Advice to Singers Part 2

But compa.s.s has nothing whatever to do with the name of the voice: it may limit the quant.i.ty of music which can be performed, but it should have no influence on the choice of the style of music to be studied.

This is a point of the greatest importance, therefore I repeat it briefly once more--_Your voice must be described and used with reference to its quality, or volume and timbre, and not with reference to the number of notes which you can sing._

=Male and Female Voices.=--The actual varieties in tone and quality in different voices cannot, of course, be expressed on paper; but a careful use of your ears in listening to good public singers will soon teach you to discriminate. Female voices are of at least four kinds: soprano, mezzo-soprano, mezzo-contralto, and contralto. Male are of five or six, or even more. Alto; tenore-leggiero or light tenor; tenore-robusto or strong heavy-voiced tenor; barytone--ba.s.so-cantante (erroneously identified with the barytone by some persons); ba.s.so-profondo or ba.s.s.

Beside all these divisions or species, voices must be again cla.s.sed according to their power. Any one who has ever heard an opera singer in a moderate-sized private drawing-room, will readily appreciate the difference between a _voce di camera_, or "chamber voice," and a _voce di teatro_.

=Compa.s.s.=--The respective compa.s.ses of the several voices may be roughly set down as follows, but it should be borne in mind that it is by no means a matter of course that a singer of any particular voice should possess or cultivate the whole range of notes supposed to belong to that voice. He or she may be none the less a tenor or a soprano because the one cannot produce an "_Ut de poitrine_," or the other "_F_ in _Alt_."

There is a special individuality in every voice, as in every face, and therefore every voice must be treated, by a good teacher, on its own merits, as a thing in some respects unique.

Perhaps it will be best, therefore, instead of saying that the compa.s.s of any given kind of voice is from ---- to ----, to say that music for such and such a voice is generally written between such and such limits.

The range allotted by composers to the various voices is about two octaves to each--for solo work, of course--and is as follows, it being understood that the male voices are an octave lower in pitch than the female:--

_Soprano_, and _Tenore-Leggiero_, and in operatic music a certain kind of _Tenore-Robusto_.

{from {[Music: C4]

{to {[Music: C6]

_Mezzo-Soprano_ and _Tenore-Robusto_

{from {[Music: A3]

{to {[Music: A5]

_Mezzo-Contralto_ and _Barytone_

{from {[Music: G3]

{to {[Music: G5]

_Contralto_ and _Ba.s.s_

{from {[Music: E3]

{to {[Music: E5]

The ba.s.so-cantante is a low barytone, or high ba.s.s with a lighter quality of tone than the ba.s.so-profondo. The alto voice, or counter-tenor as it used to be called, is not a natural voice at all, but is artificially produced by training the _falsetto_ to the exclusion of the other parts of the voice. It is totally distinct from the contralto voice of a female, in quality, average compa.s.s, and the style of music best suited to it. It is of more use in part-singing and cathedral music than for solo work, although in some oratorios solo parts have been allotted to it. It is rarely pleasing when heard alone, for very few alto singers are able to avoid the appearance of singing with effort; and the whole performance, except in some instances, appears unnatural and forced. The alto voice ranges generally

from [Music: G3]

to [Music: C5]

but its best notes are confined to the octave of B flat.

=Soprano.=--The soprano is generally clear, bright, and penetrating in tone; capable, if rightly produced, of "carrying" far without any appearance of force or effort. Its lower register is often weak and ineffective, and the forcing of those notes by a bad singer often damages the voice, and spoils the evenness of tone, which is of far more importance than power and noise in singing. Low notes, even if naturally weak, may be trained to take their proper share of the work of the voice, and every year will add to their natural power. Most soprano voices have a "break" on

[Music: G4]

and another, and more difficult one to deal with, on

[Music: E5]

or

[Music: F5]

The lower notes are the (so-called) "chest" register; the middle ones, between the breaks, the "falsetto," and the upper ones the "head" notes.

I shall speak of these often-used and frequently-misapplied words presently; I merely mention them now for the sake of pointing out to soprani, what many young lady amateurs utterly ignore, that they have these "breaks," and possess "chest," "falsetto," and "head" notes, as well as male singers.

Soprano voices are frequently capable of great flexibility, and pa.s.sages are easy to them which tax the powers even of a light mezzo-soprano severely. The high notes, especially, are in many cases easily produced in a staccato manner, like notes of a piccolo flute, and an effect is thus made, which, though pretty and pleasing if judiciously employed, becomes a great snare to many singers, who for the sake of astonis.h.i.+ng their audience work the upper part of their voices unfairly, and, neglecting steady use and practice of the lower registers, will very soon find that they have weakened the power and thinned the tone of the whole voice.

But there are many voices of pure soprano tone which lack this flexibility: let the fair owners console themselves with the recollection that good _sostenuto_ singing is quite as pleasing, in the long run, as displays of vocal gymnastics. You may not be able to attempt the "_Dinorah_" Shadow Song, or the "Rejoice Greatly" in the "_Messiah_," but you will find that you have plenty of good work left for you in such music as "Dove Sono," "Deh vieni, non tardar"

("_Figaro_"), or "Jerusalem" ("_St. Paul_").

