L'insegnamento di Sbriglia, che ebbe tra i suoi allievi, cantanti divenuti poi celebri come il tenore De Reszke, il soprano Nordica e il basso Plançon:
Sbriglia's teaching* helped some of the most famous opera singers of the beginning of the 20th Century [*the Neapolitan tenor Giovanni Sbriglia was a pupil of Emanuele de Roxas and Alessandro Busti at the Conservatoire "San Pietro a Majella" in Naples]: - Lilian Nordica (passing from mezzosoprano to soprano), - Pol Plançon (learning to use the diaphragmatic breathing and improving his tone production) and - Jean de Reszke (passing from baritone to tenor)!!!
TEACHING THE OLD ITALIAN METHOD OF SINGING I have gone abroad nearly every summer and it was on one of these trips, in 1877, that I first met Lilian Nordica. (...) When I first knew her she had no dramatic quality above G sharp. She could reach the upper notes, but tentatively and without power. She had, in fact, a beautiful mezzo voice; but she could not hope for leading "rôles" in grand opera until she had perfect control of the upper notes needed to complete her vocal equipment. She went about it, moreover, "with so much judiction", as an old man I know in the country says. But it was not until after the Russian engagement that she went to Sbriglia in Paris and worked with him until she could sing a high C that thrilled the soul. That C of hers in the "Inflammatus" in Rossini's "Stabat Mater" was something superb. Not many singers can do it as successfully as Nordica, although they can all accomplish a certain amount in "manufactured" notes. Fursch-Nadi, also a mezzo, had to acquire upper notes as a business proposition in order to enlarge her "répertoire". She secured the notes and the requisite "rôles"; yet her voice lost greatly in quality. Nordica's never did. She gained all and lost nothing. Her voice, while increasing in register, never suffered the least detriment in tone nor "timbre". It was Nordica who first told me of Sbriglia, giving him honest credit for the help he had been to her. Like all truly big natures she has always been ready to acknowledge assistance wherever she has received it. Some people—and among them artists to whom Sbriglia's teaching has been of incalculable value—maintain a discreet silence on the subject of their study with him, preferring, no doubt, to have the public think that they have arrived at vocal perfection by their own incomparable genius alone. (...) when I was in Paris during an off season, I took advantage of being near the great teacher, Sbriglia, to consult him. I really did not want him actually to do anything to my voice as much as I wanted him to tell me there was nothing that needed doing. At the time I went to him I had been singing for twenty years. Sbriglia tried my voice carefully and said:
«Mademoiselle, you have saved your voice by singing far "forward".»
«That's because I've been worked hard», I told him, «and have had to place it so in self-defence. Many a night I've been so tired it was like "pumping" to sing! Then I would sing 'way, "'way" in front and, by so doing, was able to get through.»
«Ah, that's it!» said he. «You've sung against your teeth—the best thing in the world for the preservation of the voice.» (...) «Mademoiselle», said Sbriglia, «you breathe by the grace of God! Breathing is all of singing and I can teach you nothing of either.»
Sbriglia's method was the old Italian method known to teachers as "diaphragmatic", of all forms of vocal training the one most productive of endurance and stability in a voice. I went several times to sing for him and, on one occasion, met Plançon who had been singing in Marseilles and, from a defective method, had begun to sing out of tune so badly that he resolved to come to Paris to see if he could find someone who might help him to overcome it. He was quite frank in saying that Sbriglia had "made him". I used to hear him practising in the Maestro's apartment and would listen from an adjoining room so that, when I met him, I was able to congratulate him on his improvement in tone production from day to day. (...)
Sbriglia really loved to teach. (...) Everyone knows what Sbriglia did for Jean de Reszke, turning him from an unsuccessful baritone into the foremost tenor of the world. Sbriglia first met the Polish singer at some Paris party, where de Reszke told him that he was discouraged, that his career as a baritone had not been a fortunate one, and that he had about made up his mind to give it all up and leave the stage. He was a rich man and did not sing for a living like most professionals. Sbriglia had heard him sing. Said he:
«M. de Reszke, you are not a baritone.»
«I am coming to that conclusion myself», said Monsieur ruefully.
«No, you are not a baritone», repeated Sbriglia. «You are a tenor.»
Jean de Reszke laughed. A tenor? He? But it was absurd! Nevertheless Sbriglia was calmly assured; and he was the greatest master of singing in France, if not in the world. After a little conversation, he convinced M. de Reszke sufficiently, at least, to give the new theory a chance.
«You need not pay me anything», said the great teacher to the young man. «Not one franc will I take from you until I have satisfied you that my judgment is correct. Study with me for six months only and then I will leave it to you—and the world!»
That was the beginning of the course of study which launched Jean de Reszke upon his extraordinarily prosperous and brilliant career. (...)
LEARNING SINGING BY IMITATION & ASSIMILATION
The best way—as I have said before and as I insist on saying—for anyone to learn to sing is by imitation and assimilation. My friend Franceschetti, a Roman gentleman, poor but of noble family, has classes that I always attend when I am in the Eternal City, and wherein the instruction is most advantageously given. He criticises each student in the presence of the others and, if the others are listening at all intelligently, they must profit. But you must listen, and then listen, and then keep on listening, and finally begin to listen all over again. You must keep your ear ready, and your mind as well.
(from Chapter XXIX "Teaching and the half-talented" in: Clara Louise Kellogg - "Memoirs of an American Prima Donna" - New York, 1913)
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- Nordica
THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING SCALES 'Do not Let a Scale Discourage You', and say you cannot get it. Anyone who works can get a scale, and no one knows how to sing until the scales are done thoroughly and properly. You must be able to sing scales slow, fast and in every way. Do not feel satisfied if you have slipped a bit uncertainly over a few notes, even if the ear of your teacher fails to detect them. I never to this day start to sing before running through my scales, exactly as the performer upon any instrument has recourse to them in preparation. The singing of scales corresponds to the putting in tune of a stringed instrument. The voice cannot come 'near' to being ready—it must be absolutely in order. 'Vocalises You Can Never Leave'. They are the fundamental ground work upon which to build. You can put the embroidery of words on afterwards. And yet there are many singing in opera who cannot sing a scale perfectly, but such fail to reach distinction; they have not arrived, and never will arrive at greatness.
THE NECESSITY OF PERFORMING THE 'PASSAGGIO' CORRECTLY 'Sing with Ease'. In my experience I have met many who repeat certain phrases again and again in a wrong way. Hearing the manner in which these phrases were done I have asked, "Does it not hurt you?" The reply would be, "Yes, I have a pain in my throat." "But it must not hurt you there." "Well," would perhaps be the answer, "I think it is only because I have not sung for a week." That is a mistake. You may be fatigued in different parts of your body—chest, jaws, diaphragm, but you should sing with ease; otherwise the way in which you are singing is a wrong one. Take as an instance of legitimate fatigue, a passage in the last act of "Tristan und Isolde": partly because of the construction and somewhat because of the constrained attitude over Tristan's body, the recurring E and F in this passage keep the jaws open in such a position, to give room and not to cramp the tone, that they become fatigued, a pain that passes momentarily. But pupils should never complain of throat-ache, as that proves unfailingly that the manner of singing is incorrect.
HOW TO PREPARE TO PERFORM IN A CONCERT 'Before Going to the Concert-Room' practice a little, and if you have a 'cadenza', run through it for ten or fifteen minutes; you must be assured that your voice is in order, and that can best be done before you leave the hotel, for, frequently, the dressing-room being next the audience, every sound is audible to those without. If there are any steps leading to the stage, mount them very slowly, for to go briskly will make your heart beat and your breath short. Take plenty of time in coming out and plenty of time before the accompanist begins his prelude. 'Above All, Have Your Clothes Comfortable'; an inch in the waist does not matter to the public, but if your gown is even that degree too tight, the lower ribs and the lungs are cramped, and you need perfect freedom both of lungs and shoulders.
(from: Lillian Nordica's Hints To Singers, 1923)
- De Reszke
"Mezza voce" singing, according to the famous tenor Jean De Reszke, a student of Antonio Cotogni and Giovanni Sbriglia
(from "Jean De Reszke's Principles of Singing" by Walter Johnstone-Douglas, in: Clara Leiser - "Jean De Reszke and the great days of opera" - New York - Minton, Balch & Company, 1934)
DEVELOP VOCAL BACKGROUND The beginning of any vocal training should be scales, scales, scales. These help the voice to find its natural place; help to fix the tones in the voice, and nothing can take their place. These preliminary scales should be sung in every possible way—slowly, more quickly, "legato", "staccato". The best exploring exercise is the slow scale, each note sustained through a full breath, and placed ‘right in the middle’ of the voice.
