057 



VOICE. 



VOICE. 



These song-notes closely approximate to those speech-notes in which 

 the movement of the voice is retarded at the upper part of its ascent ; 

 and the approximation is the nearer in proportion to the greater 

 retardation. 



Sometimes the song-note is preceded by a rapidly descending 

 slide, which may be of the interval of a tone, as in the subjoined 

 diagram : 



The slide is however frequently heard of greater intervals, especially 

 in the musical expression of high excitement of feeling, as in the sub- 

 joined diagram : 



"M c ^J r ^TT^ 



In song a rapid slide is occasionally heard after the song-note. 

 The slide may either rise or fall in pitch, and it may be of a tone or 

 of a higher interval. The subjoined diagram is a notation of such 

 notes, with a tone, 3rd, 5th, and 8ve, respectively, ascending and 

 descending : 





=bJ=_pKf 



Ascending. 



Descending. 



The after-note of song (Sachtchlafi of the Germans) being always on 

 the weak part of the measure, the slur from its principal to it produces 

 a slide as above noted. These however are rarely heard. 



A slur in song binds two or more notes into one continuous sound 

 by a rapid slide of the voice, and thus approximates to a speech-note. 

 In the following illustration taken from Callcott's ' Grammar of Music,' 

 p. 83, the effect of the first slur is similar to a circumflex speech-note, 

 of equal intervals and inverted flexure ; and the second slur is in effect 

 similar to an unequal inverted circumflex : 



" Our limpid streams." 



Joshua. 



The preceding illustrations are given with a view of indicating, and 

 not of exhausting, the subject. 



Of Rfcilatire. The notes of song, of speech, and the mixed notes 

 above described, are all to be heard in recitative. The speech and the 

 mixed notes predominate over the pure notes of song. 



Of Chant. In chant also are to be heard the notes of song, speech, 

 and the mixed. The rapid part of the chant consists of speech-notes, 

 and the concluding syllables of the olausular divisions are sung on song 

 and mixed notes. 



Of the kindt of Melody in Song, Speech, Recitatire, and Chant. 



Song. A. succession of single sounds forms a melody or tune. 

 [Music.] A melody is said to proceed by degrees when its successive 

 notes are in proximate degrees of the scale ; and a melody proceeds by 

 skips when it omits or leaps over one or more degrees of the scale. In 

 general, degrees and skips are intermixed, as in the melody of the 

 Easter Hymn, taken from Callcott's ' Grammar :' 



b 



" Jesus Christ is risen to-day." 



In the incantation scene of the opera of ' Der Freischutz,' Weber has 

 produced an effective melody, consisting of a repetition of the same 

 sound. For the rhythmical arrangement of the sounds in song, see 

 Music, RHYTHM, and PROSODY. 



Speech. In speech, as in song, a succession of single sounds con- 

 stitutes a melody. A speech-melody formed of speech-notes may 

 proceed in all the varieties above described of song. [ELOCUTION.] 

 In vocal music the rhythmus of the language bends to that of the 

 music. It is musical rhythmus. In speech-melodies however the 

 rhythmus is that of the language. 



Recitative. Recitative melodies also proceed in all the varieties of 



long. In accompanied recitative, although the musical rhythmus takes 



the lead, yet the singer has much latitude, and in a great degree con- 



lie miiHical rhythmus. In unaccompanied recitative the musical 



ARTS AMD SCL D1V. VOL. VIII. 



rhythmus entirely yields to the singer's ideas of what is appropriate to 

 the required expression. 



Chant. Chant melodies also proceed in all the varieties of song. 

 The ordinary melody however consists of a rapid iteration of the same 

 note through a clause to the concluding four or five syllables, which 

 are set in an appropriate succession. The following notation from the 

 Litany, as arranged by the Rev. P. Penson, of Durham Cathedral, is 

 quoted from the Leeds Church-Service, edited by Mr. Hill, the choir- 

 master : 



==m 



Remember not. Lord, our ofienrrs, nor the 

 offence* of our fore fat her*, neither take tlioii 

 lenKeance of our >in; niare u*. icood Lord, 

 pare thy people, whom iht.i hast redeemed 

 with I by moat precious )>lood, and be iiot n<ry 



with us for e - vcr. 



