Vocal Wisdom Lamperti Pdf To Word
When all mechanical difficulties have been overcome, from the formation of the tone up to pronunciation, the pupil may pass on to the study of the Air and Recitative, and so enter upon the aesthetics of the art of singing without being arrested every moment by vocal or musical faults, or by a badly pronounced word or syllable. Pupils can now give their attention exclusively to the sentiment and expression, and commence to acquire a knowledge of the different styles found in the many kinds of vocal music.3
Vocal Wisdom Lamperti Pdf To Word
In a piece of vocal music, the effectiveness of tones can never be so precisely separated from that of words, action, and ornamentation as to allow strict sorting of the musical from the poetical . . . . Union with poetry extends the power of music.7
The writer again advises the serious student of singing to spend a greatdeal of time in forming his own conception of the principles by which hecan get the most from his voice. Any progressive artist teacher willencourage him in this course. In other words, it is not enough in thesedays that he shall sing; but he must know how he produces his resultsand be able to produce them time and time again with constantlyincreasing success. Note in the succeeding conferences how many of thegreat singers have given very careful and minute consideration to this.The late Evan Williams spent years of thought and study upon it; and thewriter considers that his observations in this volume are among the mostimportant contributions to the literature of voice teaching. This wasthe only form in which they appeared in print. Only one student in ahundred thousand can dispense with a good vocal teacher, as did thebrilliant Galli-Curci or the unforgetable Campanari. A really fineteacher of voice is practically indispensable to most students. Thisdoes not mean that the best teacher is the one with the greatestreputation. The reputation of a teacher only too often has depended uponhis good fortune early in life in securing pupils who have madespectacular successes in a short time. There are hundreds of splendidvocal teachers in America now, and it is very gratifying to see many oftheir pupils make great successes in Europe without any previousinstruction "on the other side."
I was drilled at first upon the vowel "ah." I hear American vocalauthorities refer to "ah" as in father. That seems to me too flat asound, one lacking in real resonance. The vowel used in my case in Italyand in hundreds of other cases I have noted is a slightly broader vowel,such as may be found half-way between the vowel "ah" as in father, andthe "aw" as in law. It is not a dull sound, yet it is not the sound of"ah" in father. Perhaps the word "doff" or the first syllable of Boston,when properly pronounced, gives the right impression.
The eternal question, "At what age shall I commence to study singing?"is always more or less amusing to the experienced singer. If thesinger's spirit is in the child, nothing will stop his singing. He willsing from morning until night, and seems to be guided in most cases byan all-providing Nature that makes its untutored efforts the very bestkind of practice. Unless the child is brought into contact with very badmusic he is not likely to be injured. Children seem to be trying theirbest to prove the Darwinian theory by showing us that they can mimicquite as well as monkeys. The average child comes into the better partof his little store of wisdom through mimicry. Naturally if the littlevocal student is taken to the vaudeville theatre, where every imaginablevocal law is smashed during a three-hour performance, and if the childobserves that the smashing process is followed by the enthusiasticapplause of the unthinking audience, it is only reasonable to supposethat the child will discover in this what he believes to be the mostapproved art of singing.
In order to do without instruction one must be very peculiarlyconstituted. One must be possessed of the pedagogical faculty to amarked degree. One must have within oneself those qualities forobserving and detecting the right means leading to an artistic end whichevery good teacher possesses. In other words, one must be both teacherand pupil. This is a rare combination, since the power to teach, toimpart instruction, is one that is given to very few. It is far betterto study alone or not at all than with a poor teacher. The teacher'sresponsibility, particularly in the case of vocal students, is verygreat. So very much depends upon it. A poor teacher can do incalculabledamage. By poor teachers I refer particularly to those who are carriedaway by idiotic theories and quack methods. We learn to sing by singingand not by carrying bricks upon our chest or other idiotic antics.Consequently I say that it is better to go all through life with anatural or "green" voice than to undergo the vocal torture that issometimes palmed off upon the public as voice teaching. At best, all thegreatest living teacher can do is to put the artist upon the right trackand this in itself is responsibility enough for one man or one woman toassume.
