Music Trade Review

THE
pI Ctoic
mm
With which is incorporated THE MUSIC TRADE JOURNAL.
VOL. III.
NEW YORK, JANUARY 20TH, 1881.
No. 12
THE HALO.
venience whatsoever; but in some diseased conditions it swells to such a
" "jl /TEPHISTO," our Cincinnati correspondent, asks, in his last letter: state, and hangs so low, that it causes violent and protracted fits of cough-
i\J_ "What is there about the celebrated bandmaster (Theodore ing. When this comes to pass, the snipping off of the little offending body
Thomas) that throws such a mantle of charity over all he does?" We shall is absolutely necessary, and is always followed by magical relief. The
try to answer the question. A great reputation is worth a great deal in the ough produced by the tickling of an elongated uvula is frequently mistaken
•world, and especially in a country where an established trade-mark sells for consumptive, and many a time has the removal of it entirely abolished
well without regard to the quality of the goods. Friends of Mr. Thomas this symptom in persons who imagined themselves far gone in consumption.
surrounded him with a halo, and this halo inspires critics with an awe so On either side and just behind the uvula are two bodies known as the tonsils.
powerful that he is pronounced infallible. Writers who do not feel sure of In some diseased conditions the tonsils attain a great size, seriously impeding
the subject they are treating, who are limping around in the field of music the acts of swallowing, breathing, and hearing; the voice also becomes
without knowing whether the steps they are taking lead them to terra firmd reatly modified. All these symptoms disappear as if by magic on the
or into an abyss, are careful, and prefer rather to find everything beautiful removal of a portion of these bodies. It is the popular belief that the cut-
than to analyze and show their own ignorance; others are partisans, and ting of the tonsils is a very grave operation, and attended with a great deal
consequently have no sound judgment. There may be some men who could of danger. This is entirely a fallacy, and the patient need not have the
speak the truth, but for various reasons they refrain from doing so. This is slightest fear of evil result if the proper instrument (which consists of a
the answer to " Mephisto's " question. We do not wish to be misunder- knife playing in a ring in which the tonsil is included) is used with a suffi-
stood; we have the greatest admiration for Mr. Thomas and all the good he ient degree of skill.
has done since, years ago, he took the baton in his hand; but we cannot
Let us now turn our attention to the internal structure of the larynx,
declare him faultless; he makes his mistakes, as everybody else does, and and examine closely the image which appears on the reflecting surface of
we do not see any reason why he should not be told so. The halo which the little mouth mirror when it is in position just under the soft palate.
enshrouds him should be disregarded, and the truth ought to be said, even
Tins picture, which is an exact fac simile
if Mr. Thomas' sensitive feelings are hurt. If the dogma of infalli-
of the laryngeal organ during life, presents
bility takes root in musical affairs, we had better stop writing criticisms,
six points of importance, namely:
beoause they cannot amount to anything.
1. Vocal cords.
2. Ventricular bands or false vocal cords.
In Vienna, Hans Bichter conducts the Philharmonic Concerts. Richter
3. The arytenoid cartilages, the bones to
is a great musician and a conductor of sterling qualities. Nevertheless, one
which the vocal cords are intimately attached
of the most respected and influential critics recently found fault with him
behind.
after a performance, and said that he was void of temperament. This may
4. The epiglottis.
The glottis is the
or may not be; at least it is an individual opinion, and the critic has a right
opening between the two vocal cords.
Tig. 6. The Laryugpal Image.
to say so. The Viennese musicians wanted to assassinate the critic; they
5. The cushion of the epiglottis.
abused him in private and public; but the anger has subsided, and the
The vocal cords are two in number, of a pearly white in the female, with
critic's opinion on Mr. Hans Richter's merits remain unchanged. Now, we
must not forget that Mr. Speidel, the critic in question, never intended to a yellowish dust in the male. They are composed of very strong, thin tissue,
detract even a iota from the great conductor's merits, but only made use of and run directly across the larynx, or voice-box. When approximated, an
his rights to put the deficiencies opposite the excellencies. He is not act which is always necessary to talking, or singing, these bodies form a
awed by the halo; he does not believe in the infallibility of conductors, sort of partition or floor dividing the laryngeal organ into two unequal por-
tions. The vocal cords are attached to the walls of the voice-box in three
singers, and composers.