The first note, sol, a, is rapidly reiterated on each syllable to the last 

 five. The rhythmus is left to the taste and feeling of the chanter. In 

 both recitative and chant the words are more distinctly uttered than 

 in song. This arises from the structure of the notes, which are chiefly 

 either speech-notes or those song-notes which approximate to them, in 

 both of which distinct utterance is infinitely easier than in the notes 

 of song. 



Of the Voice at a Natural Language of the Emotions. The voice, 

 whether it be or be not united with verbal language, is expressive of 

 the feelings. The voice is the language of the feelings, by which they 

 manifest themselves to the ear without previous teaching ; and when 

 heard, are recognised and felt without teaching. The scream of terror, 

 the shout of joy, the laugh of satisfaction, the laugh of sarcasm, the 

 laugh of ridicule, are made by man and understood by his fellow-man, 

 wherever the one may be born and whatever may be the speech of the 

 other. The voice is a natural, a universal language. Each mental 

 attribute has its voice, which is in relation to that attribute ; and 

 whether that attribute form part of the mind of man or brute, it 

 instantly recognises the voice. The piercing cry of pain, the affright- 

 ing scream of terror, the voice of joy, are common to all, and recog- 

 nised by all. The voices of the feelings, so far as pitch, duration, and 

 loudness are concerned, are capable of notation. Dr. Colombat has 

 attempted the notation of cries arising from various pains : and Dr. 

 Burney has noted the song of several birds. The changes of pitch pre- 

 sent the most remarkable changes in the voice ; and on these mainly 

 depend the voices of the feelings. The mind adopts changes of pitch 

 to express its condition, and the interval of music is but a means of 

 measuring, and thence imitating, that expression. A higher intensity 

 of feeling increases the interval. Composers know this fact, and avail 

 themselves of it in dramatic music. The pages of Handel, Mozart, 

 Beethoven, Weber, and Rossini are full of illustrations of it. The 

 " Messiah," the greatest of all musical compositions, abounds with 

 degrees of intensity of the same feeling. 



On the Improvement and Preterration of the Vuice, In the im- 

 provement of the song- voice the great objects to accomplish are, 1. To 

 improve its quality in clearness and resonance. 2. To make every note 

 in its compass equally pure. 3. To extend its compass both above and 

 below. 4. To obtain power to produce a prolonged note on each 

 degree of its compass. The accurate intonation of the scales is pre- 

 supposed, for without that all training is musically useless. To effect 

 these objects, various systems of discipline are proposed, but none 

 would be successful without the governing ear and voice of a master. 

 The work, however, of Signor Crivelli stands in the foremost rank. 



For the preservation of the song-voice the two great principles are, 

 1. To be temperate in all things, as eating, drinking, &c. ; and, 2. Daily 

 practice in the scales of music. 



In the improvement of the speech-voice, the first great requisite is 

 so to produce voice that it may not be injurious either to the general 

 health or to the throat in particular. 2. To improve its quality in 

 clearness and resonance throughout its compass. 3. To extend its 

 compass both above and below. 4. To produce a prolonged speech 

 note on each degree of its compass. These have seldom been systema- 

 tically attempted, and not only have many orators been limited in 

 their success by the defects of their voices, but many have been 

 obliged to discontinue their avocations, especially the clergy, either 

 from the injury to the throat or to the general health which public 

 speaking produced. The primary object of elocutionary science, like 

 that of physical, is to produce the greatest possible effect with the least 

 expenditure of power; but. as in song-training, no system can be 

 successful without the governing ear and voice of a master. The work 

 entitled ' Cull on Public Reading ' contains an outline of speech-voice 

 training which has been eminently successful. 



For the preservation of the speech-voice, as for the song-voice, 

 temperance in all things is required ; also daily practice iu the several 

 forms of speech-note. By this means public speaking may become 

 a pleasurable and healthful exercise. 



The ancient orators were accustomed to exercise their voices daily 

 in preparatory declamations, and to ascend and descend through the 

 compass of their voices by repeating about 500 lines of verse from 

 memory. The ancients adopted various medicaments and diets as 

 beneficial to the voice, and ce-tain nostrums are recommended at the 

 present day ; but let the orator depend more on a proper exercise of 



TJ U 



