Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-08
THE AMERICAN VOICE
AN INTERVIEW WITH DR.. CURTIS, THE
GREAT THROAT SPECIALIST.
He EXPLAINS why Our Women Have
shriiI Nasal Voices and suggests Means
OF Cuitivsting Resonant Tones
Correspondence of the DIspatch)

(Correspondence of the Dlspatch)
NEW YORK, July 7-Why Is the Amer'-
can voice fiat thin. nasal and harsh?
That II is so has been asserted 100 au-
thoritativey from high sources to De as
puted. II lacks the resonant quaii'y anu
sweet meditation distinctive OF most ior-
eign voices.
THAT an American woman's voice can
ha detected in a group OF women by rea-
son of its bad qualities Is no mere riui-
cule but a fact. 1t seems to be padiy
posed and piercing.
I asked Or. Holbrook Curtis. noted
specialist. one who has taken charge OF
most of the famous singers. why TINS was
SO? Was the trouble constructive or Gil
matte?
Both" he replied.
He told me that, primarily, the hnShsh
language is difficult to produce sweet
,ones with: II has so few labials and so
few purely nasal sounds. 1t Is filled with
hard, harsh, consonants.
Now, the Italian tongue trains the voice
10 sweetness in Itself. The throat and
mouth I'm this have to assume certain
positions 10 form the words, so that the
voice comes out rounded and softened.
English speech prevents The posing or
the voice properly. II tends TO produce
tones that come from the larynx, when
they should come from the upper chest
But the English women speak the same
language with us. and yet you admit their
voices are much sweeter than oursE'
said.
SPLENDIDLY DEVELOPED
"That IS n matter Of life and climate"
he answered. English women always
speak from the upper chest. They are
splendidly developed there. This gives
their tones that richness and depth the
American women lack. The English wo,
men live more out-of-doOr life, they
walk more. they expandth chest more.
They simply use their nose and throat
as breathing apparatus, through which
which they send rich chest-notes.
AN English womans throat Is also
hardened. While our women have bah
or d!ning-room heated 70 50 degrees, when
they are wearing low gowns an English
woman goes into temperature OF from
81 u 6j degrees. This cold air never
leaves her with the many throat ailments
Americans are such sufferers from.
"But significant cause Of the unplea'
SAINT voices Of our women is the furnace
fire. This so clogs up the nose with dust
aud floating particles that the tones come
through those great natural resonant
pipes with an effort The tones thein'
selves are then discordant.
This conditions is complained of by the
great singers sooner than anything else.
They cannot tolerate a furnace-tire. When
the famous women who sang in the Me-
trorolitan Opera-House were here last
season they each had to be moved from
rooms where there was furnace heat.
They insisted on open fireplaces, and
could not understand how Americans en-
dured such hot houses.
SWEETER VOICES.
This IS why the women of the Southern
| States have swee.er voices, although just
as badly posed as the northern. Their
noses are not stuffed up.
zone OF the commonest errors Is 10 say
| that a disagreeable voice Is caused by
talking through the nose. The trouble
Is that It is not Nasal tones are good.
You can easily see the difference by hold
| ing the nostris closed and speaking
through the mouth.
"'rhls fact suggests the constructive
| condition which is against American
women speaking sweetiy. Their noses
are not as well formed as those Of the
! women Of other races. The shape Of the
| nose and the cavities about it have much
to DO with tone production.
This also has to do with the oVertones
! that produce harmonics, and 1t Is the
| shane Of these features that gives to
many singers such excellent quality or
I voice"
! asked him what was good form or
| treatment for our women 70 adopt 10
| qweeten their tones. He advised athletics
| that expand the chest, a careful study or
posing the volce-that is Of dropping II
| from the larynx 10 the upper chest. Then
| to avoid heated rooms as much "a possi-
| BILE. With these precautions ana cdFetui
training. the American women can over
| come one Of their most serious defects.
London society women have this tad
| now In fun cry. There is teacher CIV
! ing lessons 70 the smart set on how 70
sneak. These women are giving az much
| care and attention 10 the art as singers.
! Why not open such a school in New
York? 1t surely Is a fad worth following.
HARRYnFT u HALLMARK.