THE MIDDLE REGISTER While I have never had any special vocal problems to overcome, I began my work with a rather small voice. I was worried about this and asked Jean de Reszke for advice. I am glad to repeat to others what that great master told me: "Never force the voice for volume! Develop the voice normally, naturally, gradually, and it will grow, seemingly by itself." He also assured me that the best way to build a voice is to develop the middle register. Many young singers with coloratura voices seem to resent this—they think that concentration on the 'mezza voce' (the middle voice) will rob them of range. As a matter of fact, the exact opposite is the truth! Range, as well as volume, develops from the perfection of the middle voice. Most singing is done in this middle voice—and it is the middle voice that indicates the status of any voice: the sound, healthy voice has a firm, sound middle register while the voice that shows ‘holes’ in the middle is nearing the end of its powers!
TONE POSITION While I am on the subject of range, let me say that the position of the tone counts for more than exercises. Each kind of singing requires a differently placed tone—indeed, it is the position that controls the tone. (...) The thorough vocal background which I advocate so strongly, helps to smooth away difficulties of dynamics. Anyone can sing "forte"—but few singers take the time to master a pure and beautiful "pianissimo" tone. (...) One of the best exercises is the spinning of tone—taking one note on each full breath, beginning it "pianissimo", making a gradual "crescendo", and diminishing again to "pianissimo". In this drill, of course, the tone must be not only pure, free, and well-controlled; it must be supported by a strong diaphragmatic breath (...) I have a vivid recollection of Jean de Reszke’s method of coaching (...) de Reszke wasted little time in talking about style—he spent the hour singing for us, demonstrating the effects he wished. He always called attention to his effects, however; he would say, "Listen sharply to the way I phrase this—observe this 'legato', or that 'portamento'—pay attention to how I articulate this passage, giving every syllable, every word its due emphasis." After showing us the points to watch, he would demonstrate by singing. Then he would ask us to imitate him! After that, we were ready to find our own salvation.
(from: Bidú Sayão - "Prevention is better than cure!" - THE ETUDE, January 1948)
IL SEGRETO DEL PALATO MOLLE ALZATO NELL'INSEGNAMENTO DEL CELEBRE TENORE JEAN DE RESZKE:
«I was sent to Vichy to audition for Jean de Reszke (...) I was tremendously fortunate not only that he accepted me—"une ravissante petite voix" was the verdict—but that I had his enlightened guidance for two years; he died in 1925, and in fact I was one of his very last students. I settled in Nice for two years and took classes every day. It is difficult to describe today the awe and respect surrounding his person. He had been one of the greatest tenors of all time, his brother Edouard a magnificent basso, and his sister Josephine an outstanding soprano. With what skill he put me through the cadenzas that developed and steadied the highest notes in the upper range! I shall never forget some of the exercises. There was one, which he put me through over and over again, to eliminate the break from chest to head: a sequence of four notes consisting of F, F-sharp, G, and G-sharp. He instructed me to obtain a high palate by the sensation of surprise and not to pull the muscles of the throat up. Only the soft palate should be raised.»
(from an interview to Bidú Sayão, taken in the spring of 1979 - quoted in: Lanfranco Rasponi - "THE LAST PRIMA DONNAS" - London, Gollancz 1984)
Mi avevano mandato a Vichy, a fare un'audizione da Jean de Reszke (...) E sono stata estremamente fortunata non solo che mi abbia accettato - "une ravissante petite voix" è stato il suo verdetto - ma che io abbia potuto avere la sua guida illuminata per ben due anni; egli è scomparso nel 1925, ed infatti io sono stata tra gli ultimi suoi allievi. Mi sono stabilita a Nizza per due anni e ho preso lezioni di canto da lui tutti i giorni. E' difficile descrivere oggi l'ammirazione e il rispetto che circondava la sua persona. Egli era stato uno dei più grandi tenori di tutti i tempi, suo fratello Edouard un magnifico basso, e sua sorella Josephine un eccezionale soprano. Con quale maestria egli mi faceva affrontare delle cadenze che hanno sviluppato e stabilizzato le note più alte del settore acuto della mia voce! Non potrò mai dimenticare alcuni sui esercizi. Ce n'era uno in particolare che mi faceva ripetere più e più volte per eliminare la 'frattura' data dal cambiamento di registro tra petto e testa: una sequenza di quattro note costituite da Fa, Fa diesis, Sol e Sol diesis. Mi aveva insegnato ad ottenere un palato alto attraverso la sensazione della sorpresa e non contraendo i muscoli della gola. Solo il palato molle dev'essere alzato. [trad. it. : Mattia Peli]
(da un'intervista al soprano Bidú Sayão, realizzata nel 1979 - in: Lanfranco Rasponi - "THE LAST PRIMA DONNAS" - London, Gollancz 1984)
[nella foto: Édouard (basso) e Jean (tenore) De Reszke, entrambi allievi del tenore Francesco Ciaffei, poi perfezionatisi con il tenore Giovanni Sbriglia]
Era il tempo (1837), in cui i dilettanti parigini accorrevano, curiosi, all'Opéra per applaudire il famoso 'do di petto', che il tenore Duprez faceva sentire nel "Guglielmo Tell". Il "Suivez-moi" eccitava ogni sera esplosioni di frenetica ammirazione, mentre passavano inosservate certe meravigliose scene dell'opera. (Il pubblico è stato e sarà sempre lo stesso "profanum vulgus" in ogni paese!) Il Rossini non poteva soffrire quei "gridi di disperazione", com'egli soleva chiamarli.
«Questa nota» — diceva — «fa raramente buon effetto all'orecchio. I tenori possono evitare a sè stessi uno sputo di sangue ed al pubblico il laceramento del timpano, sostituendo un 'do di testa', modesto ma chiaro. Il tenore Duprez fu il primo a "frizionare" gli orecchi dei Parigini con quel DO di petto, a cui io non ho mai pensato. Il Nourrit si contentava di un DO di testa, ed è quello che ci vuole. Quando, nel mio passaggio a Parigi, nel 1837, proprio dopo il clamoroso debutto del Duprez in quest'opera, il focoso tenore m'invitò ad andare a sentirlo all'Opéra, "Venite piuttosto a casa mia!" — gli risposi. — "Farete sentire il vostro DO a me solo ed io ne sarò molto lusingato". Abitavo allora in casa del mio amico Troupenas. Il Duprez si affrettò a venire ed in presenza del Troupenas mi cantò magnificamente, devo confessarlo, molti frammenti della mia opera; ma all'avvicinarsi del "Suivez-moi", provai lo stesso ansioso malessere, che sentono certe persone al momento previsto di un colpo di cannone. Alla fine esplose il famoso DO. Corpo di bacco! Che fracasso! mi levai dal piano e mi diressi in fretta verso una vetrina piena di bicchieri di Venezia delicatissimi, che ornavano la sala del Troupenas.
"Non si è rotto nulla!" — gridai — "Pare incredibile!".
Il tenore sembrò soddisfatto della mia esclamazione, che prese per un complimento alla mia maniera.
"Allora, Maestro, il mio DO vi piace? Ditemelo sinceramente...".
"Sinceramente, ciò che più mi piace nel vostro DO è 'ch'è passato' ed io non corro il rischio di risentirlo. Non amo punto gli effetti contro natura, e questo DO, col suo timbro stridente, urta il mio orecchio italiano, come il grido di un cappone che si sgozza. Voi siete un grandissimo artista, un vero nuovo creatore della parte di Arnoldo: perchè, dunque, abbassarvi ad usare un simile espediente?".
"Egli'è" — replicò il Duprez — "che gli abbonati dell'Opéra vi sono ormai abituati: questo DO è il mio gran successo...".
"Se è così, ne volete uno più grande ancora? Sparatene due!".»
L'esempio del Duprez portò gravi conseguenze. Dopo il suo successo, tutti i tenori vollero emettere quel DO di petto, che assicurava l'applauso fragoroso degli spettatori, ed in tal modo cominciò a sostituirsi il 'grido' al canto e si corruppe il gusto. Più tardi si ricorse al DO DIESIS di petto.
