To be a singer it is not enough to have a voice; one must have the most vast musical knowledge.—Garcia.
Too much strength can not be placed upon the fact that Garcia, though a grand genius, worked tremendously to arrive at power. He studied to be composer, chef d’orchestre, comedian, musician, and musical historian in order that he could sing. This after he had accomplished the technics by long and systematic drill. He studied violin and composition at the same time, and had his compositions sung and played, all as study.
As musician, he was informed in all the known forms of melody, instrumental and vocal. He considered nothing musical unuseful. He devoted his life solely to music, as though there were no other life but music. All his reflections fell into musical form. In promenade, at table, in bed, during an instant of leisure—anywhere and under no matter what conditions he occupied himself with music in one way or another. He wrote over forty operas.
Everybody can not be a Garcia, try ever so hard; but many musicians could be much more strong than they are could they emulate him a little in the way of intellect and will. There is not sufficient distinction made between a merely artistic temperament and the material of a great artist.
It seems that it was in Italy that Garcia had his first revelation in singing as a medium of dramatic expression. The intensely poetic spirit of the country, the melodic atmosphere, and the peculiar effect of the musical singing in the streets stirred his ardent imagination and made him seek and finish “the grand methods.” He might have felt all this and more, however, and all of it have fallen at his feet, but for the rare qualities of analysis, order, energy, and will which led to the classification of causes, the passionate search for effects, the studious, concentrated habit which crystallized all this emotion and made of it a legacy to posterity.—”Musical Courier.”
A singer should not expect her teacher to instruct her in the elements of music. He is not there for that purpose. One thing she should do, if she has confidence in him, she should obey him.
A woman is too apt to treat a teacher as a physician. She is a long time making up her mind whom to consult; she takes the advice of many friends afflicted with vocal maladies which have been cured or confirmed. She finally chooses a teacher; she listens to his theory or theories with open mouth and ears; she is enthusiastic for a time, and proclaims his merits from the housetops; at the end of a month she thinks that she has mastered his method. Then she leaves him and goes to another, again in search of a golden method and a certain cure. Meanwhile the teacher is blamed, and he is lucky if he escapes the reproach of the charlatan.
