Scan 7
Musical Courier 1926-03-11: Vol 92 Iss 10, 1926
71 lines. Read by computer on 29 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 8. See the scan on archive.org.
1Breath Support, a Dangerous Vocal Fallacy
2By
3William A. C. Zerffi
4(Copyrighted, 1926, by THE MUSICAL COURIER)
6Within the past weeks the columns of several New York newspapers have contained a considerable amount of critical comment regarding singers and much of this has been concerned with the matter of breath support. If one were inclined to take the advice of these reviewers seriously the conclusion might be reached that the development of breath support would prove to be a panacea for all vocal troubles and that once a sufficient amount of this subtle something is acquired, perfection in the art of singing could easily be reached.
8However, before proceeding farther it is necessary to seek to discover just what breath support is and wherein its benefits may lie. The term "support" is defined as that which upholds or sustains and it must be inferred that since we are dealing with the singing of tones, this support refers to the upholding or sustaining of tones. Since singing implies the sustaining of tones we may rule out this latter reference and seek to determine how a tone can be upheld or supported. Vocal tone is produced by the vocal chords being caused to vibrate by the passage of the breath between them. The chords themselves are changed by the mechanism of the larynx and thus render possible the production of tones of different pitch. The breath is not normally responsible for changes in pitch any more than the bow of a violinist is responsible for the pitch changes of this instrument.
10When the vocal organ is functioning correctly the higher tones are produced with a smaller expenditure of breath than necessary for low tones. This is due to the fact that the glottis narrows to a mere slit when high tones are sung, the chords being more widely separated for the lower tones. High tones would therefore call for a finer control of the breath which is a very different matter from anything which could be termed support. Forced production calls for vastly more breath and only when the singer makes use of this type of production does the question of breath supply become an acute one. To attempt to cure a tendency to force merely by paying attention to the breathing mechanism without regard to the functioning of the vocal organ itself is a waste of time and effort and cannot produce lasting improvement. In fact it would increase the tendency to force rather than alleviate it. It must also be remembered that the production of a tone requires a flow of breath and the maintenance of an even flow of breath is a very different matter than would be suggested by a so-called support which could hardly be taken to mean anything but a condition of rest. Since vocal tone is air waves and therefore air in motion, and the sustaining of tone requires a flowing breath a condition of rest is impossible to maintain. From this we can hardly avoid the conclusion that "breath support" is a term which does not express anything of definite value to the singer.
12However, its frequent use by singers and others concerned with singing implies that it must be supposed to have a valuable meaning, this meaning evidently differing from what the terms would imply.
14This is by no means an unfamiliar practice when discussing the human voice and much of the existing confusion is due to the failure to employ words with regard to their actual meaning. Those who are ignorant of the processes which are responsible for the production of the voice have assumed that since breath is fundamentally responsible for the production of tone, the more attention paid to the function of breathing, the better the tone will be. This is by no means a new idea, for volumes have been written upon the science of breathing. Now no one would deny that breath is fundamentally responsible for the tone, for without the breath the vocal chords would not be caused to vibrate. In like manner is the bow responsible for the vibration of the strings of a violin, but we do not hear it said that bowing is the only important factor in violin playing. It is possible though highly improbable that a violin teacher might have suggested to a pupil that the way to produce a good tone on the violin would be to stiffen the arm so that the bow will have support and be steady. This would undoubtedly cause any violinist to smile at the utter absurdity of such a suggestion. Nevertheless, a similar procedure is urged upon singers by many teachers and others supposedly informed upon vocal matters.
16What seems remarkable is that in all this discussion of the voice, the tone producing organ receives so little attention that it might as well not exist. No amount of sophistic wriggling and twisting, however, will enable it to be denied that the vocal chords and the muscles of the larynx are the real vocal instrument. If this instrument does not function, proper tone cannot be produced, and yet this is practically ignored. Do those who advocate such practices as the support of the breath have the faintest conception as to what is happening to the vocal organ when "well supported" breath is being driven through the vocal chords? If they could be tempted to forsake their speculations and imaginings long enough to become acquainted with what actually takes place when a singer follows their advice, they might hesitate a little before broadcasting their suppositions. We can credit them with good intentions, but such are of little value if they are not strong enough to lead to the acquirement of accurate and worthwhile information. It is a moral crime to advise others without first obtaining accurate information and the fact that information regarding the voice is difficult to obtain cannot justly be advanced as a valid and reasonable excuse for giving out advice which can be proved to be detrimental.
18Eleven Orchestral Concerts for Kindler
19Hans Kindler, master cellist, each year has an unusually large number of appearances as soloist with orchestra. This month he fulfills his eleventh engagement in that capacity—a unique record—having played under the baton of such conductors as Stokowski, Furtwängler, Reiner, Sokoloff and Shavitch. March engagements for Mr. Kindler include: 3, Chambersburg; 6, Hampton, Va.; 8, Oak Lane, Pa.; 13, Atlantic City, N. J.; 14, Philadelphia, when he appears as conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra; 15, Morgantown, W. Va.; 18 and 20, Cleveland, soloist with orchestra, and 26 and 27, Philadelphia, again soloist with orchestra. one of two readings
20Hans Kindler, master cellist, each year has an unusually large number of appearances as soloist with orchestra. This month he fulfills his eleventh engagement in that capacity—a unique record—having played under the baton of such conductors as Stokowski, Furtwangler, Reiner, Sokoloff and Shavitch. March engagements for Mr. Kindler include: 3, Chambersburg; 6, Hampton, Va.; 8, Oak Lane, Pa.; 13, Atlantic City, N. J.; 14, Philadelphia, when he appears as conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra; 15, Morgantown, W. Va.; 18 and 20, Cleveland, soloist with orchestra, and 26 and 27, Philadelphia, again soloist with orchestra. one of two readings
22"Command of the powers of interpretation, an exceedingly strong point in his entire work."—The Sun, Baltimore.
