MUSICAL COURIER
30
January 18, 1923
tones of the tenor voice we will find that the base line of this triangle is gradually extended, both upward and downward. The greatest extension is downward. Which means, in other words, that beginning at a certain defined point in every tenor voice the larynx should descend inversely to the ascending scale. The upward extension is limited, because of the structure of the parts involved. The downward extension persists as the scale ascends and reaches its; lowest point of descent, when the extreme highest tone in the individual voice has been reached.
“This descending of the larynx and ascending of the post-pharyngeal parts are better brought about without directing the attention of the singer to these parts.
“In the greater number of tenor singers, through, lack of this information rightly applied, contrary action wrongly takes place. In their ascending scale their larynx and all their throat parts ascend. This action is wrong and the resultant tones are, and always will be, white, pinched and squeezed. In younger singers this production does not sound unpleasant, and because of its young, fresh and natural agreeable quality it is seldom recognized at this early stage as wrong production. It is only after the voice becomes more mature that a disagreeable and blatant quality is manifested in his upper tones and the singer becomes troubled by the occasional breaking of these tones and soon recognizes his inability to sing his high tones with the freedom and freshness as he was wont to do.
“This continued ascending of the larynx is wrong ; it should begin to move downward from somewhere in the upper middle tones—the exact point is variable, but it usually occurs in the majority of cases at about C or D. From there on upward as the scale ascends, its descent is gradual. This action should not be compelled, forced or attempted by any consciously directed physical effort. It can and must be brought about by the use of some vowel or word expression without referring to the action desired and required. The attention of the singer should be concentrated upon the quality of the sound thereby produced, and this sound quality should be maintained during the transition into all the vowels and other words.
“This downward movement is very slight at the point where it first begins and ies movement is very gradual as the scale is ascended. In making a jump from a low tone to an extremely high note the action is very decided. In one instance I found this ‘variation of position’ quite profound. In singing the octave passage from middle B flat to high B flat the descending larynx covered a distance of more than one inch; the same voice while singing the upward scale of B flat showed a very gradual downward movement, and when the top tone was reached the larynx was found to have covered the same maximum distance as in the octave jump.. It is not always easy to see this action, except the close and: persistent observation. In singers whose necks are comparatively long and thin this movement is readily discernible if they have the correct production. Best results are obtained by keeping the singer unconscious of your observations. This principle applies to the full voice and to the mezzo voce or half voice. The ‘true falsetto’ is produced; by contrary action. In singing the true falsetto the larynx: will be found high up in the throat, but in the mezzo voce or half voice it is as above described. The distinction between the sound of the falsetto and the mezzo voce is; readily detected by experienced listeners.^ The falsetto itself can never be developed into the full voice. But any singer who has perfect control of the downward movement of his'׳ vocal parts can pass from the falsetto into his mezzo voce and then develop into his full voice and back again without any person being able to detect the point of transition or the point of the blending of these tones.
“The author is at this time prepared to prove and demonstrate that the principle here outlined is not a theory but is proven to be a verified demonstrable, physiological fact. And he submits this principle to the consideration of all singers who have difficulty in reaching their high tones also to the serious consideration of his colleagues in the teaching profession who are earnestly endeavoring to help their pupils to achieve success, and to physiologists and professional scientific men who from time to time become seriously and technically interested in the phenomena of the science of voice production.”
Milhaud to Conduct His Serenade
An all-French program will be played by the City Symphony Orchestra, Dirk Foch conductor, on Saturday night, January 20, at Carnegie Hall. At this concert Darius Milhaud, leader of the Groupe des Six of Paris and one of the most conspicuous modernist composers of France, will make his second appearance in America, the first having been at the Wednesday concert. He will appear as composer and piano soloist, as well as conducting one of his own works.
The first half of the program will be devoted to Hector Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique. Then will follow several of the latest Parisian novelties. Milhaud will play the piano part of his own ballade. Next will be played Eric Satie’s Gymnopedies, orchestrated by Debussy; Fetes (Debussy), Pastorale d’Ete (Honegger), one of Milhaud’s associates in the Groupe des Six in Paris, and finally Milhaud’s serenade in three parts, conducted by the composer.
Althouse on Tour Again
Paul Althouse, tenor of the Metropolitan Opera Company, sang at Hagerstown, Md., on January 9 and at Fairmount, W. Va., on January 11. For the rest of January he is booked in the states of Nebraska, Texas, Tennessee and Missouri.
Telmanyi with Culbertsons
Emil Telmanyi will be under the exclusive management of Harry & Arthur Culbertson (New York-Chicago) for the season of 1923-24.
NYI REGYHAZI
(Pronounced NEAR-ECH-HAHZI)
“Carries away the listener.”—H. T. Finde, New York Evening Post.
Management:	R. E. JOHNSTON
Associates: L. G. BREID and PAUL LONGONE 1451 Broadway, New York City KNA9É PIANO USED	AMPICO RECORDS
THE SECRET OF SINGING HIGH TONES
By Frederic Freemantel PART VI
Copyrighted, 1923, by The Musical Courier Company.
may have not produced just exactly the right soft sound, but this is what you have done: You have secured for yourself the proper throat position for all your upper tones. This position may be slightly exaggerated and it is not always correct for lower tones, neither is all this extreme facial expression necessary after we have found the position and through the position the right quality of sound that belongs to the voice. This throat position I explain fuily further on in this article.
