Scan 26
Musical Courier 1898-06-15: Vol 36 Iss 954, 1898
46 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026. Printed page 25. See the scan on archive.org.
1Overtones.
2BY J. STANFORD BROWN.
3June 2, 1898.
5WITHOUT perfectly clear ideas of sound waves it is impossible to talk intelligently about the voice as a physical phenomenon. This brings us at once to the distinction between what are termed "simple" waves and those which are "not simple."
7A sound wave has (1) length, (2) height (amplitude), (3) shape and (4) intensity. Wave length is, however, a different conception from the thought involved when we speak of the length of a piece of stick. The length of a sound wave is the distance which the wave has passed over in space in one second, starting from the source of sound. It is a length not of the wave in the ordinary sense, but of the space traversed by the wave. The height of the wave, often called its amplitude, is the maximum extent of swing made by each particle which at any instant constitutes any portion of the wave as the wave passes along.
9In the word shape we have another difficulty of conception. A "simple wave" is of the definite form known in physics as a sine curve or "sugar-loaf curve."
11Two simple waves may be combined physically into one, and on paper the result is obtained by adding the ordinates of corresponding points on the line of motion of the wave.
13A series of simple waves whose lengths are related as the series of numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, &c., ad infinitum is of especial interest. Such a series is generated by a string when vibrated successively as a whole, in 2-2, 3-3, &c. In each case the sound corresponding to each of these waves is a tone. If, however, a string is made to vibrate in two modes at once, say, as a whole and also as 3-3, the resulting sound is no longer a tone (which corresponds to a simple wave), but "note," which corresponds to a "non-simple" wave. Further, the wave corresponding to the note is a single wave, whose chief peculiarity is its "shape." Every note-wave is a deformed tone-wave so far as its shape is concerned. In other words, for purposes of analysis, discussion or picturing the wave, we may consider it as a compound of some number of simple waves of various lengths and heights, but all of sugar-loaf shape, although as a physical entity we are always dealing with a single wave. The note sound passes from the source to the ear not as a series of several waves, each one of which is a simple or tone wave, but as a single wave whose characteristic curve, however, is drawn by adding (algebraically) such a series of tone-waves.
15The books on acoustics, unfortunately, call each one of a series of tone-waves related as 1, 2, 3, 4, &c., an "overtone" to the lowest tone produced in the series. This, however, is now an obsolete and improper use of the term overtone. In the case of a string vibrating in, say, 3-3, the sound produced will be
16(1) A tone if the string is vibrating solely in that mode.
17(2) An overtone only if the string is simultaneously vibrating either in 2-2 or 1-1, in which case the sound will be an overtone to the 2-2 tone or 1-1 tone, as the case may be, and in relation to it the aforesaid lower tone is called its fundamental. Calling "non-simple" sounds compound or complex has the advantage of emphasizing their theoretical analysis and the possibility of their physical synthesis, but it likewise has the disadvantage of suggesting the thought of every such sound (note) passing from the source to the listener's ear as a series of distinct waves, which is never the case with sounds (notes) of the human voice.
19These ideas, while not difficult to comprehend, are quite difficult to put down so as to be both easily and clearly comprehensible to one who approaches the subject for the first time. In the voice the vocal bands or "pitch mechanism" enable one to produce a series of consecutive tones differing to the ear by the amount called a "semitone" through a range of from 2 to 4 octaves.
21How the "overtones" of the voice (according to the above definition No. 2) are formed is still a matter of discussion, excepting in so far as it is held to be a question of resonance, which, in turn, so far as overtones is concerned, is a function of
22(1) The shape taken by the vocal tube, and
23(2) Whether or no nasal and other forms of resonance are brought into use by the singer. Resonance in the above sense does not mean the amplification of the wave height of the fundamental tone of any given note, which is the sense to which Dr. Muckey confines the term in his articles.
25Success for Another Dossert Pupil.
