Evening journal., 1894-11-08
CULTIYATING VOICES.
METHODS or HElEURoREAN TRAIN
ING SCHOOLS.

One often hears singer say, 81 wish j
knew the correct way Of producing the
voice. Students wander from one teacher
to another and find that each has his own
theories and methods and each calls his
own tho only correct and proper way.
Teachers abroad complain Of tho major
ity Of American girls, saying that they
come for a few lessons, expect wonders
and are very naturally disappointed at the
meagor results. Nor does this disappoint-
ment end with themselves, for fond par
ents and interested friends expect some
thing grand as the result and often say
the singer had no voice or ability when
such Is not the case. With mediocre abil-
ity, time and perseverance will enable any
one to eing.
Through the influence Of pupil Of Frau
Kautn had the pleasure Of attending two
of htd afternoon classes and one concert of
her picked voices. / was electrified and
amazed Rt the rich dramatic quality Of
voice which her pupils, almost without
exception, possessed. Although middle
tones were carried in high sopranos up to
high @, the voices were elastic, and the
soft tones were very satisfactory. Only in
a few cases did the method seem tax on
tho voice, and these cases were those Of
girls in delicate health. At Frau Kaula's
concert the style as well as the rich, ring
ing quality Of the VOICES made them seem
more than amateurs and gave promise Of
great things.
Frau Kaula said good health was abso-
lutely necessary for success in voice train
ing. Often voices were said TO be broken
or gone when such was not the case at all,
as was later proved by the perfect condi-
~ ~. 4. n. 4
As to the safety OF allowing the loud,
strong, middle tones TO run 30 high, she
said pupils came to her for dramatic, stage
and concert singing, and that this was
the only way German opera and the ma
jorsty OF modern songs could be rendered
with effect. She believed that tho old
Italian method was utterly inadequate
90 Ill the wants Of the present style Of
music. All voices, however, could not
stand dramatic training, and some must
be oontented with parlor and salon singing.
Another interesting school which we
visited was in Frankfort on the Main,
where Professor Stockhausen, the former
great oratorio and iedersinger of Ger
many, now lives, engaged in training
voices for concert and stage. Our letters
were sufficient TO secure a very pleasant
interview Tho professor expressed hina-
self as opposed to the modern methods Of
"screaming,n as he called it, and could
not understand show meisters could en-
gage such voices" His tenors and BARI
tones were mellow and clear, and without
that forcing and straining so noticeable
ia many tepors. His sopranos were clear
and sweet, but mono scanned very high or
very dramatic. One or two mezzos were
especially delicious aud satisfactory, and
there was an exquisite quality in nearly
al the voices that was lacking in the
voices of kaula's pupils. In conversation
with girl pupil It was remarked that
Stookhausen's voices all seemed small.
Yes, she replied, that they were not big
voices, but wonderfully pure and sweet.
| II Il certain that the most delicate girl
could sing IN this method with no detri-
ment TO voice or physique, and the effect
IN a parlor would be very beautiful, but
unless she possessed a phenomenal voice
she would never make q startling or thrill
| ing concert or stage singer.
Chance favored us in Paris. A liter
ary woman appeared one afternoon at the
hotel and said; "Come, we viii call this
| afternoon on Mime. Marchesi. il she is
amiable, we viii have q most charming
| time; IL she Is not we may leave as sud
denly as we came. 5"
Once across the charming little Pare
Marceau, few turns brought us to the
/ madame's house, plain, two story, white
/ stone structure, with the entrance at one
side.
Madame was IN an amiable mood. She
left st once the beyy Of pretty girls who
were standing around the piano in the
back pafior, and with arms outstretehed
came toward my friend. A kindly face
smiled from under the iron gray hair, and
the tau figure, straight as an arrow, bent
to greet us with a winning grace.
AZ wiz speak English, since your friend
is American" said madame "Ahl you
have Just visited Professor 6tookhausen
and waht 20 talk about my school and
mefhQds2 Then I am interested. Profess
spr Stockhausen and were born in the
same city, Frankfort on-the-Main, both
! 81 German parents. We came to Paris at
the same time to study vocal culture. As
chance had it we went to the same grand
old paAter Manuel Garcia. Professor
Etockhausan trained for a tenor and for
a sonruno, but his love for German songs
and oratorio music led him 70 leave the
beaten road indicated by the great mas
ten, and he appeared later as a baritone
SINGER, what was then considered an infe-
rior voice, the TENOR like the high So
prano, being at that time the favorite
voice But Europe went wild over him.
The fire and passion Of his excitable Ger
man temperament gave a charm before
unknown In the world Of lieder, and I'LL
audiences were mad with enthusiasm. lie
found after time that he could no long
en- produce the very high notes. Then he
cssEne back to Garcia to find ont what was
the matter. The end Of their interview
was that the professor said that il either
breadth or quality had TO be sacrificed
for a few fancy and worthless high note,
he preferred to lose the high notes"
Madame said that Professor Stockhaus
EMS greatest successes had been with mez
aos and contraltos. This was, however
one Of the first steps in the direction Of
classical and substantial style Of singing
IN place Of the old, horid italian school.
Nine Marchesi clings to the old meth
cd of making marked breaks between tia
registers and never allows middle ton
above Il. When we know that the Oh
italian system allowed no middle tone
whatever-only head and chest tones-w
can see that 20 years ago Nine. Marches
must have been very daring to admit til
singing Of middle tones even up to f.
Cor. San francisco Chronicle