New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-04-09
JUDGED BY THEIR VOICES
Some American Stage P|ayeh
Who Have Good Ones, and VIM.

voice. You go often 20 the pIay. bu, IS.
dom are you favorably impressed By IN.
voice OF an actor or actress. You may Tx.
the play, or YOU may not; you may say tha,
the star plays his on her part we'll. Va,
may think the leading man handsome o.
credit the ingenuc with charm. But set
dom do you have occasion to say. VIVA,
a beautiful voice she has, or Ills vo,r.
is good and he knows how to use it."
Americans as "A rule, do not have xrod
voices. Our energy. our nervousness. ou,
tense life. is revealed in the national man
ner of speaking. We are careless and IN
different about tho use OF the voice. Act
ors-male and female-are as neglectfu, Al
the rest. Few Of them speak either dis
tncty or sweety. Those who do so ma,
be easily counted. How many Of the me-
stars If our day have fine voices. tone
which delight the ear? We must wait 70
MIR. Forbes-RObertson 10 come again II Y
would hear an actor who has real as~
In his voice. OF the principal women .
oar stage one stands out above all othef
because Of the beauty Of her voice-Mb
Edith Wynne- Matthison. Happily she ca
be called Of our stage and OF The Ne,
Theatre. But her voice vas trained ,
England. and not here. Miss Julia Mar
lowe is another Her voice has charm an,
the people love it-and her Miss Nsno
O'Neil is another whose voice charms N,
ear Miss Annie Russelrs voice has a A.
lightfnl quality that distinguishes it from
others Miss Patricia Collinge among "a,
ingfnues. has good voice which she knos.
how 10 use. And il will have more pow,
as the Young artist natures. She has \
ready developed beautiful diction
rs the situation hopeless?' Mr.. Frankh
Sargent. principal Of the American Acii.
envy Of Dramatic Arts and Empire Theaf.
Dramatic School. was asked the other day
Must an actor reconcile himself to ~
voice as ii is?''
The situation is not hopeless" Mr. sa,.
gent answered. Amy one may acquire
good voice. Take George Riddle, for q.
ample He had the thinnest sort OF yoes
BY careful training and practice he mada
Of il a wonderfully resonant and beautiful
organ. But IL meant work. II was NJ
privilege to be associated with Wsndsr
Phillips for number OF years. He WI
called the silver-tongued orator YOU knsy I
he practically made his voice himself al |
by daily exercise he saw that II lost nou
Of its beauty and effectiveness.
THE great danger that the actor has 3
meet is the faddist among vocal instructor
Oh. the crimes that are committed IN "
name Of art. I hear every day about srs,
ing lessons for young women whose yoss
are being Systematically ruined. ] knr
of actresses who go first 10 one teacher AZ
then to another But to-day their VOC
are as metallic as ever.
Mr.. Wellington Putnam. an instructw
Mr.. Sargents school. had much light
shed upon tho subject Of the voice HeS
that voice il all matter OF emotion
There are two elemental emotions
said. the selfish and the unsel1sh' WI
are typified by the infant and the mo',
the one getting all and the other giving
Tho childs body is tense and the mo'aa
,s roIaxed. The texture Of the vol"
distinguished by the texture of the SOLE
ire, hoard. which is the body. II the o@
;s hard the tone becomes hard u ~
tho tone is likewise soft. Tho clemens
emotion is revealed by the texture u"
voice. The particular mood Is re'eA"
what we call the color. FH eAsn
tbere may be tenderness with JOY aho Y
dorness with sorrow. The texture Ieute
the same (sofD in both cases ou' us
in the former case IS bright ana III 'us
ter dark" a.
Mr. Putnam was asked TO ahaHN
charm of Mr.. Johnston Foroes-"''
voice. He said: 80
"tus voice is beautiful in texture
= IL is soft because its sounding ""
tho bodv. is soft and not tense ana
II has range i'm color and Varie'! u
ure Forbes Robertson is a mo'"
speech and voice. lie not ohs
correct English. but technically ne
noes tho elastic touch which gives
;orcv He makes his speech clear
beautiful at the same time. he
have IN shout to be heard. His vor
n theatre because il is resonant ! ~
the softest tones OF vlohh h'"' ~,
auditorium. He has everything ID
,.o;co that is 10 be desired. His voc III
no, rerfec, because one can never ma
color and texture. We cannot msso
ing always hold up MIR Rooe' L.
VOICE 70 nv pupils as a standaio IL
urge them to go to see him ""e" d,
comes TO town. 80 q,
Miss Edith Wynne Matthison
voice which i'm color and teS'u'e
equal Of Mr. Robcrtsons. MISS
in The Piper speaks. as cr"' -,
wears ago said of the elder Sag"na
the whole body She uses the ooo'
sounding board. as II should w I'D
she derives a tone that is sou ~ -
and warm in color She might .,s<&
use more range I'm this she Is sur ~
by Mr. Robertson. she hss H.
with absolute ease. =, -
Miss lu,ia Marlowc = another
actresses with beautiful voice. re- o., !,
has resonance and fulness 81 ,o'' ,,,yss ),
has not the soft texture Of MISS
sons voice. .,ruslkg
"Richard Mansheld's voice lacse'
I'm his prime he had brillian'y o. -. !,
his voice was hard n lackc' III
texture. II was metallic. =,
Mime. Nazimovas voice has enS'I
IL has am oily smoothness "hi'"
hardness. A weak voice may s hs
Miss Nance ONeil has soou ~ !.
has softness OF texture. but IL ~
She has done a great deal WIZ" h.
and she Will do more. Ia NJ ~,
4 have always admired the WY ~
Annie Russell. | have not he" 81 ~.
recent years. but ten years ago "a - -,
beautiful voice. which was run 49, 80 4
| suspect that it has lost none VI
ness" ,,,,nroys q ;
What may an actor do 70 INV. a
quality Of his voice. MI Ay
asked. - .very ~ Ma
First Of all he must pfacus. .,acth y,
but he must be sure that ne 80 -
right lie must practise ofsas fofa liz
s r,sI in connection with some .,. ~ 81
outdoor exercise. He must ,hs y .,