Caruso and Tetrazzini on the Art of Singing | Page 9

come forth is because the
vocal apparatus cannot adjust itself to the needs of the vocal chords or
because they themselves have not accustomed themselves to respond to
the will of the singer and are too stiff to perform their duty.
The scale is the greatest test of voice production. No opera singer, no
concert singer, who cannot sing a perfect scale can be said to be a
technician or to have achieved results in her art. Whether the voice be
soprano, mezzo or contralto, each note should be perfect of its kind,
and the note of each register should partake sufficiently of the quality
of the next register above or below it in order not to make the transition
noticeable when the voice ascends or descends the scale. This blending
of the registers is obtained by the intelligence of the singer in mixing
the different tone qualities of the registers, using as aids the various
formations of the lips, mouth and throat and the ever present apoggio
without which no perfect scale can be sung.

Facial Expression and Mirror Practice
In studying a new rôle I am in the habit of practicing in front of a
mirror in order to get an idea of the effect of a facial expression and to
see that it does not take away from the correct position of the mouth.
The young singer should practice constantly in front of a mirror as soon
as she begins to sing songs or to express emotions in her music, for the
girl with the expressive face is likely to contort her mouth so that the
correct emission of tones is impossible.

The dramatic artist depends largely for her expression on the changing
lines of the mouth, chin and jaw, and in any lines spoken which denote
command or will you will see the actor's jaw setting and becoming
rigid with the rest of the facial mask.
Now, a singer can never allow the facial expression to alter the position
of the jaw or mouth. Facial expression for the singer must concern
itself chiefly with the eyes and forehead.
The mouth must remain the same, and the jaw must ever be relaxed,
whether the song is one of deep intensity or a merry scale of laughter.
The mouth in singing should always smile lightly. This slight smile at
once relaxes the lips, allowing them free play for the words which they
and the tongue must form and also gives the singer a slight sensation of
uplift necessary for singing.
It is impossible to sing well when mentally depressed or even
physically indisposed slightly. Unless one has complete control over
the entire vocal apparatus and unless one can simulate a smile one does
not feel the voice will lack some of its resonant quality, particularly in
the upper notes, where the smiling position of the mouth adjusts the
throat and air passages for the emission of light tones.
The lips are of the greatest aid in shaping and shading the tones.
Wagnerian singers, for instance, who employ trumpet-like notes in
certain passages are often seen shaping their lips like the mouthpiece of
a trumpet, with a somewhat square opening, the lips protruding.
However, this can be practiced only after perfect relaxation of the jaw
and control of the tongue have been accomplished.
A singer's mouth must always look pleasant, not only because it creates
a disagreeable impression on the audience to see a crooked and
contorted mouth, but also because natural and correct voice production
requires a mouth shaped almost into a smile.
Too wide a smile often accompanies what is called "the white voice."

This is a voice production where a head resonance alone is employed,
without sufficient of the apoggio or enough of the mouth resonance to
give the tone a vital quality. This "white voice" should be thoroughly
understood and is one of the many shades of tone a singer can use at
times, just as the impressionist uses various unusual colors to produce
certain atmospheric effects.
For instance, in the mad scene in "Lucia" the use of the "white voice"
suggests the babbling of the mad woman, as the same voice in the last
act of "Traviata" or in the last act of "Bohème" suggests utter physical
exhaustion and the approach of death.
An entire voice production on these colorless lines, however, would
always lack the brilliancy and the vitality which inspire enthusiasm.
One of the compensations of the "white voice" singer is the fact that
she usually possesses a perfect diction. The voice itself is thrust into the
head cavities and not allowed to vibrate in the face and mouth and
gives ample room for the formation of vowels and consonants. And the
singer with this voice production usually concentrates her entire
attention on