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Musical Courier 1899-10-11: Vol 39 Iss 1021, 1899
78 lines. Read by computer on 23 September 2026. Printed page 14. See the scan on archive.org.
1The Viardot-Garcia Method
2AND ITS REPRESENTATIVE IN SWITZERLAND, MADAME TORRIGI-HEIROTH.
3(Translated from "Centralblatt für Instrumentalmusik, Solo und Chorgesang," Stuttgart, 1899.)
5TOWARD the end of May the Geneva papers announced the fact that Mme. L. Torrigi-Heiroth had resigned her position as vocal professor at the Geneva Conservatory of Music. This was caused by the difference which exists between the ordinary method of teaching at the Conservatory and the fundamental laws of the Method Viardot-Garcia, represented in Switzerland by Madame Torrigi-Heiroth. Madame Torrigi-Heiroth will remain in Geneva, where she has many devoted pupils.
7We will not undertake to pronounce a verdict in this case, since none has been asked for, but we gladly seize the opportunity so seldom offered—owing to the fact that teaching in most musical institutions constantly remains in its same old beaten track—of bringing before the public some general points of interest arising from this dissension.
9First of all arises the question of the authority that the teaching artist is to possess. If the teaching is to be profitable to his pupils, the master must be allowed to follow his own ideas and principles with entire liberty. His devotion demands complete confidence, not only from his pupils and their parents, but also from the directors of the school. As soon as he finds that this confidence is diminished, or that his method is to suffer any changes, he will, if he is conscientious, resign from such an institution.
11Madame Torrigi-Heiroth proved both by her artistic career and by her resignation from the Conservatory that she will not have the method she represents interfered with; a method based on her own experiences and on the advice of an authority such as is Madame Viardot-Garcia in Paris.
13But why could not the method adopted in the Geneva Conservatory reconcile itself with the method of Madame Torrigi-Heiroth? The answer to this question is, that ever since its foundation the Conservatory has conserved the study of vocalises* (solfeggi), a study to which the Viardot-Garcia method is entirely opposed. A vocalise is an étude-like melody, sung to the different vowels or to the initials of a well-known Latin hymn (ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, si). This is called solmisation. The bobsitisation takes the syllables bo, ce, di, ga, lo, ma, ni; the bebisation, a, be, ce, de, me, fe, ge, and the damenisation, da, me, ni, po, tu, la, be—Bonnet blanc; Blanc bonnet!
15It is impossible to think of anything serious when singing such syllables. They, together with the absurd syllables of the Galin-Paris-Chevé syllables, ought to be banished from memory forever. The vocalise treats the voice like an instrument and robs singing of one of its principal elements—a poetical language. On the other hand, the vocalise is obliged to sacrifice purely technical studies to melodic and harmonical forms, making it impossible to achieve a good technic as quickly as by especially technical studies. It is easily to be seen, therefore, what a long way the vocalise forces one to take in order to gain the same result as is gained by simple exercises.
17In the preface to the original edition of the Garcia method we find the following passage, omitted in the later editions: "Perhaps the public hoped to find in this book some vocalises so generally in usage for vocal study. We have excluded them from this method, because for us they present no longer the merits they formerly possessed, but, on the contrary, bring about difficulties unnecessarily. This appertains to some peculiar circumstances in the history of music. In the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries music was studied by means of the voice. Pupils who devoted themselves exclusively to singing were taught by the same master who taught them solmisation. At that time the system of mutation was in full sway, and sometimes, in order to lessen the difficulties which the nomination of this system presented, a vowel was substituted for the name of the note. From this accidental process the modern vocalise has its origin. * * *"
19Études for instruments may be compared to vocalises for singing. Many an intelligent piano teacher has been able to make his pupils play scales, chords, &c., in such a way as to dispense entirely with such études as Czerny's and the like, thus gaining a great deal of time. Of course the so-called études of Cramer, Chopin, Moscheles, Haberbier, &c., are not to be classified among the superfluous études above mentioned.
