New-York tribune., 1902-08-31

congress devoted to a discussion of questions
touching the Gregorian chant; in the evening M
Henri Cochin lectured on 1.-The Flemish spirit
Morning and afternoon of the third day were given
I'D 10 discussions and illustrative examples of fig
uraI music. sacred and secular. Edgar Ilnel pre-
sided at the meetings, and delivered an ADDRESS o
ecclesiastical music. in the course OF which, We
are informed by private note he severely scored
l,otb Richard Strauss and Able Perosi The nu-
sical examples embraced mass for men voices
and programme Of an historical ORDER tle coIl-
posers represented being Palestrfna, Caroins An
dreas I,egrenzi. Iulli Guy Ropartz, r de Ia Iolh-
l,eIle and Cesar Franck. The Grief concert OF the
festival took place in the evening the performers
being the quartet of the Scola, the Singers OF Sam
t7erysis and the choir and orchestra OF the Con-
servatoire de Bruges. The first part OF the pro
rsr,r,e consisted Of miscellaneous pieces. as tol-
lows: The first chorus from Bachs cantata' Ach
Colt Won Finarnel sieh darein' an air from Han
del.s Judas Maccabseus''; Beethovens 'Eeglscher
C-esaug'': an air from Bach's cantata. Ihr Weroet
Ueiucn'': tae ''Recordare' from Mozarts Re-
ouie1n." and the final chorus from Bachs Fassloh
According to St John Cesar Francks oratorlo'
Redemption filled the second part OF tLe pro-
sraume The festival came to a close on Suhu4S
with a service at which Edgar Tfnel'S -Messe ue
Metre Dame de Lourdes." for five voices was sung.
It is seldom that welcome can be spoken u
book on singing vocal training, voice culture OF
whatever the writer may choose TO call the SUBJECT
Such books come to the musical reviewer DS 'ie
score and ninety-nine out Of every huhuieu @i' q
and NeSatlOD.
rerfion they are controversial and personal anu
have b,It one purpose which is TO advertise the
writer who singing teacher, or vocal i~ILiei'
or voice builder the hunt Tor business lAeS
increase in inverse ratio 20 the singers lausH' IA
accordance with the principles which they are sup
,,-.5 q, i,r,,lca+e In the days when great singers
were many such books were unknown 1he last
wear saw more of them spring into existence IMAM
wore written in the century from Faustina 10
patti That fact ought Of itself TO proclaim their
,,,tl,lessness or their want of influence why so
few books in the eighteenth century, "heh great
singers were many and many DOCKS at ule eIiu
Of the nineteenth when great singers are so Few I!
In the introduction TO a little book by salvatore
Narchesf recently published by G. Schirmer' the
distinguished husband OF more distinguished "lie
puts finger upon the answer Aoout
half century ago Manuel Garcia invented me
larvngoscope With this useful little instrument
,he great teacher hoped to put end 10 emplrl-
cism and charlatanry in voice training. lie falleo
in his ambition. says Signor Marches but laid the
foundation for a system Of laryngiel pathology
In our opinion. sehor Garcia not only failed to do
what he had hoped for the art Of singing. but in
sdvertentIy opened the way to a new and dangerous
form Of artistic quackery. His invention is re-
znonsible for the existence of the numerous phys
,ologse+s who teach singing and the many singers
who teach physiology. These are the people who
write books The laryngoscope can unquestonaby
be made = valuable adjunct Of intelligent vocal
training but il must be in the hands OF one who
ls first of ALI by inclination. education and
oerfence 4 teacher OF singing. This contention
-.tas through the opening chapters Of Signor Mar
-hesi's book which he calls "A Wade Mecum for
singing Teachers and Pupils" The author is
t<tled 10 speak with authority Long years ago he
s,u6ied with Manuel Garcia. began career
operatic barytone married Frauiein Graumann
then a concert singer now one of the foremost
singing teachers in the world If not the very fore
most Since. for nfty years, he has been his wifes
coad5utor. and has taught, written and composed
ir the furtheranoe of sound and finished vocal
training seriousness Of view. his learning and
al ont
which vigorous and lucid in style and thoroughly
admirable IN purpose His insistence upon the ne
-essity adapting principles 10 individual cases is
thoroughly comnendab bic wishes the teacher
70 be prepared for his by know ledge obtained
from theoretical studies practical experiments
spon himself.
He must in fact, first foremost, acquire
clear conception CT what he explain and
demonstrate his charges. aud a profound con-
.fction on the head. So Prepared, he viii be
able TO establish his own system which, however,
san be absolute only IN principle. being subject 10
he infinite notifications required by the different
Intellectual physical dispositions of every sin
gle pupil. The human voice, being 4 living phys
cal instrument. is lable not only TO millions of
serent peculisrft.es Of every single organism but
o climatic influence, 10 bad habits and 10 physical
disorders which can alter its natural chsracteria-