MUSICAL COURIER
53
January 11, 1923
THE SECRET OF SINGING HIGH TONES
By Frederic Freemantel FIFTH INSTALMENT
Copyrighted, 1923, by The Musical Courier Company.
point of voice,” and the Times declared that “Her performance was notable.”
“She is certainly one of the finest Gildas heard here of late years,” so stated the Boston Globe on the day following Miss Lucchese’s appearance in Rigoletto in the Hub City. “She sang Caro Nome as it has rarely been sung,” "Her difficult role (Olympia in Tales of Hoffman) was interpreted in a manner hard to improve upon,” “Miss Lucchese won distinct musical and dramatic triumphs,” are but a few of the other tributes won by Miss Lucchese during her engagement with the San Carloans in Boston.
Pittsburgh, too, was enthusiastic over her fine art, the critics stating that she was magnificent in the role of Gilda, that Martha fits her like a glove and that she deserves particular praise for her happy combination of musician-ship, dramatic ability and stage presence as Violetta in Traviata.
Former Pupil Praises Simmons.
The accompanying letter from a former pupil of William Simmons, New York baritone, speaks for itself and therefore needs no further comment:
Pittsburgh, Pa., December 26, 1922.
Dear Mr. Simmons:
I am writing today to tell you that during the length of my vocal study, I have not been able to produce tones with such ease and beauty as when under your guidance and instructions.
I am very sorry that I cannot go back to New York to continue studying with you, but shall remember the invaluable things that you have given me, and will use them successfully.
Wishing you the best of luck,
Sincerely your pupil,
(Signed) Fanny Klibansky.
John Charles Thomas’ Appearances
John Charles Thomas, who appeared on Thursday morning, December 28, at the Blackstone Hotel in Chicago, in Rachel Kinsolving’s series of morning musicales, returned at once to New York t'o sing at a private soiree at the home of Mrs. Reginald De Koven. He will be kept very busy during the month of January, giving concerts in New York City (at the Biltmore Morning Musicales), Newark, Washington, Baltimore, Albany, Rochester, Boston, Fall River, and New York City (Haarlem Philharmonic Society at the Waldorf-Astoria).
Erna Rubinstein’s Second Appearance Here
Erna Rubinstein will make her second New York appearance of the season at a Carnegie Hall recital on January 19.
and the word is sounded on the “in-going breath”—not at all loud, but as a whisper. Look at your face and see how elongated it is, see how the eyebrows are raised! The lips, too, are all puckered up so that the mouth or face is just a small round “O” (not Oh). This small “O” at your mouth is like the small end of a megaphone. As you think “from before, backwards,” see how large, deep and high is the space in the mouth (the Pharyngeal Cavity). As you go backwards from the tip of the small “O” at the mouth, you will see that the back part of the mouth has widened out just like the large end of a megaphone. Now give a little attention to your “throat position,” that is, the position at the large end of the imaginary inverted megaphone. Remember, you must keep this correct expression of “Oh!” while you are doing this. Give yourself a good look and see just what all this expression and throat position really is. That is all I intend to say about it at this time; I will say more later.
Here I must reiterate, the first thing to do is to get this word or expression “Oh 1” as you are taking a “gasping breath inward,” just the same as if you were in reality expressing the word in a nasty, disdainful snub. Then do this before your mirror and watch your expression very closely. Notice the position of your throat, your tongue, your mouth and lips. Watch your facial expression and all your vocal parts. Be sure that you say the “Oh” softly, as a whisper and as you are “gasping in” the breath.
This expression is more readily assumed and understood by women than by men, which is one of the reasons why women usually get their tones more quickly and easily than men. But if you men will get up enough courage to have a good look at yourselves in your mirror and practise the saying of this word this way, you will better understand the value of this as we proceed. This expression brings about the correct physiological action necessary for high tones, without going into a lot of confusing anatomical details. I would suggest that you practise the “gasping in” during the week, not on any pitch; it will give you the "position” for our next step.
(To be continued)
In my investigations and experiments I have found that the little word “Oh,” when used with the right expression, will prove the best and quickest means of revealing to you, in your lower tones, the correct sound of your Head Voice. In other words, this little word will help us to catch hold of the thread of tone that leads us to the Head Voice. Understand, we are not talking about the vowel “O” but the ‘word “Oh,” perhaps it would be better to say, the expression “Oh 1”
There are, of course, many different ways of saying or expressing this word, and the one right expression we are after may prove rather elusive to you. There are, for instance, the expressions of joy, pain, surprise, anticipation, and hundreds of others which can all be covered with this little word. There will be a variation in tone color in each expression, but of them all and of all the different tone colors, there is just one we want.
We want to get the sound of the word “Oh!” when it is expressed in a “surprised, dignified, haughty, disdainful manner,” with all the facial expression that will naturally be associated with such expression.
For instance, can you imagine some dignified woman, haughty and disdainful exclaiming “Oh 1” under her breath when something unrefined and extremely uncultured has happened to her or within her sight or hearing? Did you ever see her facial expression and her haughty disdainful manner when she uses this “Oh!” as a “Snub”? The facial expression says infinitely more than the word could ever mean. But it is this expression of the “Oh” that we need. It ft said on the breath, as the breath is “gasped in.” Perhaps you can call to mind such an expression as seen by you either actually in life or on the stage. Understand, we are after the facial expression, too, just as much as the word.
Now, can you imagine a person “gasping in” this “Oh!”? Stand before your mirror and try it yourself. Remember, the word is said in almost a whisper as you “gasp in” the breath. Watch your facial expression while you are trying this! Watch closely!	-	-
First, notice how your breath is drawn in as in a gasp,
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“Highly imaginative artist with creative genius.”—Boston Globe. Management: R. E. JOHNSTON Associates: L. G. BREID and PAUL LONGONE 1451 Broadway, New York City KNABE PIANO USED	AMPICO RECORDS
Ledger), “Miss Lucchese is a real coloratura, but also she is a true lyric soprano, her voice having good volume and rare purity and sweetness” (Evening Bulletin), “Miss Lucchese exceeded the vast audience’s wildest expectations both in her vocalism and in her histrionic quality” (Evening Star).
After appearances in Washington in Traviata and the Tales of Hoffman, Miss Lucchese added many press tributes to her already large collection. According to the Washington Evening Star, she is a “perfect Violetta from every
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Opera Triumphs for Lucchese
Josephine Lucchese, the brilliant coloratura soprano of the San Carlo Grand Opera Company, in addition to her recent successes in concert in Texas, has scored a series of triumphs in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washing-
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JOSEPHINE LUCCHESE,
coloratura soprano.
ton and Pittsburgh with the San Carloans. Miss Lucchese appeared in the above named cities in the following operas: Lucia, Rigoletto, Traviata, Barber of Seville, Martha and Tales of Hoffman. Everywhere the critics praised her art highly, the Philadelphia dailies stating that “None who heard her could ever forget her” (Inquirer), “The audience went wild with enthusiasm” (Record), “Her sincerity in action as well as the beauty of her _ singing went far to insure the success which was so justly hers” (Public
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