The Renaissance of the Vocal Art written by Edmund Myer
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6 The Renaissance of the Vocal Art
A Practical Study of Vitality, Vitalized Energy, of the Physical, Mental
and Emotional Powers of the Singer, through Flexible, Elastic Bodily
Movements
BY EDMUND J. MYER
F.S. Sc. (London)
_Author of "Truths of Importance to Vocalists," "The Voice from a
Practical Stand-Point," "Voice-Training Exercises" (a study of the natural
movements of the voice), "Vocal Reinforcement," "Position and Action in
Singing," etc., etc._
1902
"_When you see something new to you in art, or hear a proposition in
philosophy you never heard before, do not make haste to ridicule, deny or
refute. Possibly the trouble is with yourself--who knows?_"
PREFACE.
To my readers once again through this little work, greetings. For the many
kind things said of my former works by my friends, my pupils, the critic
and the profession, thanks! To those who have understood and appreciated
the principles laid down in my last book, "Position and Action in Singing,"
I will say that this little work will be an additional help. To my readers
in general, who may not have fully understood or appreciated the principles
of vitality, of vitalized energy, aroused and developed through the
movements set forth in my last book, to such I will say that I hope this
little work will make clearer those principles. I hope that it may lead
them to a better understanding of the fundamental principles of the system,
principles which are founded upon natural laws and common sense. In this
work I have endeavored to logically formulate my system.
As it is not possible to fully study and develop any one fundamental
principle of singing without some understanding or mastery of all others,
so it is not possible to write a work like this without more or less
repetition. Certain subjects are so closely related, are so interdependent,
that repetition cannot be avoided. I am not offering an apology for this; I
am simply stating that a certain amount of repetition is necessary.
CONTENTS.
PREFACE
EXORDIUM
PART FIRST.
_EVOLUTION_.
ARTICLE 1. THE OLD ITALIAN SCHOOL OF SINGING
" 2. THE DARK AGES OF THE VOCAL ART
" 3. THE TWO PREVAILING SYSTEMS
" 4. THE RENAISSANCE OF THE VOCAL ART
" 5. THE COMING SCHOOL OR SYSTEM
" 6. CONDITIONS
" 7. THE INFLUENCE OF RIGHT BODILY ACTION
RAISON D'ETRE
PART SECOND.
_VITALITY_.
ARTICLE 1. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF ARTISTIC TONE-PRODUCTION
" 2. THE SECOND PRINCIPLE OF ARTISTIC TONE-PRODUCTION
" 3. THE THIRD PRINCIPLE OF ARTISTIC TONE-PRODUCTION
PART THIRD.
_AESTHETICS_.
ARTICLE 1. THE FOURTH PRINCIPLE OF ARTISTIC SINGING
" 2. THE FIFTH PRINCIPLE OF ARTISTIC SINGING
" 3. THE SIXTH PRINCIPLE OF ARTISTIC SINGING
" 4. THE SEVENTH PRINCIPLE OF ARTISTIC SINGING
EXORDIUM.
Man, to see far and clearly, must rise above his surroundings. To win great
possessions, to master great truths, we must climb all the hills, all the
mountains, which confront us. Unfortunately the vocal profession dwells too
much upon the lowlands of tradition, or is buried too deep in the valleys
of prejudice. Better things, however, will come. They must come. The
current of the advanced thought, the higher thought, of this, the opening
year of the twentieth century, will slowly but surely increase in power and
influence, will slowly but surely broaden and deepen, until the light of
reason breaks upon the vocal world. We may confidently look, in the near
future, for the Renaissance of the Vocal Art.
PART FIRST.
_EVOLUTION._
ARTICLE ONE.
THE OLD ITALIAN SCHOOL OF SINGING.
The Shibboleth, or trade cry, of the average modern vocal teacher is "The
Old Italian School of Singing." How much of value there is in this may be
surmised when we stop to consider that of the many who claim to teach the
true Old Italian method no two of them teach at all alike, unless they
happen to be pupils of the same master.