It seems to be the fashion now to rebuke adverse criticism. During places: in front, immediately behind the prominence known as "Adam's
the London fall season an opera by Tito Mattei was produced—" Maria di Apple " ; behind, to the two bones mentioned above and, on either side, to
Gand." It appears that this work met with a sad fate, and nobody could the tissues lining the vocal tube. This can be seen by referring to the
understand why the management produced it; and the London critics spoke picture, leaves the inner edge of each cord free from any attachment what-
in decided terms of disapprobation about the work. This manner of treating
When the cords are brought together, or approximated, they must pre-
his opera evidently displeased the composer, and he wrote letters to the
press, in which he defended himself. Of course the defence was so weak that sent a certain amount of stability in order to properly perform the import-
the composer made a fool of himself. He said something about having ant duties assigned them. It frequently happens that these bodies when
written the opera years ago, in a style then generally en vogue, and more brought together present a flabby or relaxed appearance. These conditions
nonsense of this kind, which cannot be of any interest to the public, which are generally the result of undue exertion of the voice. Again, when the
is expected to pay now, and does not care to hear antediluvian operas. But vocal cords are approximated, one or both bodies may be found to be
the funniest thing is that, inspired by the great deed of the composer, Signor enlarged or thickened. This latter condition is the direct result of laryn-
Cimino, the librettist of the opera, who was also found fault with by the geal inflammation, and is also destructive to the voice, more especially the
critics, rushes into print and tells the world how unjustly the critics have singing voice. The vocal cords are largest in the male, and smallest in the
dealt with him, although his letter begins: " I do not pretend to discuss the female. There aje, however, some rare exceptions to this rule. I have in
several instances met with females whose vocal cords were evidently larger
justice of the criticisms passed upon the libretto of ' Maria di Gand.'"
those of some males, and vice verm. One case in particular, I recall
It is the same story all over. They want to be infallible; they have not than
the present writing, that of a professional vocalist, who, several years ago,
faults; they are sacrosancti, and to attack them is a criinen Icesce mqjeslatis ; at
consequently, high treason.
The halo surrounds them and must be attained considerable notoriety by styling herself •' the female tenor."
The venticular bands, or " faise vocal cords," are two loose bodies
respected. Unfortunately we are sinners, and have no reverence; and that
" Mephisto" is of our opinion is not to be wondered at. What is the halo located immediately above the true vocal cords, one on either side. In order
to distinguish between the true and false cords, it is only necessary for the
to the ruler of the infernal regions ?
examiner to bear in mind four points ; first, the former present a red color
which offers a remarkable contrast to the pearly whiteness of the true corda ;
second, they are located higher up in the larynx ; third, they are much
THE THROAT IN ITS RELATIONS TO SINGING.
thicker, and, fourth, during the acts of speaking or singing, very little
A SERIES OF POPULAR PAPERS BY WHITFIELD WARD, A.M., M.D., PHYSICIAN motion is observable in them. This latter point is the most valuable of all,
for as we have already seen, the vocal cords during these acts are brought
TO THE M E T K O P O L I T A N THROAT HOSPITAL.
into close proximity to each other. The venticular bands are called " false
vocal cords," because it is thought that they have something to do with
vocalization, although the function of these little organs has never been satis-
factorily demonstrated. I am inclined, as a direct result of much experiment-
IV.
ing, to believe that they were partially intended as accessory vocal cords to,
WHAT W E SEE WITH THE LARYNGOSCOPE.
in some manner, take tho place of the true cords, when the latter bodies
HE organs displayed through the agency of the laryngoscope may be have become disabled through disease. I have several times observed, that
when the vocal cords were diseased, and thus rendered incapable of prop-
arranged in two classes, namely:
erly performing their functions, one or both venticular bands acted for
Those contained in the mouth.
them, and in a measure performed their duty.
Those contained in the larynx.
Between the two sets of vocal cords, the true and the false, there is, on
In order to reveal the several different bodies found in the buccal cavity,
it is simply necessary to depress the tongue with some flat instrument, and either side, a hollow cavity known as the ventricle of the larynx. This cav-
throw the brilliant light issuing from the illuminator, by means of the head ity contains a little pouch, which is known as the sac of the larynx. This
mirror or reflector, into the open mouth of the object of examination. No sac is filled with a mucilaginous fluid which finds exit through some sixty or
mouth mirror is necessary, because the parts are directly in the line of seventy minute openings located on the surface of the pouch. The func-
tion of this fluid is to keep the vocal cords in a moistened condition. When-
vision.
The mouth is nearly an oval-shaped cavity, bounded in front by the ever the cords require any moisture, a little muscle which runs over the sur-
lips, latterly by the cheeks, above by the hard palate and teeth of the upper face of the sac, presses on it and thereby causes a little of the mucilaginous
jaw, behind by the soft palate and back of the throat. The palate forms the substance to ooze out of its mouths, and drop on the cords. This fluid per-
roof of the mouth; it consists of two portions—the hard palate in front and forms the same duty here that the tears do with reference to the eye. If,
the soft palate behind. Hanging from the middle and lowest edge of the from some cause or other, the flow of tears should cease, the surface of the
soft palate is a small conical-shaped body known as the uvula. When the eye would become very dry and glazed, and sight would be seriously
.mouth is in a perfectly healthy state, this little hanging body gives no incon- affected; and again, if the little sac which supplies moisture to the cords
T