The New York herald., 1921-04-17
If Artists Would Cease to
Shrek the Public Would
Love TO Hear Them.
By w. J. HENDERSON.

AN Nhb StaSltl VI OPtid az Nit
Metropolitan the minds of
thoughtful lovers and students of
music might well turn to the present
state Of the art OF singing. In all
times since this art began TO be culti-
waited In the modern world certain
ideals have prevailed. These ideals
have not possessed an existence sep
arate from the general trend of hu-
man thought. Art is a product of the
mind of man and ii is inevitably fash
Toned by the general habit of that mind
in any period.
The first centuries of musical art
were the first centuries OF the Chris
tian church, and since that divine in
stitution contemplated art only as AN
instrument of worship, instrumental
music was ignored and song was de-
veloped in such forms az were suitable
to the expression of religious thought
The solemn, simple and beautiful Ro-
man. Chant was the one species Of
musical art known and cultivated for
Several centuries.
Despite the fall of Greece her in
tellectual influence continued to exert
itself long after she herself had ceased
10 be a factor in affairs of the world
Rome's rude adaptation OF her myth
clogy, her literary methods and her art
did not entirely obliterate their char
acter and indeed the finest scholar
ship of Rome always gave some of it's
best effort to the study Of Grecian
models. Hence even before the Renais-
sance something of the sculpturesque
repose and pure beauty Of line re-
manned in the art of Rome, and espe-
cially in her music, which had based
itself on scales drawn from the Greek
sources.
The study OF the chant itself led to
investigation OF the method OF singing
it. The result was the establishment
of certain traditions and the formation
OF a general style, of which the chief
elements were smoothness, elegance
and Gestful feeling. The introduction OF
undulating passages of florid character
was made without any desire for
opulence OF ornamentation, nor was
there any movement toward what We
regard as brilliancy. Elegance and
repose were preserved.
Lyric Drama Appears.
When the infant lyric drama appeared
In Italy the vocal apparatus differed
in no essential respect from that en-
ployed in the church. A singer trained
for the Papal chapel was competent to
become an operate artist For him the
long flowing phrases OF Montcverdi the
stately classic recitative of the stile
pdrldnte, offered no difficulties All the
evidence available now points to the
conclusion that during the whole seven
teenth century the cognoscenti of
Italy at first limited to the nobility and
afterward including a large public, de-
manded of singers nothing resembling
power and what we call brilliancy till
the closing years OF that cycle, when
the delivery of florld music began to
show something of the range and rapid
iry which now are regarded as Its
, principal characteristics. But loudness
Netill remained exceptional There were
few robust voices, such as that OF the
celebrated tenor, Filanti which sug-
gested to composers the making of airs
suited 10 their exhibition. Filanu was
famous for his singing OF airs with
trumpet obbligato,,- similar TO
those later written by Bach. But beauty,
clarity. limpidity of tone and perfection
OF finish continued to be the principal
assets OF famous operatic artists even
In the day of Handel. Certainly no one
can suspect that. when Mozart COM
posed the tenor music in Don
Giovanni" and THE Magic Flute" he
had in mind any singers capable OF such
pealing tours de force as our tenors
give ue.
The growth OF the orchestra and the
development OF orchestral delineation in
opera undoubtedly had much TO do with
the rise Of the big tone habit. which was
fully displayed In the early years Of the
last century. The scores OF Mozart and
Handel 90 not call for numerous high
3 fats but since the tenor finally sup
planted the male soprano as the imper-
senator Of operate heroines early in the
nineteenth century. the soaring OF the
masculine tone into the upper regions
and the clarion challenge OF It's aston
ishing power have excited the sensibii-
ties OF operagoers.