Music Trade Review

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January zoth, 1882.
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
177
monial to many piano makers, and am I not
"You see that the impulse to make too great
physical effort will prompt you to make a new
deprived of the gains that came to me for loafing
fault, when the movement of the exercise breaks
(Continued from page 175.)
outside of concert rooms whilst my wife played
up an old one.
the piano for shekels within?
exercises would only do harm, and that songs were
"So, all points must be guarded. So, the head-
"Where now is thy railroad paper scheme, and intended to acquire vowel sounds and consonants. throwing helps tongue protruding to lengthen the
thy peanut-trade paper scheme, and' thy other We began with the song "Sleep Well," by Abt. muscles that cover the distance from tongue to
I would be frequently interrupted and drilled on bone above the larynx, and from larynx to breast
schemes for ' playing the verdant sucker?' "
the proper pronunciation of the consonant, and bone.
And the Fraud sank into the dust, crying, sometimes no attention was paid to it.
"But head-throwing would not have a good effect
I continued trying, but could not succeed in in many movements for the control of respiration,
"Busted, busted!"
Then did they put on sackcloth and cover their getting the G near the close, and finally gave it and I noticed that your head-throwing was accom-
up and tried others, with not much more success. panied by a contraction of the back muscle, the
heads with ashes.
We had now reached the twenty-fifth lesson, and principle one the
, extending upward
And for the space of three days and three nights the improvement I noticed at first seemed to be through the neck.
gradually
diminishing.
they spoke not a word, which was a great relief to
"I will assure you I do not apply exercises hap-
hazard, but always with an especial object in view.
them that knew them.
ATTACKED BY A SORE THBOAT.
"I will also add that I do not think it possible
And on the fourth day the King spake unto the I was suddenly attacked with a sore throat in
the middle of August, with no signs of a cold, and for you to gain a good delivery by any other
Fraud and said:
means than the exact one we have been trying,
since then my voice has always been husky.
"Lo and behold, I've got it!"
This huskiness was accounted for in various and I do think that you will within a very few
lessons realize marked improvement, etc., etc.
And the Fraud said to himself, "Alas! my poor ways.
"I have only once before had this experience, and
friend!" But he spake aloud unto the King, and
The intercostal muscles were held too rigid; the
I do still think that you will very soon, say within
said unto him, "Thy grammar is defective. Thou diaphragm, abdominal muscles and chest were not a half dozen lessons, think differently," etc. etc.
properly employed; the vocal cords came too near
shouldst have said, 'I've got 'em again;*" and he together,
WASTING MORE TIME ON THE METHOD.
causing crackling qualities, etc.
wept bitterly.
During the winter I was troubled with a cold,
At the next lesson the matter was frankly dis-
Then said the King unto the Fraud, "Know, O probably through my own indiscretion, but sing- cussed, and I decided to try ten lessons more, hav-
Fraud, that my head is level, and it is an idea that ing went on uninterruptedly. I was inclined to ing made a satisfactory arrangement. But at the
think that the cold was causing the trouble, but end of thirteen lessons, making about eighty-three
I have got, and not the jams."
was told that this had only a very slight effect on in all, a whole year, I stopped, being utterly dis-
"Come, now, arise and gird up thy loins, and the voice.
couraged, as I saw very little or no improvement,
take off thy sackcloth, and brush the ashes out of
after having spent an immense amount of time in
PUT THROUGH WITH A VENGEANCE.
thy hair. Anoint thyself with sweet smelling per- I was then put through all kinds of exercises, practicing, and having tried my best.
I had such blind confidence in the Howard
fumes, the odors of Araby the blest, and oil thy often repeating many that I had before, with
Method, that even this time I did not doubt its
flowing locks, and put extra magnetism in thine numerous contradictions; sometimes the teacher efficacy,
although Mr. Howard could not account
almond eyes, and butter thy tongue as in the days would strike something that seemed favorable, and for my lack of progress, and explained that I was
express surprise that he had not thought of it before. an exception, and he felt sure I would come back
of old when thou wert 'a bric-a-brac young man,' I had practiced the head-swinging so much that
after having uselessly tried other methods.
'aoheque-dated-two-weeks-in-advance young man,' it became a habit.
A SENSIBLE CONCLUSION.
'a-seven - hundred - and - fifty - dollar - draft young I was now told that this exercise was harmful,
When I called his attention to the fact that sev-
man,' and go forth, and I will go with thee, for and the process was reversed, swinging the head eral
prominent teachers, whoso method he con-
forward and drawing the tongue in.
thou shalt again work
The larynx was now to be drawn down, and held demned, giving some very convincing arguments,
firmly down, the soft palate drawn up and the jaws had made a number of successful singers, I was
THE PIANOFORTE RACQUET,
lield rigid, while a very slight tone was produced. told that these were also exceptions. I often spoke
and I will help thte work it, for I need an organ
Mr. Howard was very anxious to have me under- to him of other methods and teachers, and after
so that I may again loaf at the doors of concert stand that the larynx was not to be held down in putting his answers and what is contained in his
singing, but that this was only to control certain pamphlets together, it appears that Mr. John
rooms.
Howard and Dr. Lennox Browne are the only ones
"Go forth, I say to thee, for it is a land flowing muscles, and that the larynx was drawn up too having any reliable knowledge on the subject.
much
and
had
not
enough
support,
something
he
with milk and honey, and with the shekels of had never suspected before.
Of course, everybody cannot expect to become
pianoforte and organ makers."