«Quel mattacchione di Tamberlick» — continua il Maestro — «nel suo fervore di superare il DO di Duprez, ha inventato il DO DIESIS di petto e me l'ha appioppato al finale dell' "Otello", dove io ho scritto un LA. Lanciato a pieni polmoni, credevo che questo LA fosse abbastanza feroce per soddisfare abbondantemente l'amor proprio dei tenori di tutti i tempi; ma ecco che Tamberlick me l'ha trasformato in DO DIESIS, e tutti gli "snobs" vanno in delirio.»
Una sera che si faceva musica in casa Rossini, il domestico venne ad annunziare: "il signor Tamberlick"!
"Fatelo entrare" — disse il Maestro —. Poi ripigliandosi: "Ditegli però che lasci il DO DIESIS all'attaccapanni. Lo riprenderà nell'uscire".
(aneddoto n.54, da: "ANEDDOTI ROSSINIANI AUTENTICI", raccolti da Giuseppe Radiciotti - Roma, 1929)
[Nell'immagine, sopra riportata: Bozzetti di Eugène Du Faget per i costumi della produzione originale del 1829 di 'Guillaume Tell'; in centro, Adolphe Nourrit (Arnold), con Laure Cinti-Damoreau (Mathilde), a sinistra, e Nicolas Levasseur (Walter), a destra.]
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Chi ha compreso perfettamente il discorso "rossiniano" è stato Giacomo Lauri-Volpi il quale ha dato prova di realizzare una interpretazione unica e irraggiungibile per perfezione tecnica e stilistica nella parte di Arnold, cantando magnificamente il ruolo completo (in lingua italiana) sia in Italia, alla Scala di Milano, che all'estero (Metropolitan)!
Ecco la spiegazione in dettaglio, data dallo stesso Lauri-Volpi:
«All'inizio dell'800 si verificò una specie di rivoluzione nell'uso della voce umana cantata. Ai sopranisti succedettero, sulla scena lirica, i T. per i quali i famosi compositori cominciarono a scrivere parti impegnative e rischiose che non si limitavano al canto spianato, ma esigevano vocalizzi, abbellimenti, cadenze, filature, falsetti inverosimili, per i quali venne in voga il cosiddetto "belcanto", appunto per gli abbellimenti e per i virtuosismi che comportava. Simile scuola esigeva l'educazione della laringe, educazione che si protraeva per sei o sette anni di studi severi e faticosi.Rossini gettò le basi di questa scuola, ma si preoccupò di non lasciare all'arbitrio dei cantanti le cadenze e di non permettere ai tenori (Tamberlick e Duprez) di lanciare i do acuti (cosiddetti "di petto") a squarciagola, senza cioè giovarsi delle risonanze superiori o cervicali (dette note "di testa"), da non confondersi con il falsetto, l'uso del quale andò via via scemando fino a scomparire con l'avvento della mezza voce tenorile. La quale costituì la letizia dei teatri d'opera nella seconda metà dell'800.»
[dalla voce enciclopedica "TENORE" scritta dal tenore Giacomo Lauri-Volpi per l'Enciclopedia della Musica, Ricordi 1964]
Per approfondimenti, si rimanda a questi interessanti articoli:
Per la prima volta Belcanto Italiano sarà a Padova: vi aspettiamo per due giorni intensivi di seminario il 22 e il 24 luglio 2023. Tra le altre cose si studierà anche la "punta di diamante" di ogni suono!
Ci vediamo nella città veneta - famosa per gli affreschi di Giotto nella Cappella degli Scrovegni, ma anche per essere la cittadina ove venne fondata nel 1222 una delle più antiche Università del mondo - con i fondatori di Belcanto Italiano per due giornate intensive di studio: pronti a far brillare ogni suono!!!
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Maria Jeritza: "Non gridare e non forzare la voce" - una grande lezione di canto
Maria Jeritza: "NON GRIDARE E NON FORZARE LA VOCE" - una grande lezione di canto!
«...at twelve I was attending the "Musikschule" in Brünn [Brno]. There, aside from regular class instruction, Professor Krejci gave me private lessons twice a week. I think myself that I had a good, clear voice when a child, but Krejci was even then convinced that I had a future, and taught me with the greatest care. He taught me one very important thing right at the start, something which every student should realize–NOT to scream, and NOT to force my voice. It is a lesson every vocal student should take to heart, for the habit of screaming and forcing the tone, if developed when the voice is forming, and persisted in, has ruinous consequences. Professor Krejci made me do a good deal of scale work. He would never let me experiment singing songs of all descriptions indiscriminately, a singing evil some teachers encourage»
[«...a dodici anni frequentavo la "Musikschule" a Brünn [Brno]. Là, al di fuori del regolare insegnamento accademico, il Prof. Krejci mi diede lezioni private due volte alla settimana. Reputo di aver posseduto, da bambina, una voce bella e pura, ma Krejci era già convinto allora che io avessi un futuro, e mi istruì con la più grande cura. Egli mi insegnò, fin dall'inizio, una cosa molto importante, qualcosa che ogni studente dovrebbe realizzare–di NON gridare e di NON forzare la mia voce. E' una lezione che ogni studente di canto dovrebbe prendere a cuore, poiché l'abitudine a gridare e a forzare il suono, se sviluppata quando la voce è in formazione, e se prolungata, ha rovinose conseguenze. Il Prof. Krejci mi fece fare un bel po' di lavoro sulle scale. Non mi avrebbe mai permesso di provare a cantare arie di ogni genere in modo indiscriminato, un pessimo vizio canoro che alcuni insegnanti incoraggiano.»]
(Maria Jeritza, from: Frederick Martens - "The Art of the Prima Donna and Concert Singer", 1923)
[Nella foto: Giacomo Puccini con il soprano Maria Jeritza, celebre Tosca e prima interprete del personaggio di Turandot nella première americana del 1926 al Metropolitan, con Giacomo Lauri-Volpi nel ruolo di Calàf - N.B. è stata anche creatrice di diversi ruoli operistici, tra i quali Arianna in "Ariadne auf Naxos" e l'imperatrice in "Die Frau ohne Schatten" di R.Strauss, così come Marie/Marietta in "Die tote Stadt" di Erich Wolfgang Korngold]
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Maria Jeritza sull'importanza della "mezzavoce", delle 'colorature' e della saggia strategia di studio nel canto lirico:
A PERSONAL RECEIPT FOR SUCCESS IN SINGING "(...) as regards 'what' to practice in the way of exercises I can only give you a kind of personal receipt. In the first place, it means the world and all for the student of singing to be in good hands from the very start. (...) There are fundamentals the student can obtain only from a good teacher. Teaching, good or bad, influences one's whole career, so see that your teachers are the best. (...) How do I practice every day? In the summer, when I am preparing new rôles, perhaps two hours a day in all; but I divide my time. I may sing for fifteen or twenty minutes, and then not sing again for an hour or so. I do my daily flexibility exercises every day, the scales at different speeds, beginning them 'mezza voce' and working up to the full sustained tone. I also sing Marchesi 'vocalises' and 'solfeggios', which include all of coloratura passages and ornaments. During the season, when I am singing on the stage, I never practice, aside from rehearsals, more than an hour a day. The purely technical exercises do not really represent a strain. I always look on them 'as' purely technical, a mechanical means of oiling the voice, making it light, easily responsive; just as the simple gymnastic exercises I use make the body flexible and supple."
[Come mi esercito ogni giorno? In estate, quando sto preparando nuovi ruoli, forse due ore al giorno in tutto; ma divido il mio tempo. Posso cantare per quindici o venti minuti e poi non cantare nuovamente per circa un'ora. Faccio i miei esercizi di flessibilità quotidiana ogni giorno, le scale a diverse velocità, iniziando ad eseguirle a 'mezza voce' e sviluppandole fino al suono pieno e sostenuto. Utilizzo anche i 'vocalizzi' e 'solfeggi' della Marchesi, che comprendono ogni sorta di passaggi e ornamenti di coloratura. Durante la stagione, quando canto sul palcoscenico, non mi alleno, a parte le prove, più di un'ora al giorno. Gli esercizi puramente tecnici non rappresentano veramente una tensione. Li considero sempre 'come' puramente tecnici, un mezzo meccanico per oliare la voce, rendendola leggera, facilmente reattiva; così come i semplici esercizi ginnici che utilizzo rendono il corpo flessibile ed elastico.]
