It might be interesting,
it certainly would be very amusing, to enumerate and illustrate the many
things done under the name of science, to compel the phenomena of voice;
but space will not permit. Many of them are well known; many more are too
ridiculous to consider except that they should be exposed for the good of
the profession.
The result of all this direct manipulation of muscle is
ugliness--everywhere hard, unmusical, unsympathetic voices. The public is
so used to hearing hard, muscular voices that the demand for beautiful tone
is not what it should be. In fact, it is not generally known that it is
possible to make almost any voice more or less beautiful that is at all
worth training. The hard, unmusical voice of the day is a hybrid, unnatural
and altogether unnecessary voice. Physical effort in singing develops
physical tone and physical effect. Common tone makes common singing. A
great artist must be great in tone as well as in interpretation.
The disciples of the local-effort school lose sight of the fact that when a
muscle is set and rigid, either in attempting to hold the breath or to
force the tone, it is virtually out of action; that instead of actually
helping the voice it is really preventing a free, natural production, and
that other parts are then compelled to do its work; this accounts for many
ruined voices. "To make a part rigid is equal to the extirpation of such
part. While it is in a state of rigidity it ceases to take part in any
action whatsoever: it is inert and the same as if it had ceased to exist.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25