New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-24
SOME MUSICAL BOOKS.
VOCAL STUDY IN ITALY-A NEW BOOK BY
MANUEL GARCIA.

,,;s Walkers Letters O, Baritone"
1xaw-York: Charles Scrioner's Sonp be'onss ~ d
,,ss nj books OF which 1t may be SAID that 'nc'i
.'- 49,. a,,nsr as literature or contributions 70
,e,cal science IS In inverse ratio 10 thelr hui"-
nsr Mr. Walkers pretty little volume. however
49,, oxo4n,ion In the first place. 1t Is delight
.u, written Even the ideas that are neither
~, tand novelty Is not the strongest point Oh '"e
,o,lo nor particularly suggestive are so cha'"'-
,rylv nut forth. with such gracefulness OF express
son. nodcsty and winning frankness tha' !. oe
lives y Measure 10 read them. The book ls'
.,,.lv snsol,lng a plea for vocal study not only
~, that vague thing. which even Mr. Walker lal's
:, define the italian method, but Tor STUDY III
,,alv which still appears TO the author 10 De pc
culisr,y the land OF sons. or course Ike many
o,other who has been rocked IN the cradle OF sing
inc and to all in:cnts and purposes has remained
.,c-c he begins with the usual complaint ABOUT IL
voice ruined by improper study al nome ana ever
rd anon the reader comes across accounts or SICK
ness weakness and the other drawbacks WHICH, we
fancy must be taken as explanations OF the lac'
that in spite Of the extraordinary advantages en-
,oved. :here is a failure to show up adequate re-
s,lts in practical achievement. But perhaps Mt
Walker has qualified as teacher Of singing ana Is
noa one Of those professional men who teach the
italian method" a class that he does not lail
"a condemn with obvious sincerity and convincing
,,cor The most marked feature Of the public &C
tvi,y Of the members Of this class is the manner N
vrhic Qispar1Se
teachers: and with all of Mr.. Walkers anxiety to
r.. ms, and impartial! II is impossible TO overlook
,bs fact that when he changes teachers he talks OF
-ha deficiencies of the and the superiatVe
merits Of the other quite as gushngly as any
voung woman who makes a similar change in New
York.
|; is not at all essential for appreciation OF the
dominant tendencies OF dramatic singing TO under
value the achievements of the Italian composers
masters and singers, but against the plea which
Mr. Walker makes so eloquently there must yet be
brought the objection that Italian music study az
conducted to-day is incapable Of giving students
the artistic perspective and the breadth OF culture
which are essential 10 singer under the prevailing
regime This is almost amusingly demonstrated by
the fact that the majority OF the operas which Mr.
Walker mentions with enthusiasm have long ago
been relegaied the limbo OF forgotten things IN
every country where the lyric drama is an estao
llshed institution with the exception OF Italy And
many OF them also dead there. In case ike
that before US. the explanation Of the fact seems
20 lie in the writer's enthusiasm for the art OF sing
ing per Sc which threatens always 10 make him for
get the real mission OF that Yet Mr. Walker is not
consciously narrow in his ideals. He has much just
appreciation of modern dramatic music. and though
the beauty Of Wagners dramas is for him summed
up in their instrumental portions. ne pays tribute
to the all-compelling force OF that music in his
vivid description OF the enthusiasm aroused by
concert performance OF fragments OF "Parsfai in
an Italian city by quartet Of singers from Bay
reuth This description comedies with what Mr.
Seial has repeatedly said about the reception OF the
Nioelung te,ralogy when given under his direction
in Italy. Nevertheless what Mr. Walker has to say
about Wagner is we'll worth quoting. even though II
runs on, into argumentum ad absurdum
In no land is Wagner lamented as in Italy
To her people he is the great god Pan OF modern
They hold that the human voice is the first and fin
est and most precious Of all instruments In the
ii scores which gave US ,onal values and col
ors. he miracle-worker. His conception Of the
story was always noble and vigorous His grip
upon tremendous themes vas Titanic But consid-
erng him particularly writer for the
voice it is my belief tina; We may rest upon q
trulsm.that nothing in arr can stand as MANY
IFS Interpretation. Wagner wrote exactly what he
felt must be said-n9t what he sneT the S voice acs
write for singers but thar latterly ne would nG
perhaps SsHe seen S at one Of
Inevitable conclusions. Either he would have pro-
mystic Parsifa in which the stories Would have
been illustrated by greater orchestral writing
great histronic artists or else be would have
back to the glad recognton that the singing voice
integral part Of his musical forces He would have
found i greater than all instruments and worthy ,y
have given 1t dominant part in his scheme
In one OF his COMBINATIONS Of musical charlatans
Mr. Walker says: "Of all people. my dear l..
beware OF the who demonstrates TO you from
anatomical charts and from a human larynx picked
in a bottle of spirits that when you attack the
middle your arytenoid carriages must pull little
toward the southeast. None OF that nonsense Is
heard in Italy" Every one familiar with the sub
feet will recognize the fact that there are vocal
teachers whose method Is satirized correctly and
without exaggeration in this description. And their
number Is growing alarnngly that II does not
seem exiravagant to say that after while course
nnAiO cal
prescribed as preparatory to the study of singing.
The appearance Of a capital little book, Hints on
Singing" by Manuel Garcia (New-York l..
Schuberth g. Coz has AN excellent purpose. among
others In showing how widely these vocal anato-
mlsts have departed from the methods and aims
OF the inventor OF the laryngoscope At the age OF
ninety years Garcia is still living and working in
London and in his book he is able to say 1t con-
tans the results OF fifty years OF experience. gained
since the publication OF the treatise on singing which
forms the basis OF the physiological method created
revolution In the art Of vocal teaching. senior
Garcia has not abandoned his aryngoscope nor IA he
willing to forego a study Of the physiology OF the
voice; but his exposition IS sweety sane and tenn
perate compared with the doctrines Of the anato-
mis,s In his preface he remarks:
The study Of the anatomy and phys.oogy 1' h tme
might be most useful to the teacher II VIII en-
able him. when defect Is to be AMENDED 10 , de
proper correction. For the pupil 1t Is enough that.
localizng his sensations through his master eH-
atoms should learn 70 distinguish the var-
Gus parts OF his instrument ana the manner Oh
using them.
sefor Garc!as book IL written in the catechisn
style which would 10 have outlived It's Day
but which cngs pertinaciously to musical htefa-
ture 1t is remarkably clear and the examples ana
exercises are admirably suited TO their purposes
The venerable author breathes n sigh over the de-
cadence OF the ford style chiefly due. he thinks to
the disappearance OF the race OF great singers
who. besides originating this art carried II to i's
highest point Of excellence. The impresaro. innu-
enced by the ex!gencles Of the modern pr'ma dohha
~. h.on constrained TO offer less gifted and accom-
nlsh.d yir,uose TO the composer. who. In turn has
been compelled to simplify the role OF the voice ana
10 rely more and more upon orchestral enects' 40"
such a confusion OF cause and effect would amuse
Verdi, But It is natural enough. coming from
nonogcnarian. one of family that belonged u inc
,rars Of great singers that has disappeared