Moreover, you may possibly have what is a much rarer gift (in a pure soprano) than flexibility--you may have a tone of voice capable of executing declamatory music with fine effect. Music of this kind is generally appropriated by some mezzo-soprano of high compa.s.s, and more properly belongs to voices of that cla.s.s; nevertheless, the effect of sustained declamatory music, well executed by a real soprano, is unrivalled in its way.

=Mezzo-Soprano.=--The mezzo-soprano voice is perhaps the commonest of all female voices, and yet one of the rarest met with in perfection. It is fuller and rounder in quality than the soprano--less flexible, and more adapted to a _sostenuto_ or declamatory style. Mezzo-soprano voices vary so much that it is difficult to name any note on which the "break" will be found. Sometimes it is on the same notes as a soprano--sometimes on the same as a contralto--on the average, perhaps, nearer the former.

Wherever it may be, however, a judicious teacher will soon point it out, and put the student into the way of rightly treating it. Teaching, and _good_ teaching, is especially necessary for voices of this cla.s.s, for their fortunate possessors are generally ignorant of the value of the treasure which they possess in a good mezzo-soprano; and if it be of light quality, they fancy themselves soprani, and force the upper register of the voice in trying to "stretch their compa.s.s;" or if their low notes develop first, they think that "with practice" they are to be contralti; and by over-exercise and fondness for displaying those deep notes, they run the risk of widening the break, and rendering the quality of the whole voice hopelessly uneven.

What lies within the sphere of a good mezzo-soprano has been shown in late years by a Grisi and a Tietjens, the latter of whom will live in the recollection of all who ever heard her, as the perfect model for every mezzo-soprano in the production of the pure tone and even quality.

=Mezzo-Contralto.=--The name mezzo-contralto speaks for itself. It is by no means an uncommon voice, and if used with discrimination is an effective and useful one. Both in compa.s.s and quality it lies between the contralto and the mezzo-soprano. Heavier in tone, less resonant, and less flexible than the mezzo-soprano, it is yet lighter than the contralto. Pure contralto voices are so rare that many mezzo-contralto singers appear as exponents of contralto music, and by paying chief attention to the lower register of their voices, they become fair imitations, and more than pa.s.sable subst.i.tutes, for the real article.

The possessor of this voice must be guided by the advice of a good teacher as to the direction in which her voice should be trained.

Sometimes the natural quality of the voice renders it advisable to attempt rivalry with the mezzo-soprano, rather than with the contralto; sometimes the reverse. It is a question for decision by a competent adviser in each individual case, and therefore I shall not attempt to lay down any decided rule, except my oft-repeated one, "GO TO A MASTER, AND A FIRST RATE-ONE,"--a point on which I shall have more to say further on. How impossible it is to lay down rules for a mezzo-contralto is shown by the fact that an eminent living "mezzo-contralto" is gladly accepted on our opera stage as a leading contralto, and yet succeeds admirably in such a part as Rossini wrote for a mezzo-soprano of the most florid kind--_Rosina_ in "_Il Barbiere_."

=Contralto.=--The quality of a true contralto voice is so peculiar that it is impossible to mistake it for any other voice, although other voices may be mistaken for it. Of course, there are exceptional cases in which the contralto and mezzo-contralto are combined in one voice: the lower range being of full and pure contralto quality, while instead of the somewhat limited upper notes of the contralto, a rich mezzo-contralto range of notes may develop themselves; and in such a case careful training will be able to soften these two into each other, so that a complete voice of peculiar charm and great usefulness will result. But such cases, if not rare, are certainly the exception and not the rule, the deep and powerfully resonant tone of the true contralto being comparatively seldom met with. There is generally an awkward break between the low B and the D above it in this voice, and E? or E are the highest notes within reach of the average contralto. Voices of this cla.s.s are better adapted for a species of ballads, for solemn declamation, or music of a calm and flowing character, than for elaborate execution or lively melodies. But here again exceptions must be made in favour of those who have the physical means, as well as the artistic skill, to study such music as that of the _Page_ in "_Les Huguenots_," _Arsace_ in "_Semiramide_," or "_La Cenerentola_." For an average English contralto, however, the best line of study is in good songs and ballads, and, chief of all, oratorio music.

=Alto.=--The alto, or counter-tenor voice, is said by a well-known English alto singer to be "simply a development of the _falsetto_--generally the _falsetto_ of an inferior ba.s.s voice." It is said to be almost peculiar to English singers, and to that fact is ascribed its extensive and effective use in the fine works of the English Cathedral School of composers. Of course, in a voice which is so artificial, there must be expected a worse "break" than usual--the break in this case being the point below which the falsetto cannot be extended, and where the natural "chest" quality of tone has to be used. This break generally lies near the same place as the contralto break--if anything, rather higher--say between C and E in the middle of the voice. The effective notes of an alto usually lie in the octave of B or B?he repertoire of music for which this voice is suited is comparatively limited. That repertoire, however, includes the greater number of oratorios, a good deal of fine old Italian music, and a few old English songs; while a singer of cleverness and cultivation will find many ballads which he may make his own by the help of transposition and style of delivery.

