The sun., 1916-12-03
By ". J. HENDERSON.

volume by David C.. TAYLOR.
VAoss Psychology Of Singing" at.
tractsd much attention a few years
NO. Mr.. Taylor seems lately to have
discovered Kiesewetter aud Guido Of
Arezzo and has been o to dis.
Ourss on the history Of the technics
g singing. OF the part Of his book
Dealing with this subject II may briefly
b said that Il 10 noteworthy chiefly
Or what It does not contain.
But Mr.. Taylor's ~inststencs ON his
telief that the old italian masters Of
voice had the best method Of teaching
the art Of singing Ia to be ENCOURAGED.
He 10 inclined to be scepticai about
everything that has been added to the
science Of singing since men begun to
examine the anatomy Of threats and
70 try to apply their knowledge 10 the
singers art.
Those who have had opportunities
70 learn how much harm IL done BY
the teaching Of vocal technic BY the
light Of anatomy will sympathize with
Mr.. Taylor. The dihlculty which con-
fronts the contemporaneous student Of
singing is complication OF method.
There 10 altogether too much method"
and not nearly enough nature.
Singing II not an anatomical but q
musical performance. and this u what
oil the anatomists quite forget. The
Italian masters who taught such sing
ers as Vittoria Archilei, Francesca
Cacc,ni. Leonora Baroni. and their
ienE line of successors down to Faus-
tina Hasse and Cuzzoni. knew nothing
whatever about the anatomy Of the
throat. They educated the a and
taught their pupils how to recognize
the perfect quality Of their own tones
% that they could reproduce 1t at will.
This Is the kind OF teaching on
which Mr.. Taylor has insisted since he
frst interested students OF vocal art.
But the scientific men will naturally
ask why we should deliberately ignore
oil the information which they have
placed at our disposal. The answer il
that We should not. 1t Is beneficial to
he art of singing that We should 70
acquainted with the operation Of the
vocal organs. that We should know how
the musical sounds of the human voice
are made and what Is likely to injure
the throat. Scientific knowledge Is al
Ways valuable, but nus be rightly
snplied.
Ths .c,entiac teacher. are incon-
t.,teb,v x,ropv when they ask M to
Si,.c, nupils to exercise volition upon
m. movements Of certain muscles in
a,dsr N make desirable tones. The
,-rs.,sst sin1ers the world knew from
SseN "a ,a6o ~.re utterly Ignorant of
s,ch matters. That IL a strong arRu-
nan, In support Of the assertion that
such knowledge has no practical value
\. the study Of sinxinr.
Rut xhether this knowledge may
ma, helm ths teacher in deyisinp ex-
src,se. ar in MIA his instruction
4. .uch = raw "A 70 insure a natural
ana healthy o~peration Of the vocal
orgsns In another matter. Most
,eschers az SINGING in these DAYS are
Of the opinion that Il does help, when
wisely used.
.rbs Ar NJ Accompanyins." by Al
sernon n Undo "a. Schirmer), Is
another recent book which invites the
attention OF the musician and the stu
Aent. n IA the only book on the sub
fert 80 Y0f AS yn0 DvS0cHI WIitCt
knows. and Il In practical and service
abb. in the highest degree. The au-
thor has had wide experience in the
exaeting and delicate art Of which he
writes. and without doubt much of
what he SAWS will he new to the reader.
Accommodating Is o special art. re-
ouirins the best skill Of the pianist
and n rare combination Of musician
shin and taste. There vas a time
when good accompanists were much
scarcer than they are now. Never
,b.less hardly a day passes without
proof that many Of those who are
practising the art still have much to
learn.
Mr.. Lindo's book naturally cannot
transform a poor pianist into q good
one, but II can and will give many
most valuable hints to accompanies
about things which have perhaps fur
nished them much trouble.
-
David Bi.pham, who is sometimes
referred TO as a veteran" now openly
confesses that he has beer at it only
twenty-five years. He has sent out a
letter saving that he IL Just cele.
brating the twenty-hfth anniversary
OF his first appearance on the operate
stage, which took place in London in
November. 1891. at the Royal English
Opera in Andre Messengers LA Ba-