A system, a method, or a theory is not true simply because it is old. It
may be old and true; it may be old and false. It may be new and false; or,
what is more important, it may be new and yet true; age alone cannot stamp
it with the mark of truthfulness.
The truth is, we know but little of the Old Italian School of Singing. We
do know, however, that the old Italians were an emotional and impulsive
people. Their style of singing was the flexible, florid, coloratura style.
This demanded freedom of action and emotional expression, which more
largely than anything else accounts for their success.
The old Italians knew little or nothing of the science of voice as we know
it to-day. They did know, however, the great fundamental principles of
singing, which are freedom of form and action, spontaneity and naturalness.
They studied Nature, and learned of her. Their style of singing, it is
true, would be considered superficial at the present day, but it is
generally conceded that they did make a few great singers. If the
principles of the old school had not been changed or lost, if they had been
retained and developed up to the present day, what a wonderful legacy the
vocal profession might have inherited in this age, the beginning of the
twentieth century. Adversity, however, develops art as well as
individuality; hence the vocal art has much to expect in the future.
ARTICLE TWO.
THE DARK AGE OF THE VOCAL ART.
Even in the palmiest days of the Old Italian School, there were forces at
work which were destined to influence the entire vocal world. The subtle
influence of these forces was felt so gradually, and yet so surely and
powerfully, that while the profession, as one might say, peacefully slept,
art was changed to artificiality. Thus arose that which may be called the
dark ages of the vocal art,--an age when error overshadowed truth and
reason; for while real scientists, after great study and research,
discovered much of the true science of voice, many who styled themselves
scientists discovered much that they imagined was the true science of
voice.
Upon the theories advanced by self-styled scientists, many systems of
singing were based, without definite proof as to their being true or false.
These systems were exploited for the benefit of those who formulated them.
This condition of things prevailed, not only through the latter part of the
eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth, but still
manifests itself at the present day, and no doubt will continue to do so
for many years to come.
The vocal world undoubtedly owes much to the study and research of the true
scientist. All true art is based upon science, and none more than the art
of voice and of singing.
Science is knowledge of facts co-ordinated, arranged, and systematized;
hence science is truth. The object of science is knowledge; the object of
art is works. In art, truth is the means to an end; in science, truth is
the end.
The science of voice is a knowledge of certain phenomena or movements which
are found under certain conditions to occur regularly. The object of the
true art of voice is to study the conditions which allow these phenomena to
occur.
The greatest mistake of the many systems of singing, formulated upon the
theories of the scientists, and of the so-called scientists, was not so
much in their being based upon theories which oftentimes were wrong, as in
the misunderstanding and misapplication of true theories. The general
mistake of these systems was and is that they attempt by direct local
effort, by direct manipulation of muscle, to compel the phenomena of voice,
instead of studying the conditions which allow them to occur. In this way
they attempt to do by direct control, that which Nature alone can do
correctly.
While it is true that the vocal world owes much to science and the
scientists, yet "the highest science can never fully explain the true
phenomena of the voice, which are truly the phenomena of Nature." The
phenomena of the voice no doubt interest the scientists from an anatomical
standpoint, but these things are of little practical value to the singer.
As someone has said, "To examine into the anatomical construction of the
larynx, to watch it physiologically, and learn to understand the motions of
the vocal cords in their relation to vocal sounds, is not much more than
looking at the dial of a clock; the movements of the hands will give you no
idea of the construction of the intricate works hidden behind the face of
the clock."
We should never lose sight of the fact that there is a true science of
voice, and that the art of song is based upon this science. The true art of
song, however, is not so much a direct study of the physical or mechanical
action of the parts, as it is a study of the spirituelle side; a study of
the forces which move the parts automatically, in accordance with the laws
of nature. In other words, voice, true voice, is more psychological than
physiological; is more an expression of mind and soul than a physical
expression or a physical force. It is true, the body is the medium through
which the soul, the real man, gives expression to thought and feeling; and
yet voice that is simply mechanical or physical is always common and
meaningless and as a rule unmusical. The normal condition of true artistic
voice is emotional and soulful.
