“As we have just seen--and what we have seen proves it--the
inferior ligaments at the bottom of the larynx form exclusively
the voice, whatever may be its register or its intensity; for
they alone vibrate at the bottom of the larynx.... By the
compressions and expansions of the air, or the successive
and regular explosions which it produces in passing through
the glottis, sound is produced.” (The London, Edinburgh and
Dublin Phil. Mag. and Journal of Science, vol. x. 4th Series,
pp. 218-221, 1855.)
* * * * *
Garcia proceeds, in the same paper, to give an elaborate account
of his theory of the compression, expansion and explosion of
the air in expiration, together with his conjectures as to the
action of the muscles of the larynx in relation to the different
registers. I omit both here, for, since this publication of
Garcia's, the movements of the breath generating sound in
expiration have been thoroughly investigated and determined by
Prof. Helmholtz; and in the physical section of the present work
all may be found that is of value in the culture of the singing
voice. Whatever can be definitely communicated in regard to the
working of the muscles of the larynx may likewise be found in
any anatomical work. An acquaintance, however, with the action
of these muscles is not directly necessary to our purpose, and
is of interest only to the physiologist.
It is not to be denied that Garcia's observations do not, by
any means, lead to satisfactory conclusions as to the functions
of the vocal organ. He has, as we shall see in the sequel,
attached special importance to much that is unessential and
abnormal, and the main facts, the elucidation of which is
particularly needed, he has scarcely mentioned. Thus he tells
us nothing of that series of tones which he calls the head
register. The transition also of the registers he has not
carefully examined and observed in different voices: the chest
register in the male and the falsetto of the female voice.
Nevertheless, these investigations possess much that is valuable,
and are of special value to the art of singing, because they teach
a method hitherto unknown of observing the larynx, by which sure
and satisfactory results are reached. And when an acquaintance
with these results comes to be universally diffused, and the art
of singing is thereby led into the right direction, we shall owe
it most especially to the excellent experimental observations of
Garcia.
Garcia has accepted the division made by Müller, and universally
adopted in science, of the chest, falsetto and head registers.
I employ the same distinctions--a fact which it seems worth
while to mention, simply because every teacher and school have
their own terminology, and instead of falsetto we have _fistel_,
_throat_, and _middle_ or _neck_ voice, &c. These denominations
of the same registers have thus far only increased the obscurity
prevailing in the art of singing.