Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-12
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES E. TRACEWELL.

hear them. They would be the same
people who now run their radios all
night, and as loud as possible, in order
to be sure that no one for mile around
will be able to escape the fact that they
own one.
Such mental braggarts could never
make good readers. The essence of fine
req ding aloud lies in the ability to in
crease and diminish the tone, just as
good singer must use the crescendo
and the dirninuendo.
The nuances of voice, so desirable in
singing, are even more important in
reading aloud. 1t is perhaps true that
the majority of silent readers know per-
fectly well how what they read should
be read aloud.
In particularly feIicitous passages
they can almost hear themselves read
ing. This is a queer sensation; perhaps
1t does not come to every silent reader,
but there are many to whom 1t con-
Stttutes one of the joys of reading.
Yet for the life of them they could
not read aloud as they read to them
selves. They know that the moment
they opened their mouth, the sounds
would in no wise coincide with the de-
sire.
The quivering question, with a drop
for pathos, which they realize so ar
tistically as they read silently, would fall
fiat, as 1t were, from the mouth, the
tongue and mouth and throat muscles
unable to carry out the wishes of the
mind and heart.
Now this is a sad state of affairs one
IN which training of the proper kind no
doubt would be helpful, but would fall
something short of perfection.
The perfection of reading aloud is
from thncn fr,f
men or women, boys or girls who some
how and inStinctively put just the right
infection where it should be placed,
make the proper pause where the aver
age reader would go right on, lower the
voice when the text demands it, raise it
where excitement enterS--in word,
make the right linguistic motions.
Such a reader seldom descendS to the
level of elocution, as it is generally
known. Elocution is STACY" smack
ing of grease paint and drop curtains
1t has its tricks, its well worn devices,
its manneriSms.
The good natural reader might not
pass the tests of the master of elocution
at all. He (even our little GRID would
know better than the master. If he
utilized any of the latter's tricks, it
would be unconsciously. not because
they had been taught, but because they
hcIe TlBilJ.
Thus the good reader naturally takes
the best from all schools and combines
them into perfect performance. Voice
quality of high degree there must be-
This quality Is the lit" of reading aloud
1t has been said that the late Enrico
Caruso could read over a menu in such
a way as to bring tears to the eyes of
his companions at table. AS strange as
that may seem, one need not doubt 1t
who has listened to a master of voice
The glorious ring of certainty is there,
in man or child. The voice Is in its
natural element, like a bird in the air
q fish in the sea, a bear in the forest,
or woman in love.
This sublime voice quality. entering
into a listeners ears, by a strange
osmosis gets into his blood, and thence
into the subtle essences of heart and
mind. 1t gives to even the most serious
reading a quality of joyousness not
known in silent reading. 1t is happi-
ness laughing softly at itself.