THE ROUTINE OF ACQUIRING A NEW RÔLE "I have a regular routine when studying a new part. -1. First comes the reading of the libretto. -2. Then, so that I will feel entirely at home in the work, especially if it is a period opera, I read all sorts of books which will give me the atmosphere of the epoch in question. If I am to represent a character of a certain time and day, I must have a knowledge of that character's point of view and surroundings, mental and material, for a basis. Getting this basis—and I consider it very important—may cost me eight or ten days. -3. Then comes the music. I first go over it in a purely technical way; I make note of the mechanical difficulties; the arrangement of the vocal line, breath and phrasing. I can get up the most difficult operatic rôle by heart in four or five days and sing its music in the rough. -4. And then comes the most difficult part of all—the filing down, the polishing, the working out of every least little detail. An intricate piece of goldsmith work offers the nearest comparison, perhaps, to this part of opera study. The goldsmith has his design outlined; but he must lend the utmost clarity and beauty to every line and every curve. And so, too, every line and curve of the melody, every rise and fall of the accent, every dramatic and lyric inflection in the general design of an operatic rôle must be brought out, and brought into reletionship with the rest of the work. This is not eight-day process, but takes me from four to five weeks. I take this work very seriously; for I know of no other way of giving vitality, real human quality to a rôle. And no singer, be she ever so popular, has a right to rely on her popularity to excuse poor preparation. Even quite small rôles can be beautifully done. (...)"
STRAUSS AND PUCCINI HEROINES "Strauss has written a part for me, and both he and Puccini have given me rôles which it has been fascinating to create. I am fond of Puccini's heroines because they are so human, because they are flesh-and-blood women whom the public loves. (...) And just as I have studied 'La fanciulla del West', 'Tosca' and 'Il tabarro' with Puccini, so I have studied 'Ariadne' and 'Rosenkavalier', as well as 'Die Frau ohne Schatten' with Strauss. (...) To study a new part with Richard Strauss is a real experience. He and Schalk often came to my home in Vienna and would run over my rôles at the piano with me. Strauss is clearness itself when he explains, and he knows exactly which effects he wants to produce. He insists on a beautiful melody line. And he is always willing to help the singer; change a difficult interval in a vocal phrase or make any reasonable modification. (...) I cannot understand why the modern composer so often insists on writing for the human voice as though it were an orchestral instrument of wood or brass. There is the part of the Princess, in Fritz Schrecker's opera 'Das Spielwerk der Prinzessin', which I have sung. Vocally it is one of the most terrible things ever written, I think. (...) A part like that of the Princess. . . . Well, think of a strong rubber band being stretched out full lenght, again and again and again, for hours at a time! How long would it stand the strain? And the vocal cords are really delicate, like threads. Really, after such roaring and screaming, to sing a genuine Italian or Mozart opera aria seems like a balsam to the voice. No, there seem to be no real vocal 'lines' in many modern scores."
[in: "The Art of the Prima Donna and Concert Singer" by Frederick H. Martens - D.Appleton and Company, New York, 1923]
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From Vienna in May 1923, Puccini wrote a letter to Giueseppe Adami, which indicates the type of power a singer like Maria Jeritza held over productions and over the composers who sought her talent. He wrote:
Dear Adamino, In hate: arrived safely. Cool today, but very warm journey. There is talk of “Manon” for September. They are giving “Cappelli Bianchi” in a few days. Eisenschitz wanted to give you a pleasant surprise. If Jeritza accepts they will do “Manon.” If not I shall return to my work. But I shall stay here a little while for the festivities which they have prepared for me. They treat me here as if I were the Kaiser or the Crown Prince. Living is enormously dear. My bedroom and sitting-room cost 500,000 crowns a day. I am well. My thoughts are on the lovely “Turandot,” lovely in her newest attire, thanks to the great “tailleur” Adamino. And talking of beauty, last night at the Opera, in Strauss’s “Legend of Joseph” there was an ensemble of the feminine nude that would have turned the head of St. Francis. Good-bye. Greetings to you from us all.
(Giuseppe Adami, ed., “The Letters of Giacomo Puccini,” Translated by Ena Makin, (London: Harrap & Co, 1931), 307).
Calendario di studio dell'Accademia Nazionale di Belcanto Italiano - anno accademico 2021/22
Presentato il programma di studi dell'Accademia Nazionale di Belcanto Italiano! Da novembre 2021 a luglio 2022 un entusiasmante viaggio alla scoperta della voce nel canto lirico, con organizzazione di concerti e opere in costume.
Ecco il Calendario di studio dell'Accademia Nazionale di Belcanto Italiano - anno accademico 2021/22
Novembre 2021 - "La respirazione" e "La messa di voce" Dicembre 2021 - "La voce di petto, il misto e la voce di testa" Gennaio 2022 - "I passaggi di registro" Febbraio 2022 - "Le agilità vocali" Marzo 2022 - "La mezza voce" Aprile 2022 - "L'arte scenica" e "I filati" Maggio 2022 - "Gli acuti e i sopracuti" Giugno 2022 - "Il trillo" e "La messa in scena" Luglio 2022 - "La relazione tra musica, movimento e scena"
raccogliamo in questo articolo alcune citazioni del celebre soprano Rosa Ponselle sull'arte del canto. Buona lettura e buona riflessione a tutti!
1. IL METODO DEL CANTANTE, secondo il grande soprano Rosa Ponselle:
«Ah, there is nothing like the "Bel Canto" method of singing. It is the only safe foundation for a singing career. The "Bel Canto" is not only the esiest way of using the voice, thus saving it for a lifetime, but it is also the most natural way of producing tones. In almost any other method, the beautiful line of the singing is lost, because of the declamatory style of tone production which gives results not at all melodious. People often ask by what means I preserve the freshness and spontaneity of my voice. In the first place, I have to thank the Creator and a fine musical parentage for a reliable throat and vocal organs. The only secret I have for the preservation of what has been given me is that I have been taught a proper method of singing and then practice a proper method of living. The voice is so sensitive, reflecting every variation of our physical and emotional condition, that not to keep the body, the mind, and the soul or emotional instincts all in a normal, healthful condition, is simply suicidal to the singer's ambitions. After a singing technique is once thoroughly developed, but little exercise of the voice, other than that necessary at rehearsals and in actual public use, is necessary. Just a few "warming up" exercises occasionally to keep the tones flowing smoothly. (...) The one thing that the singer must never sacrifice is that velvety edge on the tone which charms the senses of the hearer. No matter how dramatic the situation, the tone must never become strident. No matter what the depth of emotion or how violent the passions of the situation, always the tone must remain spontaneous, pure, and responsive, that it may be a medium for the transmission of the emotions of the soul of the singer. Just as soon as strain enters into the tone, just that soon it loses to a large degree its usefulness as a means of moving the one who hears it. (...) Always one should feel that there is more to give if it were but necessary. There is such inspiration in the feeling that there is still more in reserve. Strangely enough, this feeling goes right out over the footlights and takes hold of the audience, creating a wonderful confidence in the artist because that there is always a possibility of more to come, that the singer has not reached the limits of her ability to give.»
