Chapter XXIX: Section XXVIII: Italian and German

How easy it is for the Italians, who have by nature, through the characteristics of their native language, all these things which others must gain by long years of practice! A single syllable often unites three vowels; for instance, "tuoi" (tuoy[=e]), "miei" (myeay[=e]), "muoja," etc.

The Italians mingle all their vowels. They rub them into and color them with each other. This includes a great portion of the art of song, which in every language, with due regard to its peculiar characteristics, must be learned by practice.

To give only a single example of the difficulty of the German words, with the everlasting consonant endings to the syllables, take the recitative at the entrance of Norma:--

"Wer lässt hier Aufruhrstimme_n_, Kriegsruf ertöne_n_, wollt Ihr die Götter zwinge_n_, Eurem Wahnwitz zu fröhne_n_? Wer wagt vermesse_n_, gleich der Propheti_n_ der Zukunft Nacht zu lichte_n_, wollt Ihr der Götter Pla_n_ vorschnell vernichte_n_? Nicht Menschenkraft Könne_n_ die Wirre_n_ dieses Landes schlichte_n_."

Twelve endings on _n_!

"Sediziosi voci, voci di guerra, avvi [Transcriber's Note: corrected "avoi" in original] chi alzar si attenta presso all'ara del Dio! V'ha chi presume dettar responsi alla vegente Norma, e di Roma affrettar il fato arcano. Ei non dipende, no, non dipende da potere umano!"

From the Italians we can learn the connection of the vowels, from the French the use of the nasal tone. The Germans surpass the others in their power of expressiveness. But he who would have the right to call himself an artist must unite all these things; the _bel canto_, that is, beautiful--I might say good--singing, and all the means of expression which we cultivated people need to interpret master works of great minds, should afford the public ennobling pleasure.

A tone full of life is to be produced only by the skilful mixture of the vowels, that is, the unceasing leaning of one upon the others, without, however, affecting any of its characteristics. This means, in reality, only the complete use of the resonance of the breath, since the mixture of the vowels can be obtained only through the elastic conjunction of the organs and the varying division of the stream of breath toward the palatal resonance, or that of the cavities of the head, or the equalization of the two.

The larynx must rise and descend unimpeded by the tongue, soft palate and pillars of the fauces rise and sink, the soft palate always able more or less to press close to the hard. Strong and elastic contractions imply very pliable and circumspect relaxation of the same.

I think that the feeling I have of the extension of my throat comes from the very powerful yet very elastic contraction of my muscles, which, though feeling always in a state of relaxability, appear to me like flexible steel, of which I can demand everything,--because never too much,--and which I exercise daily. Even in the entr'actes of grand operas I go through with such exercises; for they refresh instead of exhausting me.

The unconstrained coöperation of all the organs, as well as their individual functions, must go on elastically without any pressure or cramped action. Their interplay must be powerful yet supple, that the breath which produces the tone may be diffused as it flows from one to another of the manifold and complicated organs (such as the ventricles of Morgagni), supporting itself on others, being caught in still others, and finding all in such a state of readiness as is required in each range for each tone. Everything must be combined in the right way as a matter of habit.

The voice is equalized by the proper ramification of the breath and the proper connection of the different resonances.

The tone is colored by the proper mixture of vowels; _oo_, _o_, and _ah_ demanding more palatal resonance and a lower position of the larynx, _a_ and _e_ more resonance of the head cavities and a higher position of the larynx. With _oo_, _o_, _ü_, and _ah_ the palate is arched higher (the tongue forming a furrow) than with _[=a]_, _[=e]_, and _ü_, where the tongue lies high and flat.

There are singers who place the larynx too low, and, arching the palate too high, sing too much toward _oo_. Such voices sound very dark, perhaps even hollow; they lack the interposition of the _[=a]_,--that is, the larynx is placed too low.

On the other hand, there are others who press it upward too high; their _a_ position is a permanent one. Such voices are marked by a very bright, sharp quality of tone, often like a goat's bleating.

Both are alike wrong and disagreeable. The proper medium between them must be gained by sensitive training of the ear, and a taste formed by the teacher through examples drawn from his own singing and that of others.

If we wish to give a noble expression to the tone and the word, we must mingle its vocal sound, if it is not so, with _o_ or _oo_. If we wish to give the word merely an agreeable expression, we mingle it with _ah_, _[=a]_, and _[=e]_. That is, we must use all the qualities of tonal resonance, and thus produce colors which shall benefit the tone and thereby the word and its expression.

Thus a single tone may be taken or sung in many different ways. In every varying connection, consequently, the singer must be able to change it according to the expression desired. But as soon as it is a question of a _musical phrase_, in which several tones or words, or tones alone, are connected, the law of progression must remain in force; expression must be sacrificed, partly at least, to the beauty of the musical passage.

If he is skilful enough, the singer can impart a certain expression of feeling to even the most superficial phrases and coloratura passages. Thus, in the coloratura passages of Mozart's arias, I have always sought to gain expressiveness by _crescendi_, choice of significant points for breathing, and breaking off of phrases. I have been especially successful with this in the _Entführung_, introducing a tone of lament into the first aria, a heroic dignity into the second, through the coloratura passages. Without exaggerating petty details, the artist must exploit all the means of expression that he is justified in using.