Bearing in mind the absolute necessity and real joy in vocal work, itconfounds and amazes me that teachers of this art feel their duty hasbeen accomplished when they donate twenty minutes or half an hour to apupil! I do not honestly believe this is a fair exchange, and it iscertainly not within reason to believe that within so short a time apupil can actually benefit by the concentration and instruction sohastily conferred upon her. If this be very plain speaking, it is saidwith the object to benefit the pupil only, for it is, after all, theywho must pay the ultimate in success or failure. An hour devoted to theminute needs of one pupil is not too much time to devote to so delicatea subject. An intelligent taskmaster will let his pupil demonstrate tenor fifteen minutes and during the same period of rest will discuss andawaken the pupil's interest from an intelligent point of view, that somedegree of individuality may color even the drudgery of the classroom. Aword of counsel from such a mistress of song as Lehmann or Sembrich ispriceless, but the sums that pour into greedy pockets of vocalmechanics, not to say a harsher word, is a regretable proceeding. Toomany mediocrities are making sounds. Too many of the same class aretrying to instruct, but, as in politics, the real culprit is the people.As long as the public forbear an intelligent protest in this direction,just so long will the studios be crowded with pathetic seekers for fame.What employment these infatuated individuals enjoyed before the adventof grand opera and the movies became a possible exhaust pipe for theirvanity is not clear, but they certainly should be discouraged. New Yorkalone is crowded with aspirants for the stage, and their little bag oftricks is of very slender proportions. Let us do everything in our powerto help the really worthy talent; but it is a mistaken charity, and notpatriotic, to shove singers and composers so called, of American birth,upon a weary public which perceives nothing except the fact that theyare of native birth and have no talent to warrant such assumption.
Americans seem to be particularly fond of Schumann. When artists areengaged for concert performances it is the custom in this country topresent optional programs to the managers of the local concertenterprises. These managers represent all possible kinds of taste. It isthe experience of most concert artists that the Schumann selections arealmost invariably chosen. This is true of the West as well as of theSouth and East. One section of the program is without exception devotedto what they call classical songs and by this they mean the best songsrather than the songs whose chief claim is that they are from the oldItalian schools of Carissimi, Scarlatti, etc. I make it a special pointto present as many songs as possible with English words. The Englishlanguage is not a difficult language in which to sing; and when thetranslation coincides with the original I can see no reason why Americanreaders who may not be familiar with a foreign tongue should be deniedthe privilege of understanding what the song is about. If they do notunderstand, why sing words at all? Why not vocalize the melodies uponsome vowel? Songs, however, were meant to combine poetry and music; andunless the audience has the benefit of understanding both, it has beendefrauded of one of its chief delights.
What is the stroke of the glottis? The lips of the vocal cords in thelarynx are pressed together so that the air becomes compressed behindthem and instead of coming out in a steady, unimpeded stream, it causesa kind of explosion. Say the word "up" in the throat very forcibly andyou will get the right idea.
This is the age of the brain. In singing, the voice is only a detail. Itis the mentality, the artistic feeling, the skill in interpretation thatcounts. Some of the greatest artists are vocally inferior to singers oflesser reputation. Why? Because they read, because they study, becausethey broaden their intellects and extend their culture until theirappreciation of the beautiful is so comprehensive that every degree ofhuman emotion may be effectively portrayed. In a word they becomeartists. Take the case of Victor Maurel, for instance. If he were ninetyyears old and had only the shred of a voice but still retained hisartistic grasp, I would rather hear him than any living singer. I havelearned more from hearing him sing than from any other singer. Verdichose him to sing in Otello against the advice of several friends,saying: "He has more brain than any five singers I know."
In no land is song so much a part of the daily life of the individual asin Italy. The Italian peasant literally wakes up singing and goes to bedsinging. Naturally a kind of respect, honor and even reverence attachesto the art of beautiful voice production in the land of Scarlatti,Palestrina and Verdi, that one does not find in other countries. Whenthe Italian singing teachers looked for a word to describe their vocalmethods they very naturally selected the most appropriate, "Bel Canto,"which means nothing more or less than "Beautiful Singing."