Great pains must be taken by the possessor of an alto voice in the formation and production of a good tone. The voice must be made to sound as _natural_ as possible; and, if necessary, power must unhesitatingly be sacrificed to sweetness. There is great danger of producing a harsh, reedy, or nasal tone, which, to the hearer, is simply distressing or offensive.

Above all, let him be content to develop his own means, and to keep to music suited to or written for his voice. A good alto will make no effect, and will do his voice and style harm, if he "poaches on the preserves" of other voices--tenors, for instance, or ba.s.ses--(singing the songs of the latter an octave higher). I once heard an alto--a fair singer so long as he stuck to his own work--make an absurd exhibition of himself by attempting the great song "Love Sounds the Alarm," in "_Acis and Galatea_," at a public concert!

Let him also beware of the snare of contralto music. The alto in a man is totally distinct from the contralto in a woman. The tone is utterly different--the best notes of the one are certainly not the best notes of the other; and although in certain cases a contralto may sing with good effect music written for a male alto (_e.g._ in some oratorios), yet the converse is scarcely ever true. The low notes, which are so fine in a contralto, and so unlike any other tone except perhaps a few notes of some tenors, are utterly wanting in charm, and generally in power, in a male alto; while the sweet and ringing middle notes of the latter are far more effective in alto music than the (frequently) weak and uncertain middle notes of a contralto. Choose your music as you name your voice, by the quality of tone you can produce, and not by the range of notes.

=Tenore-Leggiero.=--The _tenore-leggiero_ or "light tenor," is the male voice corresponding to the female soprano; it is perhaps the most delicate and difficult to manage of all human voices. In the present day, when fas.h.i.+on is all in favour of noise, it is difficult for any but the strong-minded to stand firm against the tendency to shout and bawl, which appears to be the highest aim of many singers, and the highest admiration of most audiences. Now for a light tenor to attempt this style of singing is simply suggestive of the old fable of the frog who tried to make himself as big as the bull, and burst in the attempt.

There is a modern school of singing which, though it may be suitable enough for heavy voices such as ba.s.ses and robust tenors, is fatal to light and delicate voices. The style of singing, and of music to be sung, by this voice, is quite different from that appropriate to strong and full organs; and, if you are the possessor of a light tenor, you must at once rid yourself of the common amateur fancy (a fancy, too, by no means confined to amateurs) that you must imitate a certain ever-popular living tenor, whose name has pa.s.sed almost into a proverb as typical of the perfection of English singing. You _cannot_ be a "Reeves" or a "Braham," therefore it is only waste of time and strength for you to try. But there is a great deal of music which neither a "Reeves" nor a "Braham" could sing, which is well within your reach; and more than that, there is a great deal of excellent music which, though you cannot sing it _like_ them, you may render very effective in a totally different style. Very often a _pianissimo_ is quite as expressive as a _fortissimo_, and grace and sweetness are frequently an excellent subst.i.tute for power and force. You must be content to recognize that the latter are out of your reach, and that the effects which you can produce are to be attained by other means.

However, while a.s.suring you that power and force are not given to you, I do not mean to say that voices of your cla.s.s need be at all inaudible in a s.p.a.ce however large. The tone of a light tenor is generally clear, resonant, and penetrating; sometimes there is a metallic ring about it which is extremely pretty, if not forced. I have heard a light tenor, singing at the back of the Covent Garden stage, send his voice clearly out into the great theatre, with apparently more ease than his "robust"

friend, who was shortly afterwards vociferating at the footlights.

A light tenor must be careful not to force up the lower register of his voice beyond its natural and easy limit. The charm of the voice is in the perfect blending together of the lower, middle, and upper registers, and to do this the upper notes of each register should be equally at command, as the upper notes of that register or the lower notes of the one above it. In order to attain this, the change from one register to another should generally be made considerably lower than the place where the real "break" in the voice comes. For instance, supposing the "break"

to be on E?, the singer should be able to change his register as low as B or B?, and to take all the notes between those two places, either in the upper or lower register, with equal effect.

In voices of this character there is often one note which requires to be _made_--_i.e._, which is so naturally defective in tone and quality that it can only be produced effectively by imitating as nearly as possible the quality of the register above or below it. This note is generally E, F, F?, or (sometimes) G, between the middle and upper registers; and if you find that you unfortunately have such a refractory note, remember not to try and force the tone of it from the next note above or below; _e.g._, if your bad note is F, do not try to improve it by singing E well and then pa.s.sing on to the F; but try and form the note from the fifth above or below (whichever it happens to resemble most in tone).