ARTICLE THREE.
THE TWO PREVAILING SYSTEMS.
The misunderstanding or the misapplication of any principle, theory or
device, always leads to error. This was eminently true of the
misunderstanding and misapplication on the part of many writers and
teachers who based their systems upon the theories of the scientists and
the self-styled scientists. The result is evident; it is that which is
known as the local-effort, muscular school of the nineteenth century; the
school which to this day so largely prevails; the school which makes of man
a mere vocal machine, instead of a living, emotional, thinking soul.
The local-effort school attempts, by direct control and manipulation of
muscle and of the vocal parts, to compel the phenomena of voice. In this
respect it is unique; in this respect it stands alone. The truth of this
statement becomes evident when we stop to consider that in nothing known
which requires muscular development, as does the art of singing, is this
development or training secured by direct manipulation and control of
muscle. There is nothing in the arts or sciences, nothing in the broad
field of athletics or physical culture, nothing in the wide world that
requires physical development, in which the attempt is made to develop by
direct effort as does the local-effort school. Hence we say the mistake
they make is in attempting to compel the phenomena of voice, instead of
studying the conditions which allow them to occur. 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."
The local-effort school is accountable for many errors of the day. The
incubus of this school is fastened upon the vocal profession with
octopus-like tentacles which reach out in every direction, and which strive
to strangle the truth in every possible way; but, while "life is short, art
is long;" the truth must prevail.
* * * * *
As an outgrowth of the local-effort school, and as an attempt to counteract
its evil tendencies, there is to-day in existence another school or system
known as the limp or relaxed school, or the system of complete relaxation.
The object of this relaxation is to overcome muscular tension and rigidity.
This is the other extreme. The followers of this school forget that there
can be no tonicity without tension. Flexible firmness without rigidity, the
result of flexible, vitalized position and action, is the only true
condition. The tone of the school of relaxation is nearly always depressed
and breathy; it always lacks vitality.
ARTICLE FOUR.
THE RENAISSANCE OF THE VOCAL ART.
We are in the habit of measuring time by days, weeks, months, years,
decades and centuries. The world at large measures time by epochs and eras.
While this is true in the physical world, it is equally true of the arts
and sciences, and it is especially true of the art of song. Thus we have
had the period known as "The Old Italian School of Singing." This was
followed by the modern school, or "The Local-Effort School" of the
nineteenth century, the period which may be called The Dark Ages of the
Vocal Art.
There is a constant evolution in all things progressive, and this evolution
is felt very perceptibly to-day in the vocal world. Great principles, great
truths, are of slow growth, slow development. Times change, however, and we
change with them. While the changes may be slow and almost imperceptible to
the observer, they are sure, and finally become evident by the accumulation
of event after event.
The prevailing systems of the nineteenth century tried to develop voice by
direct local muscular effort. These systems have proved themselves
failures. The vocal world is looking for and demanding something better. We
may say that we are now on the eve of great events in the vocal art. When
the morn comes, and the light breaks, we may confidently expect that
awakening or reawakening which may properly be called The Renaissance of
the Vocal Art.
This is the age of physical culture in all its forms. There is a tendency
from the artificial habits of life, back, or rather one should say forward,
to Nature and Nature's laws. "Athletes appreciate the value of physical
training: brain-workers appreciate the value of mental training, of
thinking before acting, and if you would become either you must follow the
methods of both."
Many of our foremost educators in all branches of development, physical,
mental and musical, are now making a bold stand for natural methods of
education. However, all vocal training and development in the past, we are
glad to say, has not been on the wrong side of the question.