21What is the chief characteristic of the Viardot-Garcia method, so successful in the whole world and which has had its first fiasco in the Geneva Conservatory? Since everything that is great and true is simple, this method also is simple and clear in its fundamental principles. In order to be able to sing one must have the voice entirely under control, and one must be able to modulate it so as to render all kinds of impressions and feelings. This accomplishment can only be achieved by studying only technical studies at first. The voice is developed and embellished by exercises. This is the material side of vocal study. Then it is necessary to acquire the knowledge of the different styles in order to render the meaning, the soul of music, and this knowledge can only be gained by the study of ancient and modern masters. Then what is the use of vocalises in vocal instruction? These "songs without words" are entirely superfluous. Why banish words from a song? They help to keep the voice in position and give the pupil something to think of, something which for the moment occupies both heart and brains.
23Thus thinks Mme. Torrigi-Heiroth, and as to the different national methods she has expressed herself about as follows: "There exists no such thing as a German, French, Italian &c., method, but there is one good and there are many bad methods. Art is universal. A good composition, like a beautiful picture, will be admired everywhere; so also will a good singer have the same success in Paris, Milan, St. Petersburg or New York. Therefore that method will be called good which teaches in the first place a correct emission of the voice, and which then penetrates into the soul of music of all nations without that national distinction, which has nothing to do with real art. Herein lies the secret of the great fame of the Garcia method."
25The following is an extract from a letter by Madame Pauline Viardot (dated May 3, 1899), relating to the matter in question:
27"One of the most important points is never to let the pupil lose time in singing vocalises, and for the following reasons: In vocalises certain difficulties arise which must be studied by means of exercises, until these difficulties are overcome. When that is the case, it is useless to let a pupil tire his voice in singing mediocre music (such as most vocalises are) using the vowel A. Is it not better to let him sing music that is good, easy, but constantly progressing in difficulty? My father (Garcia, the founder of the school) never had his pupils sing vocalises—never, never! Nor my brother either (Manuel Garcia, son of the former, author of the 'Garcia School; or, the Art of Singing,' published by Schott's Soehne, Mayence). I myself never sang vocalises, and my pupils never sing them, though they are trifles for anyone who has been properly trained by exercises."
29Let us close with a short biography of Madame Torrigi-Heiroth, daughter of a distinguished family in St. Petersburg, the Baronne de L. (having adopted for her artistic career the name of Torrigi) received a brilliant education. At an early age she began to study singing with Mme. P. Viardot, the renowned vocal professor in Paris, and made her début at a concert given by Rubinstein in the Trocadéro during the Exposition of 1878. Her début as an opera singer took place the same year in Bucharest, in "La Somnambule" and was an immense success. In Milan, and at the Rossini Theatre in Venice, she sang "La Traviata," "La Somnambule" and "The Puritans." Music editor Lucca then charged her with the interpretation of Auber's "Les Diamants de la Couronne," and in the Pergola Theatre she first appeared in the principal role of "Rosilde di Saluzzo." In Naples she created "L'Eclaire," by Halévy; in Milan, "Mireille"; in Florence, "Le Pecheurs de Perles"; and sang on Italy's principal stages "Rigoletto," "Barbier de Seville," "Lucia," "Martha," "Traviata," "Fra Diavolo," &c., everywhere receiving the ovations of an enthusiastic public.
31After these brilliant successes Madame Torrigi sang in Egypt, in Spain, Paris, Nice, Oporto, Kiev, Geneva, Moscow and was called upon to sing before the Imperial Court of St. Petersburg the legend of the opera "Lakmé."
33In No. 1 of this year's issue of this paper we have spoken in detail about Madame Torrigi-Heiroth's "Exercises for Posing and Developing the Voice and Technic."
35The Geneva papers announced in July that Madame Torrigi-Heiroth had left the Conservatory and had entered the Geneva Academy of Music, founded in 1886, which counts among its many pupils both Genevese and foreigners. May she there find a field of action worthy of her talents.
37C. H. RICHTER.
39[The Viardot-Garcia Method is represented in this city and country by Mme. Katharine Evans von Klenner, who has been with Madame Viardot-Garcia the greater part of the summer at Baden-Baden. To those looking toward a complete theoretical and practical illustration of the method we suggest its investigation through Madame von Klenner, who has made a most searching study of it, directly under the traditional mastership through which it has come down from its source to the present day. While we do not propose to take part in the discussion of the controversial question that has arisen in Geneva, yet we are of the opinion that the Garcia method has proved too powerful to be successfully opposed by the Geneva Conservatory of Music.]
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