Tecla Vigna's Daily Exercises
The concert was unique and singular, inasmuch as it presented the whole professional strength of the college and a musical entertainment of the kind had never before been given by that institution. It was at the same time an occasion of introducing professionally to the community Signorina Tecla Vigna—the new teacher of singing lately arrived from Italy.
In making her debut before a Cincinnati audience, the Signorina altogether left a favorable impression. In appearance, she is not altogether prepossessing, and she has rather angular features, though she is by no means devoid of a graceful stage decorum. Her voice can only be characterized as strikingly peculiar. Its range is phenomenal, with an emphasis extending from the Low F to the high C, but in the higher register, her voice is less reliable and lacks strength. As soon as it touches the contralto range, it acquires strength and broad volume, which increases and deepens as she descends the scale. Here it is possessed of wonderful power, and it might well be taken for a fresh round toned baritone, so masculine is its effect. For this reason, it loses much of its charm and becomes in a manner disagreeable. Its tones, no matter how deep, are always clear-cut, but by their very sonorousness and excessive strength, they produce a coarse and unpleasant sensation.
Her method is characteristically Italian. and one of its features is that unpleasant vibrato, which sometimes almost increases to a kind of continuous trill, often found in singers of reputation, yet always a pronounced blemish, ungrateful to the ear. In the recitative and aria by Semiradmide, as well as the evening prayer by Gounod, this defect was less remarkable.
As to the cultivation of her voice, it bears all the evidences of a very successful training. She overcomes technical difficulties with ease, her portamento is good, especially on account of the ease with which she takes the lower notes, and her general delivery is even and well-sustained.
It must be admitted that she had too much to sing, and that, as she accomplished it all without showing any signs of weariness in her voice, the latter is possessed of considerable power of endurance. She gave proof of the versatility by presenting selections from the old Italian school, from the German school, and the French school, besides singing that difficult recitative and aria from Semiramide; “ah, quel Girono.” In the latter, her phrasing was beautifully done, and the fioritura was a credible piece of technical work. Her voice has undoubtedly been cultivated to a highly sympathetic management, and both her conception and delivery she is an artist.
“The Faculty Concert at the College of Music—Signorina Tecla Vigna,” Cincinnati Daily Gazette, December 14, 1882.
In America, however, it is voice, voice, voice.
Since the year 1882 an admirably educated Italian lady, Miss Tecla Vigna, has been a prominent member of the vocal faculty of the college (Cincinnati College of Music). Miss Vigna came to America after several seasons of pronounced success in her native land, with the glow of early enthusiasm sill unabated, and not, as many come, in those years when lessening powers are beginning to fade and ambitions ardor to fall into lassitude and ennui. From the first her many musical gifts and her magnetic personality created a strong impression upon her students.
Her Italian career, was, in brief, as follows: She was born in Piedmont, coming of a musical family. At the Milain conservatory she received two silver prizes, one for pianoforte playing, which she studied under Sangalli, the other for singing, which she perfected under Leoni. She made her debut in Brescia the same season in which Scalchi made her first appearance in Italy. Miss Vigna’s first important role was that of La Cieca in “La Gioconda” of Ponchielli. The role she had the distinguished honor of creating to the Florentine public under the directorship of Faccio, with the celebrated company from La Scala in Milan. She was reengaged to sing “La Favorita” in Florence. With Madam Wild at Trieste she sang in the opera “Il Trovatore,” this being her last Italian appearance; and in one important season in the city of Rome with an American lady, Madam Urban.
In America, however, it is voice, voice, voice. A wretched stumbling amateur who cannot make three tones alike in any part of the scale or in any required phrase, but is by nature luckily endowed with a voice of delicious sweetness, and having the pathetic thrill in it which the French so admire and call “the tear” in the voice—any such amateur can charm the generality, although the critic may grieve much at the evident and all-pervading crudities.
Miss Vigna’s success as a teacher has been something phenomenal. In addition to an accurate knowledge, and extensive acquaintance with music and a practical acquaintance with the stage—for she sang in public three years in Italy—she has a still more important gift for a teacher, namely, strong personal charms, awakening the most enthusiastic devotion, both personal and musical, among her pupils.
There is at present in Cincinnati a new and flourishing organization, called the Euterpe Society—a chorus of about fifty voices which is composed almost entirely of her pupils. It was organized this year, and has been one of the prominent features of the season. Some of her eminent pupils are the following: Mr.s Jessie Bowren-Caldwell, Miss Emilia Groll, who is on the stage with the name of Rita Elandi, Miss Ada Fieldeldey, stage name Glasca, Miss Ranchfuss, stage name Mantell, Miss Lottie Adam, of Indianapolis, and Mres. Rimanoczy, of Cincinnati.
“Signora Tecla Vigna,” Music, a Monthly Magazine, 1892, p 88-89.
Tecla Vigna a Producer of Artists
Tecla Vigna a Producer of Artists Tecla Vigna, of Cincinnati, Ohio, the distinguished teacher, voice builder and coach, holds a unique position in the musical world. At one time she was accompanist to the great Francesco Lamperti at the Conservatorio at Milan. Mme. Vigna holds so wonderful a fund of knowledge and experience that even the most skeptical place themselves under her care with confidence. Her suggestions on tone placement, tone production and interpretation carry with them a note of authority. Her intuition is remarkable. She adapts to each of her pupils such readings of the music as are warranted by the traditions of the great singers and are best adapted to their own powers. Mme. Vigna's pupils are numerous and well known. She attracts to her pupils from all parts of the country and maintains this honor by turning out singers so well equipped that the highest places in the field of artistic singing are open to them.
—”Tecla Vigna a Producer of Artists,” Musical Courier, January 16, 1916, p 28.
Tecla Vigna: contralto and accompanist in Francesco Lamperti’s Studio Creates Artists
The title sums up Madam Vigna succinctly. Whether she studied with Lamperti I have not been able to confirm. She did, however, play in his studio. The second article on this page notes she studied voice with Leoni at the Milan Conservatory.
I found Madam Vigna a few weeks ago, and after learning that she had a book, went and saw it at the New York Public Library at 42nd Street (what I call the MotherShip: It’s a thrill to be in the Main Reading Room and research. Follow me on Instagram and you’ll see for yourself). Presto Chango: it is now on the Member’s download page which currently has over 200 texts. The most curious thing about Vigna’s exercise book aside from the exercises themselves?
The instructions on the breath in the front piece.
Enjoy!