[Ah, non v'è nulla che sia paragonabile al metodo canoro del "Bel Canto". È l'unico fondamento sicuro per una carriera lirica. Il "Bel Canto" non è solo il modo più semplice di usare la voce, conservandola così per tutta la vita, ma è anche la via più naturale per produrre dei suoni. In quasi tutti gli altri metodi si perde la bella linea del canto, a causa dello stile declamatorio della produzione del suono che dà risultati per nulla melodiosi. La gente spesso mi chiede in che modo riesca a preservare la freschezza e la spontaneità della mia voce. In primo luogo, devo ringraziare il Creatore ed una buona parentela musicale per una gola e degli organi vocali affidabili. L'unico segreto che ho per preservare ciò che ho ricevuto in dono è che mi è stato insegnato un metodo di canto corretto e poi è quello di praticare un metodo di vita corretto. La voce è così sensibile, da riflettere ogni variazione della nostra condizione fisica ed emotiva, che non mantenere il corpo, la mente e l'anima o gli istinti emotivi in condizioni normali e sane, è semplicemente un suicidio per le ambizioni del cantante. Dopo essere stata sviluppata a fondo una tecnica di canto, occorre poco esercizio della voce, oltre a quello necessario durante le prove e nelle esecuzioni pubbliche vere e proprie. Solo qualche esercizio di "riscaldamento" di tanto in tanto per mantenere i suoni fluidi. (...) L'unica cosa che il cantante non deve mai sacrificare è quel contorno vellutato sul suono che incanta i sensi dell'ascoltatore. Non importa quanto drammatica sia la situazione, il suono non deve mai diventare stridente. Non importa quale sia la profondità dell'emozione o quanto violente siano le passioni del momento scenico, il suono deve rimanere sempre spontaneo, puro e reattivo, affinché possa essere un mezzo per la trasmissione delle emozioni dell'anima del cantante. Non appena lo sforzo entra nel suono, subito perde in larga misura la sua utilità come mezzo per commuovere colui che l'ascolta. (...) Si dovrebbe sempre percepire che vi sia di più da dare se solo fosse necessario. Vi è una tale ispirazione nella sensazione che vi sia tanto di riserva da offrire. Strano a dirsi, questa sensazione va oltre le luci della ribalta e si impadronisce del pubblico, creando una meravigliosa fiducia nell'artista perché c'è sempre la possibilità che non sia finita lì, che il cantante non abbia raggiunto i limiti della sua capacità di dare.]
(da: The American Girl's Chance in Opera, an Interview with the distinguished Soprano and Artist ROSA PONSELLE - THE ETUDE, November 1929)
2. Consigli di Rosa Ponselle ai giovani soprani drammatici:
«When you begin to study singing, let your first thought be to learn how to sing. And then, if later you feel drawn toward opera, make sure that you possess the requisite qualifications for an operatic career. (...) William Thorner was my teacher, and all that I may have gained in the way of voice production and flexibility, singing poise and tone development, I owe to him. There seems little advantage to the student in recommending this, that or the other set of "vocalises" or exercises for study use. After all, if you get down to the gist of the matter, it is altogether a question of the proper use of the exercises selected; "how" to study what you study and not "what" you study. I spent less than a year preparing for opera, but when you ask me how I managed to accomplish so much in a time so comparatively short, the answer is simple. I was studios—working with my mind as well as with my throat—and I had had correct teaching from the "very beginning", and therefore no faulty teaching to undo. One thing in which I am a great believer is the avoidance of vocal overexertion. During the opera or concert season I use daily vocal exercises to keep my voice flexible; but I practice them only a "few minutes" each day—and during my vacation I give myself a complete rest. Even while I was preparing to sing in opera, I did not practice more than fifteen or twenty minutes a day; unless, of course, I was studying a new role. The pronouncedly coloratura roles, as I see it, do not properly lie within the range of the dramatic soprano voice; but there is no earthly reason why the dramatic soprano cannot sing purely lyric roles, and sing them well. (...) I would not attempt to draw comparisons, as regards difficulty, between one and another operatic role of the dramatic soprano repertory. (...) I could not say that Leonora, for instance, is a role more difficult to sing than that of Elvira. My own experience is that ALL ROLES REQUIRE THE SAME MENTAL EXERTION IN ORDER TO RENDER THE MOTIF IN ITS BEST LIGHT! (...) As regards the studying of soprano roles or songs which the singer, for some one reason or other, may be doubtful of carrying to success, there is a very simple and logical rule, one which I follow myself: I HAVE NEVER STUDIED ANY ROLE TO WHICH I DID NOT BELIEVE I COULD DO JUSTICE.»
[Quando s'incomincia a studiare canto, per prima cosa si pensi ad imparare a cantare. E poi, se più tardi si percepisce un'attrazione verso l'opera lirica, ci si accerti di possedere i requisiti necessari per una carriera operistica. (...) William Thorner è stato il mio insegnante, e tutto ciò che posso aver raggiunto dal punto di vista della produzione e flessibilità della voce, della padronanza canora e dello sviluppo del suono, lo devo a lui. Mi sembra vi sia poca convenienza nel raccomandare allo studente questa, quella o quell'altra serie di "vocalizzi" od esercizi ad uso di studio. Dopo tutto, se si va davvero al nocciolo della faccenda, è tutta una questione che ha a che fare con l'uso appropriato degli esercizi selezionati; "come" si studia ciò che si studia e non "cosa" si studia. Ho impiegato meno di un anno nel prepararmi all'opera lirica, ma se mi chiedete come sia riuscita a realizzare così tanto in un tempo relativamente così breve, la risposta è semplice. Ero diligente nello studio—lavorando tanto con la mente quanto con la gola—ed ho avuto l'insegnamento giusto fin dal "primo momento", e perciò nessun insegnamento scorretto da eliminare. Una cosa della quale sono una grande sostenitrice è quella di evitare l'iperaffaticamento vocale. Durante la stagione operistica o concertistica impiego degli esercizi vocali giornalieri per mantenere flessibile la mia voce; ma mi ci esercito solamente per "pochi minuti" al giorno—e durante le vacanze mi concedo un periodo di completo riposo. Anche quando mi stavo preparando per cantare in un'opera, non mi sono mai esercitata per più di quindici o venti minuti al giorno; a meno che, naturalmente, non stessi studiando un nuovo ruolo. I ruoli marcatamente di coloratura, per come la vedo io, non rientrano propriamente nell'ambito della voce del soprano drammatico; ma non v'è ragione alcuna per cui il soprano drammatico non possa cantare ruoli da lirico puro, e cantarli bene. (...) Non cercherei di fare confronti, quanto alla difficoltà, tra taluno e talaltro ruolo operistico del repertorio del soprano drammatico. (...) Non potrei dire che Leonora, ad esempio, sia un ruolo più difficile da cantare di quello di Elvira. La mia personale esperienza mi dice che TUTTI I RUOLI RICHIEDONO IL MEDESIMO IMPEGNO MENTALE PER POTER RESTITUIRE IL MOTIVO DOMINANTE NELLA SUA LUCE MIGLIORE! (...) Quanto allo studio dei ruoli o delle arie per soprano che la cantante, per una ragione o per un'altra, possa essere in dubbio di portare al successo, v'è una regola molto semplice e logica, una regola che io stessa seguo: NON HO MAI STUDIATO NESSUN RUOLO AL QUALE NON CREDESSI DI POTER RENDERE GIUSTIZIA.>>]
(Rosa Ponselle da: Frederick Martens - "The Art of the Prima Donna and Concert Singer", 1923)
3. Rosa Ponselle: 'LA GRANDE VOCE NON FA AUTOMATICAMENTE DEL CANTANTE UN ARTISTA'!!!
«My phonograph records, whether good or bad, convey something of my voice and a little of my artistry. I was said to have had a great voice; my recordings, especially the ones taken from radio broadcasts, captured what I had rather faithfully. But voice and artistry are separate matters. Having a great voice in no way guarantees being an artist; it guarantees only that the voice will probably appeal to an audience. Artistry is something beyond that. Caruso had the formula for it. He gave it to anyone who asked him what it took to become an artist. "Work, work, and again, work", he used to say. Part of what artistry involves is probably inborn. The rest is an alchemy of self-confidence, willpower, proper guidance, and, as Caruso said, hard work. For nineteen seasons at the Metropolitan, from "Forza del destino" through "Carmen", I tried to achieve that alchemy. Whether I succeeded, only history, not I, can judge.»
[I miei dischi fonografici, buoni o cattivi che siano, trasmettono qualcosa della mia voce e un po' della mia abilità artistica. Si diceva che avessi una grande voce; le mie registrazioni, specialmente quelle tratte dalle trasmissioni radiofoniche, hanno catturato piuttosto fedelmente ciò che avevo. Ma voce e abilità artistica sono due questioni distinte. Avere una grande voce non garantisce in alcun modo di essere un artista; garantisce solo che la voce probabilmente piacerà a un pubblico. L'arte è qualcosa di più. Caruso di questo aveva la formula. La dava a chiunque gli chiedeva cosa ci volesse per diventare un artista. "Studio, studio e ancora studio", diceva. Parte di ciò che comporta l'arte è probabilmente innato. Il resto è un'alchimia di fiducia in se stessi, forza di volontà, una guida adeguata e, come ha detto Caruso, duro lavoro. Per diciannove stagioni al Metropolitan, da "Forza del destino" a "Carmen", ho cercato di raggiungere quell'alchimia. Se ci sono riuscita, solo la storia, non io, può giudicarlo.]