Experience teaches that in the majority of cases results are better obtained without mentioning any of the physical facts regarding this throat position. To all teachers and singers, experienced or inexperienced alike—do not under any circumstances experiment by yourself with the physical facts that are explained below 1 One good consultation period with some one who understands will prove more helpful to you than many months of self-experimentation. Quot-ing from my book, Top Tones for Tenors, a Treatise on the Tenor Voice, in course of preparation, and from which book the substance of all these articles have been taken: The position of the larynx in the throat and its physiological action in its relation to the production of the high tones of the tenor voice.
“Several writers have casually mentioned the general position of the larynx, but nowhere have I found the physiological facts written and-described as herein set down. I therefore advance the claim that this principle, never before described, is the discovery of a principle that when rightly understood and correctly applied will give tc!tenor singers dependable and lasting high tones, and is applicable, with slight variations, to all other singing voices. I also claim that this principle has been used naturally, unconsciously, and unrecognized by the great tenor singers of all known time who have thrilled the world with their ringing high tones. The truth of this principle has been amply verified by the author, with many years of observation, scientific research, study and investigation and practical application and demonstration. And it is proven that the position of the larynx in the throat is to the tenor the deciding factor for or against high tones.
“After the general principles of tone production have been mastered and he has a good system of breath control, it is still necessary for the tenor singer to have a complete self-knowledge of the characteristic peculiarities of his own voice. To be an exceptional artist he must have his head tones at his command and control at all times. This con-trol he can only secure when he has the correct understanding about the throat position for these,_ his upper tones. This throat position, or rather, the position of the larynx in the throat, should give him no concern when singing his lower tones. But in the ascending scale, and when he comes to his high tones, this throat movement must be recognized and understood.
“In describing this movement, let us take an imaginary triangle, having for its base the post-pharyngeal wall—this base line extending from a point at the superior surface ot the vocal chords, upward to a point at about opposite the lower margin of the central part of the posterior-inferior pala'al surface. From these two points let the sides of the triangle proceed forward, converging and meeting at an apex at the central point between and back of the centra upper incisors, or upper front teeth. As the scale ascends and beginning at a point somewhere in the upper middle
In my last article I tried to explain to you how you should say the word or the expression “Oh 1 A face to face explanation and demonstration would no doubt be more satisfactory. If you watch the movement of your face and all the throat parts as you “gasp in” this sound, and watch very closely as you let all your breath out again, you!will notice that as soon as the breath is all out the mouth, throat and all regional parts resume their normal position.
Now the thing to do is this: keep the position of the mouth, throat and all the parts just as they are after you have “gasped in” that “Oh!” Then let your breath float out slowly without changing this position in any way. And as the breath is slowly floating out sing very, very softly the vowel sound “O.” Sing it on any tone that comes naturally easy to you, making it the softest sound that you have ever sung. But be sure to keep the facial expression and the throat position as given you by that expression Uh lry singing this sound softly up the scale. You will find this soft sound readily “floating upward, it will take you higher in the scale than you have ever dared to sing. I warn you though to keep this sound soft and do not try to sing it into full voice. Let it float out and it will give the feeling as if all the breath was being held back. Do not push, but by faithful, patient and careful coaxing, itshould, in a few weeks, develop into^ your full voice. This soft sound is not “falsetto,” as I will explain later.
If you have followed my suggestions closely, you still
OUR CREED:
It is the aim of the Composers’ Music Corporation to bring forth the music of new and talented composers as well as the latest compositions of those of established reputation; to publish music of merit in an artistic manner, at the same time building up a department of educational music of exceptional quality.
■*■№!;+*■
Just Issued FOR VIOLIN
First Sonata, Op. 9,
By
Louis Gruenberg
Played by Albert Stoessel and the Composer at the American Music Guild, January 3, at Town Hall
Composers’ Music Corporation
Wholesale	Retail
14 East 48th Street, New York
THE NEW YORK HERALD, TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1923.
ANTON	BILOTT1,YOUNG PIANIST,
PLAYS WITH ADMIRABLE TONE
Program Well Suited to Display of Artist’s Powers— Beethoven Society in Interesting Concert.
technic, which revealed yesterday not only beautiful fluency and accuracy, but independence and keen sensitiveness. His staccato playing was especially crisp and sparkling, and had the merit of not seeming to exist merely as a feat of skill, but for the sake of musical effect.
Mr. Bilotti’s tone was admirable, had most excellent singing quality and much color, and his dynamics ranged from a splendidly sonorous forte to a delicate pianissimo which never wanted distinctness in melodic outline. Moreover, he played everything musically and without cheap distortion for the purpose of astonishing the unthinking. In short, this is a well equipped young pianist who evidently has artistic inclinations and who will therefore probably make a place for himself on the local concert platform.
By W. J. HENDERSON.
Anton Bilotti, a young pianist who had been heard here once before, but not recently, gave a recital yesterday afternoon in Aeolian Hall. His program contained one of Busoni’s improvements on Bach, Beethoven s “Waldstein” sonata, a group of Chopin pieces and Liszt’s musical account of St. Francis walking on the water. It was a program well suited to a display of any pianist’s powers, and its performance was heard by an audience which seemed to be entirely in sympathy with the player.
Mr. Bilotti’s art showed Itself as being of excellent type, not the boldest or proudest, perhaps: but opulent in qualities certain to interest connoisseurs of piano playing. The young man possesses a consummate finger
Management: MUSIC LEAGUE OF AMERICA, Inc.
57th Street and Broadway, New York
Fisk Building