There have been, at all ages and under all circumstances and conditions,
men who have been at the root or the bottom of things,--men who have
preserved the truth in spite of their surroundings. So in the vocal art,
there have been at every decade a few men who have known the truth, and who
have handed it down through the dark ages of the vocal art. The work of
these men has not been lost. Its influence has been felt, and is today more
powerful than ever. Hence the trend of the best thought of the profession
is away from the ideas of the local-effort school, away from rigidity and
artificiality, and more in the direction of naturalness and common sense. I
believe we are now, as a profession, slowly but surely awakening to truths
which will grow, and which will in time bring to pass that which must come
sooner or later, the new school of the twentieth century.
There is to-day that which is known as "The New Movement in the Vocal
Art"--a movement based upon natural laws and common sense and opposed to
the ideas of the local-effort school;--movement in the direction of freedom
of action, spontaneity and flexible strength as opposed to rigidity and
direct effort;--a movement which advocates vitalized energy instead of
muscular effort;--a movement which had its origin in the belief that no man
ever learned to sing because he locally fixed or puckered his lips; because
he held down his tongue with a spatulum or a spoon; because he locally
lowered or raised his soft palate; because he consciously moved or locally
fixed his larynx; because he consciously, rigidly set or firmly pulled in
one direction or another, his breathing muscles; because he carried an
unnaturally high chest at the sacrifice of form, position and strength in
every other way; because he sang with a stick or a pencil or a cork in his
mouth; or because he did a hundred other unnatural things too foolish to
mention. No man ever learned or ever will learn to sing because of these
things. It is true he may have learned to sing in spite of them, which
shows that Nature is kind; but as compared to the whole, he is one in a
thousand.
"The New Movement" has come to stay. It will, of course, meet with bitter
opposition. Why not? The custom of many has been, and is, to condemn
without investigation; to condemn because it does not happen to be in the
line of their teaching and study. Someone has said, "He who condemns
without knowledge or investigation is dishonest."
"The New Movement" is simply a study of the conditions which allow the
phenomena of voice to occur naturally and automatically. The day will come,
when a right training of the voice will be recognized as a flexible,
artistic, physical training of the human body, and a consequent right use
of the voice, as a soulful expression of the emotional nature. Matter or
muscle will be taught to obey mind or will spontaneously. The thought
before the effort, or rather before the action, will be the controlling
influence, and vitalized emotional energy will be the true motor power of
the voice. The elocutionists and the physical culturists understand this
far better, as a rule, than the vocalists.
Abuse brings reform in art as well as in all other things. So the abuse of
Nature's laws and the lack of common sense in the training of the singing
voice has led, through a gradual evolution, to "The New Movement." This
movement is the outgrowth of the best or advanced thought of the profession
rebelling against unnatural methods.
In the fundamental principles of "The New Movement," there is nothing new
claimed by its advocates. All is founded upon the science of voice, as are
all true systems of teaching. The claims are made with regard to the
devices used to study natural laws, to develop the God-given powers of the
singer. Remember that Nature incarnates or reflects God's thoughts and
desires and not man's ideas or inventions. Someone has said that there was
nothing new, nor could there be anything new, in the art of singing. There
are many, alas! who talk and write as did this man. Is not this simply
proof of the fact that ignorance cheapens and belittles that which wisdom
views with awe and admiration? And this is true of nothing so much as it is
of the arts and sciences.
Is, then, ours in all the world, the only profession based upon science and
art that must stand still, that must accept blindly the traditions handed
down to us, without investigation? Are we to feel and believe that with us
progress is impossible, that we may not and cannot keep up with the spirit
of the age? God forbid. Is it not true that "each age refutes much which a
previous age believed, and all things human wax old and vanish away to make
room for new developments, new ideals, new possibilities"? Is it possible
this is true of all professions but ours? The signs of the times indicate
differently. Hence we may confidently expect the Renaissance of the Vocal
Art in this, the first half of the new century.
ARTICLE FIVE.
THE COMING SCHOOL, OR SYSTEM.