(da: Rosa Ponselle & James A. Drake - "PONSELLE, A SINGER'S LIFE", foreword by Luciano Pavarotti - Doubleday & Company, Inc. - Garden City, New York, 1982)
4. Rosa Ponselle sulla voce proiettata in maschera:
- "How about placement?" I asked. «You use the MASK... FORWARD,» she said. «You get the feeling your face is going to come off.» - "From the vibrations?" «Yes!» - "Did you use chest voice?" «Only when necessary, but always IN THE MASK.»
[- "Cosa ne pensa del posizionamento?" domandai. «Si usa la MASCHERA... AVANTI,» ella rispose. «Si ha la sensazione che la faccia stia per staccarsi.» - "Per le vibrazioni?" «Sì!» - "Lei usava la voce di petto?" «Solo quando necessario, ma sempre IN MASCHERA.»]
(tratto da una intervista al soprano Rosa Ponselle condotta dal basso Jerome Hines, riportata in: J.Hines - "Great Singers on Great Singing", Doubleday, 1982)
5. - PIANISSIMO: la "prova del nove" della proiezione vocale -
ROSA PONSELLE: «Tullio Serafin finally persuaded me, in 1927, to sing Norma in London at Covent Garden. (...) I had been told that Covent Garden's acoustics ranked with the best in the world. I found out for myself a week or so after I arrived. I tried a verse from "Annie Laurie" as I walked from one part of the stage to another; I sang with only nominal volume, but heard my voice resounding through every part of the auditorium. Even the most delicately spun PIANISSIMO made its way to every row, giving me the range of sensations every singer needs to gauge how well the voice is projecting. I felt perfectly at home at Covent Garden.»
(from: Rosa Ponselle & James A. Drake - "PONSELLE, A SINGER'S LIFE", foreword by Luciano Pavarotti - Doubleday & Company, Inc. - Garden City, New York, 1982)
6. THE IMPORTANCE OF SINGING "MEZZA VOCE" & "PIANISSIMO", according to Rosa Ponselle:
- Watching and listening to him [Caruso] rehearse the magical tenor
moments in "Forza del destino", especially the highly dramatic "O tu che
in seno agli angeli", made me want to kneel at his feet. Here was a
voice that "loved" you. His singing was purely and simply unbelievable,
both in its dramatic and soft "legato" moments, as well as the intuitive
musicianship behind it. (...)
Caruso was an interesting study at rehearsals. He was always punctual, and only did a few vocalises to warm up his voice. To conserve his resources, unless it was a dress rehearsal, he would sing in "HALF VOICE", occasionally showing off his full volume if he felt disposed to. During most of the rehearsals he would sing high notes in a cantor-like falsetto, an eerie sound compared to what his voice sounded like at full volume. (...) - Titta Ruffo, who joined the Metropolitan that same season, was also without rivals among baritones. I sang with him frequently, and his singing was as unique as Caruso's. Sadly, the sheer volume of his voice often overshadowed its intrinsic beauty and the exquisite "MEZZA VOCE" possibilities it afforded. One of his long-standing complaints was that the public never accepted his "MEZZA VOCE" singing; they expected him to sing at full volume, especially in the familiar arias. It was an unreasonable expectation, since a singer contours his tones and phrases by these contrasts in volume, and helps take the drama to a proper climax. Although in Titta Ruffo's case the splendor of his voice lay more in his middle and top tones than the lower ones, his basic technique and, of course, the quality and size of his voice, made his singing a once-in-a-lifetime rarity. I was fortunate to have sung with him nineteen times, in "Aida", "Andrea Chénier", "Ernani", and "La Gioconda". (...) While Titta Ruffo boasted the most singular baritone voice I ever heard (Giuseppe de Luca appropriately called it "a miracle, not a voice"), Stracciari's was an easy candidate for the most beautiful (along with Pasquale Amato's, which many thought Stracciari's superior), and certainly one of the most durable. Long after Ruffo's voice had lost its core, and after the richness of Amato's had left him, Stracciari was still wowing the Italian critics with his Figaros and Rigolettos—roles that he sang, it is estimated, nine hundred and eleven hundred times, respectively. Happily, Columbia saw to it that he and I were recorded together, in the "Mira d'acerbe lagrime" and "Vivrà! contende il giubilo" sections from "Il Trovatore". (...) - So much has been written about the power of Chaliapin's voice and acting as Boris that I hardly need to say more. Sheer volume, however, has never been a feature I particularly value in a singer. With Chaliapin, in fact, what I loved most was the way he used his "MEZZA VOCE" and "PIANISSIMI" to make some of his most telling effects; they were poignantly colored and were so soft they could barely be heard, though they carried to the back walls of the old Met or Covent Garden. (...) - I admired Franco Corelli, a protégé of Lauri-Volpi, for the singular quality of his voice, his command of "MEZZA VOCE", and sun-like brightness and warmth of his tone. (...)
- In 1949 a visit from Ida and Louise Cook made me think about getting my voice in shape again. Ida and Louise had renewed our acquaintance just after I was released from the hospital in the winter of 1947. When they visited me again two years later they brought with them a young physician, Dr. Dick Alexander, and his wife, who were fans of mine. At Ida's and Louise's urging, Dr. Alexander brought with him an early model wire recorder. Ida Cook, though a writer by profession, was, like her sister Louise, a great devotee of the opera. At Villa Pace she got me to sing one of my favorite songs, "Fa la nana bambin", into Dick Alexander's machine. It's a song that requires controlled "MEZZA VOCE" singing, and since the "MEZZA VOCE" is the immediate indicator of whether or not I'm in voice, I chose it instead of something more musically complex.
- Martinelli Gala. Metropolitan Opera House: 20 November 1963. (50th Anniversary of Giovanni Martinelli's debut.) Raina Kabaivanska came to me through Ida Cook, who had known her in London. As part of a tribute to Giovanni Martinelli, the Metropolitan's management had asked her to sing the "Suicidio" from "Gioconda", and she came to me for guidance. (...) Initially, we had only a weekend to work together, owing to her busy schedule. From Friday through Sunday we worked into the wee hours of the morning, and I'm pleased that she has since credited much of her vocal transformation to that weekend. Our immediate goal was, as I say, to enable her to sing a laudable "Suicidio" for the Martinelli tribute. I had to admit that I was surprised that she had been given the aria to sing. Zinka Milanov was the reigning Gioconda of the day, but had been asked to sing one of the last-act arias from "Otello", probably to allow her to display her famous "MEZZA VOCE". So Raina was given the "Suicidio"—admittedly a poor choice for her voice, because she didn't have the power and weight for Ponchielli's music. But, being new to the Metropolitan, and thus being a bit insecure about her position, she agreed to do it. My first task was to analyze her voice and decide what would be technically safe, artistically successful, and dramatically exciting, given the parameters of her basic voice and technique. To my surprise I found that she had never sung a genuine "PIANISSIMO"—and she knew it. She didn't know how to produce one. By Monday morning, when she left, she could execute a seamless "DIMINUENDO" at will, and could sustain a "PIANISSIMO" line wherever the music called for it.
Working on the "Suicidio", which was a great advantage because I had sung the aria so often, I explained that there were at least three tendencies she would have to overcome: 1. one would be to force the voice because of the demands of volume and range. 2. Being carried away by the emotion of the drama was another potential problem. 3. So was the possibility of being enveloped by the sweep of the music itself. Raina has great musical intelligence, which made all this so much the easier to work around. We outlined a pattern for her to call upon when singing "Suicidio", a pattern featuring contrasts in colors as well as dynamics. We worked especially hard on precise attacks, sweeping phrasing, diction, and mood changes in the aria. After that weekend, she worked with me on several other roles, whenever she could. Later I learned that the difference in her singing was immediately noticed in New York. When she was asked what accounted for her improvement, she attributed it to our weekend's work. Later, the Met management phoned to congratulate and thank me for what I had done. Recognition of this kind is a great lift for any teacher.