27The appended notice refers to Miss Ida Hawley, who has been engaged by the Schiller Opera Company, of Chicago, to sing leading roles. Miss Hawley is a pupil of Frank G. Dossert, to whom she attributes all the credit for her vocal success:
29Miss Ida Hawley, the most recent accession to the Schiller Opera Company, is an interesting figure. She was until yesterday a member of Augustin Daly's company, and has scored several big hits in Mr. Daly's musical productions. She is a cousin of Lieutenant Commander Hawley of the United States Navy, who has been in Chicago for several weeks past recruiting for Uncle Sam's navy. Miss Hawley is a Canadian by birth. Her first engagement was with Mr. Daly, and she has been in his company for two seasons. She first appeared as Ceres in "The Tempest," and has since played many roles. It was her singing in the title role of "Lilli Tse," the one-act Japanese opera which Mr. Daly produced last winter as a curtain raiser to "The Country Girl," which brought her into prominence. She alternated this role with Miss Marguerite Lemon and shared her success in New York. Miss Hawley is pretty and slight, with a great pair of dark gray eyes and a trim, dainty little figure. Her voice is a pure soprano of good range and great sweetness. Yvonne is probably the best singing part in "Paul Jones," so she will have plenty of opportunity to display her qualities.—Chicago Sunday Chronicle, June 5.
31Tarkio Music Festival.
33A quite a talented group of artists, took place in the little town of Tarkio, Mo., on May 18 and 19, in the Auditorium of the place. Three concerts were given, two evening and one afternoon, the afternoon concert being an artists' recital. The first evening performance presented some mixed choruses of not too ambitious character, with a judicious sprinkling of piano, violin and vocal solos and vocal duets. The closing concert was composed of Händel's "Messiah," most creditably and spiritedly given, and forming a highly commendable climax to the enterprising efforts of this musical community. The local press writes intelligently and with enthusiasm of the festival, the Omaha Bee of May 22 giving merited consideration to the conductor, Mr. Mills, in the following excerpt from a lengthy article:
35It was the musical department of this college (Presbyterian) that gave the festival last week. The chorus numbered 100 voices, and the parts were fairly well balanced. At the Wednesday evening performance they sang "Daybreak," by Fanning; "The Shepherd's Farewell," by Smart, and the "March Chorus," from "Tannhäuser," by Wagner. On Thursday evening "The Messiah" was given, and they sang twelve of those wonderful choruses, including the "Amen," with which the work closes, and which is so difficult that it is frequently omitted. The conductor is Charles F. H. Mills, director of the musical department of the college. Mr. Mills was educated at Oberlin, and is so skilled a pianist that he was able to play at the afternoon concert MacDowell's D minor Concerto. As a conductor Mr. Mills is energetic, strict, has the respect and confidence of his singers and is fortunate in his choice of tempi. His chorus sang with remarkable accuracy, and was a constant source of wonder to us who had not heard it before and were inclined to judge it by the size of the town in which it lives.
37Errata.
39In the issue of THE MUSICAL COURIER, June 8, page 15, the word "physical" appears in Mr. Davenport's article upon "Articulation." It should read instead, "psychical."
41Harold Elgas.
43The gifted young boy soprano Harold Elgas still continues busy, and has recently filled a number of engagements in New York, Jersey City, Yonkers and Tarrytown. His voice, always rich, clear and full of color, seems to be growing even more mellow and beautiful in quality, and it is not to be wondered at that return engagements everywhere emphasize his success. Frank G. Dossert, his teacher, is to be congratulated upon the result of his training. The following is a Tarrytown press criticism:
45In the evening the school attended a special service in Christ Church and Dr. Grosvenor preached a baccalaureate sermon to the graduates. The music was under the efficient direction of John D. Hafen, and consisted of an anthem, well rendered by the choir, the customary hymns, and as a special feature an offertory solo by Master Harold Elgas, of New York. The latter sang "Angels Ever Bright and Fair" with exquisite simplicity and feeling.
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