ENUNCIATION
After the fundamental problems of breathing, tone production and so
forth have been dealt with, there is nothing to which the student should
pay greater attention than the question of diction, or right
enunciation. Yet I am afraid it is rare to find that this view of the
matter is acted upon. On the contrary, this question of diction appears
to be one of the last to which most singers are disposed to give any
serious attention.
Hence the unintelligible sounds which are so often heard proceeding from
vocalists, alike in the concert room and on the stage, so that one
sometimes can scarcely tell even in what language they are supposed to
be singing.
This is, of course, a deplorable state of affairs, but yet one so well
established that in nine cases out of ten it is hardly thought worthy of
remark by the average hearer. It is taken as a matter of course, in
other words, that only a word or two, here and there, of those sung
shall be understood by the audience, and one may listen attentively to
an entire opera without having more than a vague idea at the end as to
what it was all about.
Yet in the case of certain singers one may understand without difficulty
practically every word they sing, the fact being thereby demonstrated
that there is not the slightest real necessity for the incredibly
slovenly and defective enunciation which is permitted with such
surprising and lamentable tolerance by the public at large.
So far as opera is concerned, I think that the blame rests largely with
the managers. If they would adopt the practice of deputing some
trustworthy representative at every rehearsal to sit in the topmost
gallery and relentlessly pull up every singer whose words could not be
clearly understood, the difficulty, I am convinced, would speedily
disappear. And operatic directors, I am sure, would find it greatly to
their advantage to adopt this course if only on account of the greater
popularity which opera would enjoy if it could always be followed, as it
should be, as easily as a spoken play.
I believe that in England especially, where opera in the native language
is, as I am delighted to see, making such steady headway, its acceptance
by the general public is hindered more on this account than by any other
reason. Yet there is not the slightest necessity for the presentation of
the drama, which is sung instead of being spoken, to be hampered and
handicapped in this grievous fashion, and it only needs more vigorous
action on the part of the directing powers, I am persuaded, to remedy
matters.
So long, however, as singers are left to themselves in this respect, the
difficulty will always remain, since their inevitable tendency is to
sacrifice diction to tone quality--in other words, to achieve the best
effects in the purely vocal sense and let the words look after
themselves.
And this brings us at once to the root of the diction problem, namely,
the undoubted difficulty which presents itself at times in reconciling
the claims of good tone and clear enunciation. When a pupil is studying
he practises upon the easiest vowel sounds and syllables which can be
selected; and many singers, I am afraid, would like nothing better than
to be allowed to continue singing upon these agreeable and grateful
vocables to the end of their day.
Unfortunately, however, this is not quite possible, and so too many try
to get over the difficulty by singing the words not in the way in which
they should be pronounced, but in the manner most convenient to
themselves. It is hardly necessary to say that this is all wrong and
most inartistic, besides being quite unnecessary.
It may be said that it is easy for an Italian to speak thus, and it must
certainly be agreed that we Italians are greatly favoured in having the
most vocal and melodious of all languages to sing. With our open vowels
we may be considered, indeed, to have every advantage in this respect,
just as the Germans with their multiplicity of harsh and difficult and,
to Italian ears, almost impossible consonants, have every disadvantage.
Yet the principle remains unaffected that every singer, in whatever
language, who wishes to be considered a master of his art must contrive
to reconcile the claims of good tone with those of accurate and
intelligible diction, and the student cannot pay too much attention to
this matter from the very moment that he begins to clothe his tones in
words.
“Sing as you speak,” is a saying which I have heard ascribed to that
great master, Jean de Reszke, and though the advice cannot, perhaps, be
taken quite literally, it certainly indicates the ideal to be kept in
view. It is not feasible to obey the injunction quite literally because
it is almost physically impossible to sing certain sounds on certain
notes. On this account many teachers--Lamperti himself was one of
them--sanction the deliberate modification of the proper vowel sounds
or, preferably, the substitution of a more convenient word. But the
object should certainly be to keep as near as may be practicable to the
correct, natural pronunciation, whereas some seem to make it their aim
almost to depart from this as far as possible.
One of the worst examples of execrable enunciation was given by one
singer when giving an otherwise creditable rendering of Maude Valerie
White’s “Devout Lover.” The words intended were “Burn at her altar,”
which were given “Burnateralter.”
Some English singers have the habit of putting a vowel after a
consonant, as in the word “Good-bye,” which becomes “Goodabye” and which
is absurd.
Baritones often have a habit of emphasising wrong words, of which one of
the best examples is “Trumpeter, what _are_ you sounding now?” Another
absurdity.
One could multiply these examples indefinitely.