D'Arona's Strong Points
We have received a letter inquiring with whom Mme. Florenza d’Arona studied, and asking to be informed through THE MUSICAL COURIER what her “strong points” are as a teacher.
We have procured the following information from Madama d’Arona herself and from her pupils. Madame d’Arona studied with Viardot-Garcia and Delle Sedie, of Paris, and with Francesco Lamperti; a few lessons also with Battista Lamperti (the son), and with Antonio Sangiovani, Milan, Italy.
Assiduous work with all of these teachers, covering a period of eleven years (part of which time she was also singing in grand opera) was bound to bear fruit; yet, at the present day Madame d’Arona has branched off into wider fields of knowledge, away from all and every teacher, and taken a course instigated by the rapid strides she is making in her art, which, if prophecy is true, will solve the vocal problem in a work she is now preparing for publication.
According to Mme. d’Arona pupils her “strong points” are first to awaken the ear to distinguish the difference in sounds, recognizing the difference between the sound waves that go freely into the resonators and those which are interfered with or impeded by muscles. In other words, the difference between the muscles acting upon the sound waves and the sound waves acting on the muscles. Her theory is, we can never emit a tone we have never heard, and we can never give it its freedom and full beauty if we have never analyzed it.
Then we must dissect it and scientifically discard its obstructions (impurities), and learn that nature has built the vocal instrument and its resonant chambers, and that they are perfect, ready, waiting for the educated mind to permit the tenant to enter them and follow in and out with perfect freedom. Next comes the seasoning of the tone (giving it all the qualities possible, according to its position in the range). A pupil learns to know the sound of the different resonators, and when and why there is too much of this, or too little of that, for the beauty of special expression a certain tone calls for. This is detected by the ear while listening to another, but is heard, felt and realized by the pupil who is singing up to the point. Mme. d’Arona calls her work mosaic work. Every little square has it now place and color in the great whole, but when put together the colors of these little squares are blended and beautified, so that their divisions are completely obliterated and we have the painting.
We next come to the subjects to be painted (repertory). If the box of paints (tones) consists of the lighter shades (soprano legieros), taste and temperament must be taught to conform to the classification of the voice, and as such voices must never lose some, or all, of their beauty. If attempting a repertory abounding in broad form and deep, rich colors, Mme. d’Arona instills a love for the music which the composer has written, especially for that particular classification of voice, in defiance of popular taste or opinion. When the poor unfortunate happens to have “voce di coloratura,” that voice which nature gave her, Mme. d’Arona trains it to its highest perfection, upon as strict, legitimate lines as any other voice, and assigns her to her roles in Italian opera, with the caution never to be tempted to enter broader fields on the penalty of becoming a total wreck or a second-rate singer. In the time of Rossini, a voce that not have coloratura (which is not to be confounded with coloratura voices) was not considered an artist.
This is shown in the flexibility required for the tenors and bassos in “Semiramide” and “Le Barbiere di Seviglia,” &c. To hear present day artists sing those roles is simply torture—a simple athletic muscle exhibition. Tones once realized as separate from the body, as playing through the body and not with the body, never need exercising through scores of vocalizes. They are free, and go where and as desired by the mind, hence every voice should possess coloratura, but only those voices which are naturally (consequently essentially) coloratura voices should show the vitiated taste of singing a repertory totally inadequate to their possibilities.
The “mezzo carattere” has operas written for it. “Faust,” for instance, demanding the lyric voice for the first two acts and the dramatic in the last. A soprano legiero would excel in the first two acts and be totally inadequate for the last; a dramatic voice vice versa; therefor the character of a voice must determine in the repertory. When the dramatic voice develops in Madam d’Arona’s studio the great masters are brought forth, and to hear Madam d’Arona’s interpretation of Wagner is something no pupil can forget. It is so broad, so vast, so noble, so ideal, that it requires a great grand nature to do it justice; a requisite, those who have the voice and the talent, are often lacking in.
Madam d’Arona’s versatility in comprehending a composer’s chief charm is imply marvelous, but when she takes up a score of Wagner you see that her very heart and soul rush out to meet that of the great master’s. She worships Wagner, but never permits that adoration to blind her to the virtues of other composers, and insists upon truthful renditions of all classes and styles of music, no matter how trivial. Her motto is, truth needs no defense. Teaching the carrying properties of tone to fit different size and style of buildings for professionals is one of Madam d’Arona’s many original specialties. One who is taught to sing for a parlor, says Madam d’Arona, is engulfed in a building. Those accustomed to fill tremendous buildings find it extremely difficult to sing acceptably in a drawing room and were it not for fame the amateur with the sweet parlor voice would supersede the artist.
Degrees and kinds of resonance should not be a matter of necessity, but of preference. Quality should depend upon circumstances, not habit, and purity (not the simple tone) should constitute the whole voice.
“D’Arona,” The Musical Courier, December 1, 1897, 43.
The misspellings?
Leggiero, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, etc. I’ve left them alone. Why mess with that? It’s part of the milieu of the Musical Courier, which was published on Wednesday and Saturday and stuffed with all things musical. This article reads as more than an advertisement: you actually obtain something from the teaching of D’Arona. The book she was in the process of writing? It does not seem to have been written; or if it was, was only given to students. Another article says as much. Pity that!
The part I find most curious?
Tones once realized as separate from the body, as playing through the body and not with the body, never need exercising through scores of vocalizes.
This is real vocal freedom. D’Arona is referring to something I tell students: when the vowel/tone seems to come from outside you, is wrapped around your head, or drops into your head—then you can sing. I believe this phenomenon has everything to do with the audition of bone conduction, having had multiple bone conduction listening tests; and in every case perceived tones as being outside and inside my head.
I also like the “awakening the ear” part, which will be happening next Saturday during the Awakened Ear Workshop.
Last word. The NATS Journal of Singing recently printed an article on D’Arona that was published here in 2014. Isn’t that interesting?