(Rosa Ponselle & James A. Drake - "PONSELLE, A SINGER'S LIFE", foreword by Luciano Pavarotti - Doubleday & Company, Inc. - Garden City, New York, 1982)
7. Il saggio uso della voce di petto, secondo il soprano Rosa Ponselle:
«Although there is some disagreement about the number and kinds of registers in the singing voice, I have always found it accurate, as I've said elsewhere here, to dissect the voice into "chest" and "head" compenents. In various segments of a voice's overall range, either the head or chest sound can be emphasized, for any number of reasons. But use of the chest voice should be somewhat cautious, especially as regards how high it is carried into the middle and upper parts of the range. Although it is often used to effect color contrasts and can be employed as a way of resting the voice in low passages that demand power, the chest voice should not be carried too high into the range, as it will eventually cause a break in the vocal "column" that cannot be disguised. (...) The temptation stems from wanting to enlarge the volume, or else change the coloration, of the lower middle voice. There are certain passages in a number of opera scores where this use of the chest voice can be especially tempting [for instance in "Carmen" and "Andrea Chénier"]. (...) As I think my recordings tend to show, my singing was free of problems with chest tones. If one isn't careful, these tones can become focused in the throat rather than the head. When that happens the column-like equalization of the voice can be lost. At first the loss can be momentary, but over a period of time real damage can be done. I was able to avoid these problems because I knew how to keep my chest tones focused in the head.»
Sebbene vi sia un certo disaccordo a proposito del numero e delle tipologie dei registri nella voce cantata, ho sempre trovato accurato, come ho detto altrove in questa sede, dividere la voce nelle componenti del "petto" e della "testa". In varie parti dell'estensione complessiva di una voce, è possibile enfatizzare il suono di testa o di petto, per moltissime ragioni. Ma l'utilizzo della voce di petto dovrebbe essere fatto in modo alquanto prudente, specialmente per quanto riguarda la scelta di quanto in alto venga portata la voce di petto nelle parti centrali ed acute dell'estensione. Sebbene sia spesso usata per creare contrasti di colore e possa essere impiegata come un mezzo per far riposare la voce nei passaggi gravi che richiedono robustezza, la voce di petto non dovrebbe essere portata troppo in alto nell'estensione, poiché causerà col tempo una rottura nella "colonna" vocale che non può essere mascherata. (...) La tentazione nasce dal voler aumentare il volume, oppure cambiare la colorazione, della voce medio-bassa. Ci sono alcuni passaggi in una serie di partiture d'opera in cui quest'uso della voce di petto può essere particolarmente allettante [per esempio in "Carmen" e "Andrea Chénier"]. (...) Come credo le mie registrazioni tendano a mostrare, il mio modo di cantare era privo di problemi quanto ai suoni di petto. Se non si sta attenti, questi suoni possono andarsi a focalizzare in gola piuttosto che in testa. Quando ciò accade, l'eguagliamento della voce simile a una colonna può venir meno. All'inizio tale danneggiamento può essere momentaneo, ma con il passare del tempo si può creare un danno reale. Io sono stata in grado di evitare questi problemi perché sapevo come mantenere i miei suoni di petto concentrati in testa.
(Rosa Ponselle & James A. Drake - "PONSELLE, A SINGER'S LIFE", foreword by Luciano Pavarotti - Doubleday & Company, Inc. - Garden City, New York, 1982)
8. L'IMPORTANZA DI NON "APRIRE" I SUONI CANTANDO LE NOTE ACUTE, NELLA TESTIMONIANZA DI ROSA PONZILLO (PONSELLE):
All I know is that from about age fourteen I had a fully rounded, opera-like dramatic voice. As far back as I can remember, I never had what I would call a "girl's voice"—the light, breathy-sounding, high-pitched voice we normally associate with young children. My singing voice was always big and round, and even as a teenager I could sing almost three octaves. I never recall the slightest trouble swelling or diminishing a tone anywhere in those octaves. But I wasn't a "perfect" singer—and this is where I learned a great deal from Nino Romani. Even though I was what you might call a "natural", I had a tendency to sing very high notes (say, the B natural, the high C, and the high D flat) incorrectly. Because I was essentially untrained (I had never had an actual voice lesson in my life), I tended to sing high tones a bit too brightly, not knowing how to "cover" them.[*] Nino, who had worked in Europe with Riccardo Stracciari and Titta Ruffo, and who understood voice thoroughly, devised a simple set of exercises that helped me "cover" my high tones. He would ask me to sing a note in the middle of my voice, and then would have me sing the nonsense-syllables "ma-me-mi-mo-mu" while I held the note. These vowel sounds, he explained, were the ones that helped "focus" the voice. Then he would have me sing phrases like "deh vieni", or maybe single words like "amore", in progressive tonal steps, ultimately taking me all over the scale. Nino, great teacher that he was, never made much of these exercises. Often I did them in the shower, sometimes on the golf course, or even while swimming at the beach. By the end of the summer of 1918, the top of my voice sounded exactly like the middle and bottom, and I was ready for the challenges of my first roles.
[*] The distinction between "covered" and "open tones" is predicated upon the complex physiology of the singing voice, and is one of those distinctions that are more easily heard than explained. One widely circulated reference book defines "covered tone" as follows: "The tone-quality produced when the singer's voice is pitched in the soft palate. It is gentler, more veiled in timbre, than [an] open tone." ("The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Opera", 1978 edition, page 88). Voice teachers often substitute the expression "singing in the mask" for the phrase "pitched in the soft palate", referring to the sensation of a tone's emanating from the area between the roof of the mouth and the cheekbones—an area likened to "wearing a mask" by many voice teachers. As to the exercises Ponselle describes as having learned from Romani, these varied slightly over the years, although she adhered to the same basic vocalises. In warming up, she would always proceed from what might be called a "head-tone hum"—a hummed tone because the "m" sound would help "place" the tone "in a point"—and would then proceed to an actual vowel form. Hence, the "ma-me-mi-mo-mu" beginning exercises. - J.A.D.
N.B. - LUCIANO PAVAROTTI REMEMBERS HIS ENCOUNTER WITH ROSA PONSELLE: As a boy in Italy, growing up in my hometown, Modena, I can hardly remember a time when the name Rosa Ponselle was unfamiliar to me. (...) One can imagine how I felt, having grown up admiring an artist whom I had known only from a series of prized phonograph records, meeting her in person—and not only meeting her, but actually "singing" with her! (...) It was at Villa Pace, her magnificent home in the Greenspring Valley near Baltimore, that I met and sang with her. My visit to her villa was the culmination of a telephone-and-letter friendship that had begun a few years earlier. (...) After much animated conversation and a splendid meal, we made our way into her expansive music room, where, before she sat down at the piano, she said to me apologetically, "Luciano, I'm not in form today. Every day when I get up in the morning I try out my 'pianissimo'. If it's there, I'm in top form, and I can do anything. Today, it isn't there, but we'll sing together anyway, in full voice." And sing we did! From fragments of arias and snippets of duets to the beloved Tosti songs so dear to us both, we let our voices mate in one long shimmering line of harmony. My only wish was that we could have been transported magically into a modern recording studio, so that the whole world could have shared this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
(Rosa Ponselle & James A. Drake - "PONSELLE, A SINGER'S LIFE", foreword by Luciano Pavarotti - Doubleday & Company, Inc. - Garden City, New York, 1982)
9. Consiglio di tecnica vocale, dato dal grande tenore Enrico Caruso al
celebre soprano Rosa Ponselle, sulla gola aperta negli acuti !!!
- "Rosa," I began, "where do we start on vocal technique?" "Keep a square throat (...) Caruso taught me that," Rosa said. "He kept a little stretch in the back of the throat to keep it open...open in the back and relaxed. It feels like a square, but only on the high notes. (...) The palate is high and the back of the tongue flat," Rosa said. "This is the square."
- "Rosa," iniziai, "da dove cominciamo con la tecnica vocale?" "Bisogna tenere una gola 'quadrata' (...) me lo insegnò Caruso," disse Rosa. "Egli teneva un piccolo spazio ampio nel retro della gola per mantenerla aperta...aperta nel retro e rilassata. È come la sensazione di un quadrato, ma solo negli acuti. (...) Il palato è alto e la parte posteriore della lingua distesa," disse Rosa. "Questo è il quadrato."
