The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-10
VOICES MADE TO ORDER
ITALIAN DOCTOR CREATES PATHS
OUT OF UNPROMIsING SINGERS.
by Surgical Operations-Hope for
the Unmusfcal.
Of the Indianapolis Journal.

and LilH Lehman made 10 order at
twelve months notice by a man combining
the title Of doctor Of music with that Of
master of surgery Is the latest. This man.
ufacturer of voices of the highest quality
is DR.. Rieu, of this city; the man and
woman whom he enriched by the greatest
Of money-making organs are citizens OF
Bologna, moving in ordinary walks OF life.
Their friends knew them as musical enthu-
siasts and passable performers on certain
minor instruments, but at the same time
they knew that neither had a voice worth
cultivating. The present singers did not
know 1t themselves until about.a year ago
DR.. Rieti proposed to make them million
aires. They thought he was joking and ac-
copied in the same spirit, also signed pa
pers promising to submit to certain opera
tons and restrictions, at the same time ac-
quitting the physician beforehand Of dam
ages his method might work.
Last Sunday night Signor Buetti and Sig
nora Schalcha, with hundred other peo-
pie, attended a musical soiree at the doc
tors house. and the programme being fin
ished, Rieti begged permission to introduce
some musical prodigies lately discovered"
When Buetti stepped to the piano those
knowing him best began to laugh. Surely,
the doctor was fooling. The mock ap-
plause greeting Buetti~ subsidized only when
Signora Schalcha mounted the platform
from the opposite side. Everybody knew
that the lady had no voice to speak of, but
her sex entitled her to hearing If nothing
else.
Faust and Marguerite" said DR.. Rieti,
to the accompanist, handing him the music.
The artist looked at Buetti and Schalcha,
then broke into laugh. "a burlesque. I
suppose?'
"You will please play the music straight
replied the doctor. adding in an under
tone, II hired you with that understand
ing" Now it was the accompanies turn
to look bewildered. "At your service
Madame Patti-"At your service. Signor
Campanini"- with a profound bow.
The prelude was over. The accompanist
had outdone himself in finesse by way Of
heightening the contrast, he thought
Then the great garden scene opened with
a Marguerite, singing as sweetly and bird
like as Patti used to in her salad days, and
a Faust, as manly and fine as Campanini's
when the tenor commanded 5000 night
A SENSATION CREATED.
Both used full chest notes, no falsetto
or other artificialities. Indeed there was
a lack of the latter. but of that even the
Patti enthusiasts had no time to think
What impressed them was the breadth
and clearness, the "timbre' Of the two
voices and the high notes the signor and
signora achieved. -
Before the duet was finished, the audi
ence broke into wild braves and finally
the tumult became so great that DR.. Rieti
gave the sign to stop at the end of a GER
tain flourish. Then men and women stormed
the platform to shower kisses, questions
and EXPLANATIONS upon the singers in
ELUSIVE southern fashion.
Madame Schalcha and the new tenor had
great difficulty in making themselves
heard. When finally they succeeded. they
cried "Give praise where it is due, to
Master Rieti.'
Another tempest of questions, congratu-
lations, what not? Rieti, however, insisted
that the garden scene be finished before he
would explain. And so the music was re-
sumed, while some Of the musical geniuses
present took notes.
These gentlemen told your correspondent
that Signora Schalcha possesses voice
312 octaves compass, such as has not been
heard since the days of the great Catalini.
AS to the new Faust, it was judged that
none of his upper notes belonged to the
head voice, and that the singer never even
tried to blend the head and chest voice.
No break had been noticed throughout the
long scene. After the piece was finished
and the applause having subsidized Rieti
invited the professional musicians, oper-
attic impresarios and the critics in the audi
ence to his study and requested them to
give their unbiased opinion. There was a
great deal of talk, but finally consensus
was had. 1t was to the effect that what
ever method had produced those exception
ally fine singing voices in persons, hereto
fore bereft of that quality or talent, de-
served the highest praise, being pregnant
with good things, with untold happiness for
the great mass of musical people, who have
the will, but not the power, to sing, and for
untold millions delighting in hearing good
voices when such pleasure is to be had for
love or money.
After that DR.. Rieti consented to give a
plain statement TO how he built voices
In the two persons previously considered
voiceless in a musical sense. The corre-
spondent was permitted to take down his
statement in shorthand.
RIETTS METHOD EXPLAINED.
GAS the Photographic records taken with
the assistance OF well-known medical and
musical experts show, Signora Schalcha
and Signor Buetti had no singing voice
when took them in hand, year ago. At
the same time these monographs prove
that both the lady and and gentleman were
each blessed with an excelletnly construct
ed larnyx and healthy respiratory organs;
their lungs worked to perfection. Upon
this healthy condition of lungs and larynx
my method is built.
LET me interpolate here that was mu-
stefan before / became surgeon. For ten
years / built up voices in the old way, i'm
proved on them, too, but never to such an
extent as to satisfy me. All over the world
great singers were becoming rarer. while
the most high-priced masters and mis-
tresses seemed unable to recruit new ones.
/ gave this matter much thought. knew,
of course, that with the vocal cords in a
certain position, air driven through the
CLOTHS sets them vibrating. and the strong
er the blast the louder sounds the singing
or speaking voice.
Again 1 considered that the pitch of the
voice is primarily dependent on the size of
the larvnx and that this mitch cap he