This is an age of progress; and, as we have said, many educators are making
a bold stand for natural, common-sense methods. The trend of the higher
thought of the vocal profession is away from artificiality, and in the
direction of naturalness.
The coming school, or system, of the twentieth century will undoubtedly
find its form, its power, its expressional and artistic force and value,
its home, its life, in America. The old country is too much in the toils,
too much in the ruts of tradition; hence natural forces are suppressed, and
artificiality reigns supreme in the training of the voice. While this is
not true in regard to the strictly aesthetic side of the question, it is
painfully true as far as the fundamental principles of voice development
are concerned. Of course we are glad to say there are bright and shining
exceptions to this rule in all lands, but to the new country we must
undoubtedly look for the new school.
So far the world has produced but two great teachers. The first of these is
Nature; the second is Common Sense. Nature lays down the fundamental
principles of voice; Common Sense formulates the devices for development
according to these principles. Therefore we say, Go to Nature and learn of
her, and use Common Sense in studying and developing her principles. The
nearer the approach to Nature, the higher the art; hence the new school
must be founded upon artistic laws which are Nature's laws, and not upon
artificiality.
The coming school must teach the idealized tone. The ideal in its
completeness means the truth,--all the truth,--and not, as many suppose, an
exaggerated form of expression. The truth in tone, or the idealized tone,
is beautiful and soulful, and demands for its production and use all the
forces that Nature has given to the singer,--physical, mental, and
emotional or spirituelle. Unmusical, muscular tone is not the true tone. It
contains much that it should not have on the physical side, and lacks much
that it should have on the spirituelle. As a rule, it means nothing; in
fact, it is often simply a noise. The idealized tone always represents a
thought, an idea, an emotion; it is the expression of the inner--the
higher--man; it is, in reality, self-expression.
"The human voice is the most delicately attuned musical instrument that God
has created. It is capable of a cultivation beyond the dreams of those who
have given it no thought. It maybe made to express every emotion in the
gamut of human sensation, from abject misery to boundless ecstasy. It marks
the man without his consent; it makes the man if he will but cultivate it."
The coming school must be founded upon freedom of form and action, upon
flexible bodily movements, the result of vitalized energy instead of
muscular effort. There must be no set, rigid, static condition of the
muscles. Artistic singing is a form of self-expression; and
self-expression, to be natural and beautiful, must be the result of correct
position and action.
The first principle of artistic singing is the removal of all restraint.
This is a fundamental law of Nature and cannot be changed. Under the
influence of direct local muscular effort, the removal of all restraint is
impossible. Hence the coming school must be based upon free flexible
action. In this respect it will be much like the old Italian school, except
that it will be as far in advance of the old school in the science of voice
as the twentieth century is in advance of the eighteenth. It must also be
far in advance of the old school in the devices used to develop the
fundamental principles of voice.
In this age of progress and knowledge of laws and facts, the new school,
under the influence of Nature's laws and common sense, with the aid of
flexible movements and vitalized energy, must do as much for the
development of the singing voice in three or four years as the old school
was able to do in eight or ten. This is necessary, both because the singing
world demands it, and Nature and common sense teach us that it does not
take years and years of hard study and practice simply to develop the
voice. From a strictly musical standpoint, however, it does take years to
ripen a great singer, to make a great artist. Many voices are ruined
musically by years of hard, muscular practice. Hence we say the new school
must give the voice freedom, and remove all muscular restraint by or
through natural, common-sense, vitalized movements.
ARTICLE SIX.
CONDITIONS.
Nature's laws are God's laws. All nature, the universe itself, is an
expression of God's thoughts or desires in accordance with His laws. This
one controlling force, this principle of law, is at the bottom of
everything in nature and art. Everything which man says or does under
normal, free conditions, is self-expression, an expression of his inner
nature; but this expression must be under the law. If not, the expression
is unnatural and therefore artificial. This principle, which holds true in
all of man's expression, in all art, is in nothing more evident than in the
use of the singing voice.
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