The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1914-01-11
Holds Right Living
Singers Essential

Leon Laffitte, tenor of many roles,
is neither unkempt nor romantic nor
elusive appearing. He wears glasses,
and has q quick way with him. He
looks like n law student. He has prob
ably studied singing as senslbly as he
might have studied law, and those who
know anything mt all about the art of
music know that no ono is more merci-
lessly logical in his reasoning process
than the musical artist. A Paderewski
may neglect his hair, but he will not
neglect the most exact calculations in
the mastering of technical difficulties,
nor this accomplished, Will he fall to
pursue as logical course in the plan
ming of the details of his interpreta
ton, This is all trulsm, self~evident,
yet q secret which seems to be known
only to successful artists, and Mr.. Laf
ftte's accomplishments as singer bear
additional testimony.
Put him where you will. He Will
sing Samson tonight and Pinkerton to-
morrow, and he will sing as Walther in
the Boston production of "Die Meister-
singer when that opera is performed
here in January. Mr.. Laffitte will
learn the role in German, and viii then
sing in that language for the first time,
A multitude Of unfortunate examples TO
the contrary he believes that the sing
or who is master of the laws of song
is master of any language that he un-
dertakes to sing in.
'fThere is one way to sing well, and
only one, in my OPINION he said.
"Tbere is one school, SO far as [ know,
Of true singing. That is the Italian
l have studied many French roles, and,
of course. feel at home In them-in
my native langunge-but l do not sing
the French text as the French sing it.,
The FrenchmaD is wholly for the text,
diction, defamation. He uses too much
his nose and too little his throat. I
sing my French as l sing italian, and
so, hope j shall succeed with Ger.
man.
'.I know that it means especially
hard work. harder than l have vet had
with role, but the German language
Z can be beautifully sung, and has been
In the past, by just few tenors. The
rest of us must work In that direction
not away from it.
In singing" +" the practical Mr.. Laf.
ftte continued, careful living means
more than in any other branch of musl-
cal work. There is Titte Ruffo. He
neither drinks nor smokes-and you will
see how he can sing Other musicians,
it may be, can afford to be irregular in
their habits. but tho singer must take
care Of himself. Singers may over
come difficulties by virtue OF unusual
excitement or exercise Of will power,
but it is not only the sorority and brill
harfcy OF voice that suffers after IA
tiguing hours passed without sleep, or
after a day of indigestion--it is the
very quality of the voice. You cannot
make this; you cannot pretend to 1T,
or IN any way deceive your hearer, il
the freshness and fullness are not there.
II is very easy TO loose. and it takes n
4.
WAY. I suppose the singer has to be
careful almost to the point of absurdity.
Not only must he observe the primary
principles of right living; he must take
. thousand cares Of himself that man
under other circumstances might con
slider eccentric or effeninate. That is
part of the science of building your
voice. That is one of the first strng.
giles of the student-tbe self denial
; that precedes Success