wrong to my ear.
Ny childish ear did not appreciate those
discords which speak of the sorrows and
pans of troubled, longing soul. Today
Chopin is one OF my beloved com
posers for the piano. The cultivated
taste in opposition to the natural is
the one we get least tired Of and which
will be the dominating one. I believe my
love for music as well as my famous
brothers talent for sculpture was born in
US both. They tell me, as he is twelve
years older than l. that he used to sit I'm
der fathers writing desk and scribble on
every little piece of paper the most fam
tastic figures and lines. | showed early
musical precocity by sitting fiat upon the
floor with a little footstool placed over my
knee as piano. and bowling the most in
artlcuiate sounds, which l nevertheless
called singing. At years of age / began
to study the piano. Although l made
rapid progress hated practieing from the
depths of my soul. Not endowed
with mathematical talent the halls,
quarters and eighths bored me very much.
This doubtless caused me to invent a
scheme by which l could teach
the little ones of the ROYAL Con-
servatory. / drew a circle and said:
This. now, is pancake-griddle-cak |
suppose Americans would call it-and
Il. 4 u ! :. L