The record-union., 1893-03-01
SINGING METHODS.
Influence of Voice Culture Upon the
Health.
Faulty Methods Produce Sore Throat
Laryngitis and Often Lung
Troubles.

EDS. RECORD-U UNION: Italy was cole
DRAFTED for its vocal instructors as far hack
as the early part OF the sixteenth century.
lheir methods of training have not de-
scehded TO us by any literature, and the
art mas been kept alive only by tradition.
Even IN our own generation | have heard
many really great singers there are few
great ones to-day. The scarcity of good
| teachers is one reason: another the anx-
| lety TO hurry up the studies and appear
IN public with half-trained voices. The
voice lasts but few years, while the
singers trained in the old school sang
almost as long as life lasted Ronconi
sang nifty years; many singers whom,
perhaps, many here have heard have
been singing for generations. Susini. a
Dasso, who sang in New York with Ma
RIO ana Grisi, in 1855, l heard sing with a
magnificent voice but few years ago.
Inc method of singing in which they
were trained never wears the voice but
strengthens the whole organism. No
system OF training acts so on the health as
The training ana development of the
voice In the method of the old masters.
Lampertl, the celebrated Italian teacher,
evidently possessed the traditions Of the
OLD teachers, Judging from the wonderful
success OF so many of his pupils, MANY
VINO have been heard in San Francisco
among the number Albani, Campanini,
Galassl and Gianini. Lamperti has passed
away, and another teacher on this side of
The Atlantic, equally as great, but not so
world-renowned, has. also passed AWAY
Marco Duschnitz-who has left behind
MN the most complete work on the art of
singing ever written, and the only writer
VINO ever treated the throat from a scieu-
tlhc STANDPOINT. His theories proved
| automatically, and his practice proved
their truth. In his work there is nothing
lett untouched, all the difficulties that
DeSet the singers path eX planned and The
| remedy given. The methods OF these
two really great teachers are practically
the same. The production of the most
beautiful tone which can be produced by
the human throat; the velvet voice which
| combine everything that can be desired ::
tone that never strains the muscles of
the throat and enables the singer 10 oh
tain the most beautiful piano which can
be swelled to the greatest power. and di-
mlnlshed 10 an lmpalpable thread sounds
audible in the largest theater. This is
singing with the open throat A singer
can execute smorZando, an art which
has almost vanished from the stage.
a knowledge OF the respiratory organ
Is absolutely necessary for a singer, many
of whom never discover, by their sinG-
ing, the existence of diaphragm, the
essential organ of the voice, without the
proper use OF which good singing is i'm
possible. The lungs, the trachea or wind
pipe, the bronchial tubes, and the num-
berless air cells at their extremity, the
diaphragm, abdominal muscles-alI these
aid In the respiratory or breathing pro-
cess necessary to produce a beautiful
tone.
The lungs, occupying the cavity of the
chest, are attached TO the neck by the
trachea, and separated by mem branous
curtain called the mediustinum, and di-
vldes the chest into two cavities: the
trachea passes downward in front of the
throat. or food pipe; just below the top of
the breastbone it divides laterally into
two branches called the bronchia, which
go direct to the lungs, and divide into an
immense number OF small tubes, the air
passages OF the lungs diminish in size
and terminate in what are called air cells.
The diaphragm is a thin muscular par
tition between the chest and abdomen.
separating the respiratory organs from
those OF digestion; it is the principal
agent in producing the act of respiration.
In proper breathing it contracts, enlarp-
ing the cavity of the chest, allowing the
lungs to expand, causing a vacuum.
which is filled by air rushing in through
the trachea and bronchial tubes filling I'D
the air cells. This is called inspiration.
The diaphragm then becomes relaxed.
unless prevented by the will, as in hold
ing the breath, assumes its arched shape.
diminishing the size of the chest. com
pressing the lungs, causing the air to be
expelled. This is called expiration. The
muscles of the ribs and abdomen assist in
the act of respiration. This is called
diaphrag NAUTICAL breathing. Chest breath
ing is when the diaphragm and abdomi-
nal muscles are not used-a very COM
mon way OF breathing-but in which the
lungs have no expansion. In controlling
the breath by means OF the abdominal
muscles you obtain a manageable throat
and beautiful tone is obtained. The
throat also requires management.
Marco DuSchnltz says the throat must
be held in the lowest position and not
allowed to move upward, and every note
IN the register must be sung in that way.
celebrated French teacher named Gar
ella asserts that the larynx must go up on
the higher notes, and, also, that the
higher the tone the more the vocal cords
are stretched. The opposite is the fact.
Tor know by experience that the higher
notes can be sung with the lowest posi-
BILE position of the larynx, and a more
beautiful tone be given also. The cords
are more stretched, the lower the tone the
higher notes are not obtained by the
stretching of the cords but by the short
ening OF them. To prove this take the
ordinary length of the vocal cords, given
some tension to produce the lowest tone.
figure out how much the cords must
stretch to cover voice as, in some in
stances, viz: as Anna Lagrange; nearly
three octaves (phenom). What kind of
throat could stand that amount of stretch
ing? l shall take the two. extreme (by
way of illustration) positions-the larynx
at its highest position and at its lowest.
In the highest position the larynx is
closed in front and open in the back, the
sounds are directed toward the back of
the head, with the throat in its lowest po-
sition, the lungs are filled, the larynx
drawn downward and opened in front,
the breath is directed to the hard palate,
the tones vibrating at the teeth. That is
the true method. In the first position
the tone is hard, metallic, sharp and not