(tratto da una intervista al soprano Rosa Ponselle condotta dal basso Jerome Hines, riportata in: J.Hines - "Great Singers on Great Singing", Doubleday, 1982)
10. Il suono vocalico dal registro grave a quello acuto
- "I supposed," I ventured, "that what we're really talking about is what is commonly called an open throat. But you are basically applying this, you said, to high notes. How do you approach the concept of open throat in general?" "Keep the tone dark," Rosa stated positively. - "Her favorite vowel was OO," Igor [Chichagov, the accompanist in Rosa's studio for most of the years she had taught] said. "Her Latin voice tended to be too bright, so her only coach, Romano Romani, insisted on this school of Ruffo and Stracciari: use OO to keep a cover on the tone."
"I used MOO, in the lower register...pure MOO...then gradually to MAH," Rosa said, and it was evident that this was the Italian 'awe', not the brither 'ah' used in French, German, or Russian (...)" (...) "Always round," Rosa added. "And don't let the top get away from you with high 'tessitura'. It's a low, round sensation, the OO, and all vowels are based on it." (...) "Giving the square throat," she added. - "Early in her career," Igor said, "she was having a little problem with some high notes and not with others. She realized one of the good ones was on 'Mia mAdre'. That's the darker 'awe' vowel." "I started with 'm' and a relaxed throat," Rosa said. "When I was not in good voice, and could not get a good 'awe' from OO, I would work on it until I got it."
- "Now," I said, "how about the transition in the throat or jaw as you go up in range from low notes to high notes? Is there any change?" "In the middle register just talk, don't mouth words...don't make too big a spacing," she said. "But as you go up you need more spacing...mouth more open, jaw dropped, relaxed."
(tratto da una intervista al soprano Rosa Ponselle condotta dal basso
Jerome Hines, riportata in: J.Hines - "Great Singers on Great Singing",
Doubleday, 1982)
11. L'EMISSIONE DEI PIANISSIMI
"In pianissimo you almost feel as if you're pulling a thread through your nose...and don't let it ever stop." - I asked Rosa what sort of vocalizing she did during her career. She said she vocalized (...) when she felt like it. At first she tested her pianissimo and did a scale or two to see if the voice was there.
(tratto da una intervista al soprano Rosa Ponselle condotta dal basso
Jerome Hines, riportata in: J.Hines - "Great Singers on Great Singing",
Doubleday, 1982)
12. Rosa Ponselle sullo studio mentale:
"First of all," said Miss Ponselle, "I regard singing purely as a mental operation—that is, the 'art' of singing. For the girl who is a student of opera in the higher sense, mechanical exercises cannot well be advised, because vocal mechanics do not enter into singing as an 'art'. Too many students, I think, definitely fix their ambitions on opera, when they begin to study singing, before they find out whether or no they are fitted for it. When you begin to study singing, let your first thought be to learn how to sing. (...) There seems little advantage to the student in recommending this, that or the other set of 'vocalises' or exercises for study use. After all, if you get down to the gist of the matter, it is altogether a question of the proper use of the exercises selected; 'how' to study what you study and not 'what' you study. I spent less than a year preparing for opera, but when you ask me how I managed to accomplish so much in a time so comparatively short, the answer is simple. I was studious—working with my mind as well as with my throat—and I had had correct teaching from the 'very beginning', and therefore no faulty teaching to undo. One thing in which I am a great believer is the avoidance of vocal overexertion. During the opera or concert season I use daily vocal exercises to keep my voice flexible; but I practice them only a 'few minutes' each day (...) Even while I was preparing to sing in opera, I did not practice more than fifteen or twenty minutes a day; unless, of course, I was studying a new rôle. (...) I would not attempt to draw comparisons, as regards difficulty, between one and another operatic rôle of the dramatic soprano repertory. (...) My own experience is that 'all rôles require the same mental exertion in order to render the motif in its best light'!"
["Prima di tutto ", disse la signorina Ponselle," considero il canto puramente come un'operazione mentale—vale a dire, "l'arte" del canto. Per le ragazze che studiano opera lirica nel senso più alto, gli esercizi meccanici non possono essere consigliati, perché la meccanica vocale non entra nel canto come "arte". Troppi studenti, penso, fissano definitivamente le proprie ambizioni sull'opera lirica, quando iniziano a studiare canto, prima di scoprire se sono o meno adatti a questo compito. Quando iniziate a studiare canto, il vostro primo pensiero sia quello di imparare a cantare. (...) Non sembra di gran vantaggio allo studente il raccomandare questa, quella o quell'altra serie di 'vocalizzi' o esercizi ad uso di studio. Dopotutto, se si arriva all'essenza della questione, è tutta una questione di corretto uso degli esercizi selezionati; 'come' studiare ciò che si studia e non 'cosa' si studia. Io ho trascorso meno di un anno a prepararmi per l'opera lirica, ma quando mi chiedete come sono riuscita a realizzare così tanto in un tempo relativamente breve, la risposta è semplice. Ero studiosa, lavorando con la mente e con la gola, ed ho avuto un insegnamento corretto 'fin dall'inizio', e quindi nessun insegnamento difettoso da eliminare. Una cosa della quale sono una grande sostenitrice è quella di evitare l'iperaffaticamento vocale. Durante la stagione operistica o concertistica impiego degli esercizi vocali giornalieri per mantenere flessibile la mia voce; ma mi ci esercito solamente per "pochi minuti" al giorno (...) Anche quando mi stavo preparando per cantare in un'opera, non mi sono mai esercitata per più di quindici o venti minuti al giorno; a meno che, naturalmente, non stessi studiando un nuovo ruolo. (...) Non tenterei di fare paragoni, quanto a difficoltà, tra un ruolo operistico e l'altro del repertorio del soprano drammatico. (...) La mia esperienza personale è che "tutti i ruoli richiedono lo stesso sforzo mentale per rendere l'idea predominante nella sua luce migliore"!]
(da: "The Art of the Prima Donna and Concert Singer" by Frederick H. Martens - D. Appleton and Company, New York, 1923)
N.B. : ecco la grandissima considerazione che ebbe Giacomo Puccini per l'arte della Ponselle!
L'INCONTRO CON PUCCINI, LUGLIO 1924: It was in a similar room at the composer's villa at Torre del Lago, Nino reminded me, that a very young Enrico Caruso had been introduced to Puccini three decades before. After hearing this ebullient young Neapolitan sing several measures of "Che gelida manina", from "Bohème", Puccini had exclaimed, "Who sent you? God?" Once the usual greetings were exchanged, Puccini asked me to sing, offering to accompany me in anything of his I wished to perform. I chose the "Vissi d'arte" from "Tosca". Minutes later, as my voice throbbed with emotion at Floria Tosca's phrase, "Nell'ora del dolor perché, perché Signor, ah... perché me ne rimuneri così?" (In my hour of misery why, why, O Lord, why do you repay me like this?) Puccini let his hands lay still on the keys, saying nothing. In the moments that passed between the last echoes of the piano chords and the words he finally said to me, "CHE PECCATO... CHE PECCATO CHE NON HO SENTITO PRIMA QUESTA VOCE!" (What a pity that I never heard this voice before!) the words of that final phrase from "Vissi d'arte" must have haunted him. He was at the end of his life, dying by inches from cancer of the throat, having "lived for art and love" just as Floria Tosca had. During the course of the afternoon I sang "Vissi d'arte" several times for him, lingering on certain phrases more than others, trying this or that shading on various notes, all the while asking the great man which way he preferred the aria sung. He paid me a rich compliment when he said, "CARA, I prefer any way YOU interpret my music!" Later in the day, before we were served dinner, we posed with the Maestro for informal photos on his villa's tiled veranda. Edith took them with a Kodak I had bought for the trip. They were among the very last photographs ever taken of Puccini; three months later, a heart attack ended his misery. Several weeks after his funeral, I received a letter from Signora Puccini asking if she and her family might have prints of some of the snapshots. In return, she enclosed an unfinished manuscript bearing the Maestro's familiar notation. It was an art song, untitled as yet. At the top of the manuscript, in his unmistakable longhand, he had written, "DEDICO ALLA BELLISSIMA VOCE DI ROSA PONSELLE" (Dedicated to the beautiful voice of Rosa Ponselle).
(from: Rosa Ponselle & James A. Drake - "PONSELLE, A SINGER'S LIFE", foreword by Luciano Pavarotti - Doubleday & Company, Inc. - Garden City, New York, 1982)
--> cfr. il breve articolo 'La tecnica vocale spiegata da Rosa Ponselle' apparso sul numero 1 de "Il giornale del belcanto italiano":
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