We finally reached the seventieth lesson, and I an artist, but go to our large churches, concerts,
And the Fraud said, "Surely I dare not do this still saw no improvement, although he predicted and society entertainments, and you will surely
hear singers who have been pupils of prominent
thing. My nerve is gone, and the wicked ones good results from this exercise.
I was very much discouraged, and wrote him a New York teachers, and whose singing reflects
would fall upon me and beat me by the wayside." long
letter, in reply to which, I received a letter credit upon their instructors.
But the King stretched forth his hand and dated January 17, 1881, which, in addition to This* is the way to prove theories. This is the
business of a private nature, contained the follow- best argument a teacher can advance, and these
touched the Fraud upon the cheek and said:
should be his testimonials. Where are Mr. How-
"Thy cheek is still sufficient. It is the toughest ing:
ard's Parepas and Santleys?
A CURIOUS LETTER.
cheek I ever touched. Yea, it is even tougher
BAD EFFECTS OF THE "HOWARD" METHOD.
"I
do
not
wonder
that
you
are
dissatisfied,
etc.
than mine. Its toughness is like unto that of the I will say that my own expectations have not been I consulted several other teachers, and all agreed
ancient omnibus horse; and thy jaw-bone is like realized, though f do think you are progressing, that my tone was nasal. Mr. Kofler, my present
unto the jaw-bone of an ass, even like unto that of and have radically gained very much since the teacher, found the same fault, but otherwise my
natural voice seemed to be good, and he thought
my jaw-bone. What fearest. thou? Is not the seat twenty-fifth lesson.
I would make rapid progress; but upon further
"I
still
think
the
A
natural
is
in
the
compass
of
of thy breeches lined with stout hide, even with your voice, and I have all the time thought that investigation with the laryngoscope, my throat
the hide of the alligator and the rhinoceros?"
the voice itself is excellent in quality and in power. was found to be very much inflamed, the cords
"The only point on which I had any misgiving relaxed and greatly debilitated. The pharynx was
So the King prevailed upon the Fraud, and to-
was the pitch, the singing in tune; but that you full of mucus. (Mr. Howard says catarrh does
gether they went forth
have made the most marked improvement in, and not affect the voice.)
TO WORK THE PIANOFOBTE BACQUET.
I consulted several physicians, who found the
I do not now have that feeling in regard to it.
"As regards the respiratory effort, you have sev- same trouble, and all agree in saying that the cords
SKLAH !!
eral times made it perfectly, through the latter do not come near enough together, which is generally
The burning of the King Theatre in Vienna has part of a lesson; for instance, the lesson before the the case, and they very seldom come too near together.
After a course of medical treatment, my voice
had the effect of diminishing the attendance at all last one.
"The trouble is, I have not succeeded in finding is much improved, but the cords are still inflamed,
German theatres, just as the Brooklyn tire did in
this country for a few weeks in 1876. In Salz- a routine of practice that would hold it. At the and my progress is, of course, much slower than
burg, two weeks ago, only thirty or forty persons last lessons you had in a slight measure lost the was expected.
composed an audience. At the Thalia Theatre in power of letting the whole chest and ribs be free In spite, however, of these great obstacles 1
Hamburg, where usually there is not even stand- from downward effort, except the downward heav- have noticed considerable improvement. The
ing room on Sundays, there were only fifty per- ing caused by the abdominal muscles and dia- nasal tone and huskiness have entirely disap-
sons present at a Sunday performance, three weeks phragm, and the vocal cords were again too peared, and I am convinced that I am not an
ago. This theatre is in an exceptionally bad condi- nearly approximated, and you made the crackling. exceptional case, and that the old Italian method
"It is always due to too great nearness of the is the only reliable one, and our great reformers,
tion. The gallery at the Stadt Theatre was almost
empty. In Breslau the fire had a similar effect, cords, and my saying that the cause was in the vocal Morses and Edisons, can only corrupt it.
and in Prague it was found necessary to close the chest was meant to refer to the muscular effort Before I began with the Howard Method my
local theatre because no one came to see the play. which constricted the chest and sympathetically voice was in a perfectly healthy condition, and as
The theatre in Presburg, an old, remarkable excited the cord-approaching muscles. In that I sang only a very little, and never took a lesson
before, my habits could not have been bad. I en-
structure, was closed by the police, who found sense the difficulty did lie in the chest.
that it was a regular man-trap. In Pesth there
"The exercises often contradict each other, but deavored to carry out Mr. Howard's instructions
were no audiences, and in Baden, near Vienna, they are changed to break up different faults. I to the letter.
one night not a single ticket was sold. A single make you raise the chest to loosen the contraction
During all this time our social intercourse was
reporter composed the entire audience.—If. Y. of internal rib muscles, that in, muscles uniting the very pleasant, but society and business are very
Sun.
ribs on the inside, for these muscles cramp the different matters.
chest down and in.
As a teacher, I found him very unsystematic,
Clara Louise Kellogg recently paid the peniten-
"I make you lower the chest, having first raised and I now feel just as anybody else would after
tiary and asylum at Lincoln, Neb., a visit, and it, so that you may relax or loosen external rib spending a whole year and a considerable sum of
J. BURHENNE,
sang for the inmates. She was escorted by Gov. muscles, which unite the ribs on the outside and money for nothing.
would raise the chest.
Nance.
No. 141 Bedford ave., Brooklyn, N. Y.
VOICE-TRAINING.