24Frederick Gunster
25TENOR
26Forwarding Address:
27c/o Musical Courier
28437 Fifth Avenue, New York
29Southern Representative:
30Southern Musical Bureau
31Atlanta, Ga.
33MAESTRO
34ISIDORE BRAGGIOTTI
35The Florentine Vocal Authority
36Studios at
37AUGUSTA MAINE
38BOSTON MASS.
39SPRINGFIELD MASS.
40Fundamentals of Singing. Complete Training for Concert and Opera
41Specialty, head resonances
42AIMÉE SPURR, Assistant Teacher
43For information, write to 78 Upland Rd., Brookline, Mass.
45LEOPOLD AUER,
46who again this season will hold a master class at the Chicago Musical College, June 28 to August 7.
48"MUSICAL COURIER"
49March 11, 1926
51"Awake Musical Consciousness" Advised as Slogan
52"A singer is not only an entertainer, but a teacher," says Marie Morrisey, American contralto. "This does not necessarily mean that a singer must be pedagogical and that in singing individual songs or presenting an entire program, he is outlining a course of music for his hearers, though very often an artist does teach by the beauty of text and selection.
54"A singer is a teacher in the general meaning of the word; he teaches musical appreciation mainly because musical talent and appreciation, per se, are not inherited. The desire to hear, understand, and produce music is involved in the very essence of the art itself. We may be influenced to a certain degree by songs we heard our mothers and grandmothers sing or some particular melody that has been a so-called war-horse in the family for many years, but that comes less from association than it does from familiarity with the tune. This is recognized by all artists and that is why singers are wise in programming at least one or two songs or arias that by their popularity have become individual as well as public property. Because we have been brought up in a musical atmosphere in very early years, we do not necessarily pursue musical activities in later life. Many times a person musically surrounded in childhood will take up the art of painting or sculpture or even digress completely from the arts and take up some commercial line of endeavor.
56"Therefore," continued Miss Morrisey, "the singer must become an educationalist and a teacher, awakening a desire for and an appreciation of music in those who have lost their familiarity with the art or of those in whom music has never been known. I am dwelling on the point of the musician being a teacher as well as an entertainer because it gives food for thought in our fundamental duty and desire to give more to everyone. This is much more necessary than appears on the surface, for I am told that only 2 per cent. of the population of this great county has been awakened along musical lines. So from every standpoint, it is our duty to give the best we can in thought, in study, in public performance, in the desire to please, in order to promote this greatest, most beautiful, and most beneficial of all the arts. There is nothing that music cannot do towards solving the irksome problems of the rush of the busier life of the work part of our day. And so it appears to me to be a great duty that rests upon the shoulders of all of us who are fortunate enough to be channels for the expression of music. We must rouse ourselves to 100 per cent. quality in every line of our work in order to have the power to stimulate an equal response in our hearers and therefore arouse musical appreciation. Our slogan should be 'Awake Musical Consciousness.'"
58John Coates Has "Overwhelming Success"
59John Coates recently scored a success in Montreal as soloist with the Mendelssohn Choir. The following letter, received by Loudon Charlton, manager of the tenor, tells its own story:
60My dear Mr. Charlton:
61I feel that I must write to you to tell you of the overwhelming success Mr. Coates had at the concert of the Mendelssohn Choir of Montreal. Of course, to those of us who know Mr. Coates, this was only to be expected. But it was most gratifying to witness the tremendous enthusiasm which he evoked. I have seldom seen such unmitigated enjoyment on the part of an audience. And all day long my telephone has been ringing, with people who wished to thank our society for bringing Mr. Coates here. He was in his best form—as indeed I believe he always is, for he is so great a master that he leaves nothing to chance which concerns his art—and most kind and generous in his attitude towards the audience. I have heard him say, "the finest concert I have ever heard in Montreal." And I feel that I can quite agree with this verdict. It was a great occasion, and we owe Mr. Coates a great debt of gratitude for his wonderful singing.
62With kindest regards,
63Yours sincerely,
64(Signed) HAROLD EUSTACE KEY
65Conductor of the Mendelssohn Choir of Montreal.
67George Engles' Plans for Coming Season
68Concert Management George Engles announces the management for the season of 1926-27 of a brilliant and varied list of artists. Ernestine Schumann-Heink, and Emilio De Gogorza represent the vocalists, Paul Kochanski and Samuel Dushkin the violinists, Ignaz Friedman and Irene Scharrer, the pianists. The list also includes Lewis Richards, American harpsichordist, George Barrere, flutist, and the Barrere Little Symphony.
70Mme. Schumann-Heink will celebrate the anniversary of her fiftieth year before the public by a Golden Jubilee Tour under Mr. Engles' direction, and Ignaz Friedman will be under his management for the first time. Irene Scharrer has at last been brought to this country by Mr. Engles, and it is not likely that American audiences will allow her to devote herself exclusively to Europe any longer. Gogorza, Kochanski, Dushkin, and the Barrere Little Symphony have made several successful tours under Mr. Engles' direction, and several concerts are already planned for them.
The computer misreads some letters and numbers. Where a name matters to you, read the scan.