Medical science in relation to the voice as a musical instrument / by Lennox Browne.

  • Browne, Lennox, 1841-1902.
Date:
1876
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Medical science in relation to the voice as a musical instrument / by Lennox Browne. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    tion and modulation of the emitted sounds. According to the musician, it is the faculty of producing by means of the voice all the notes of the different musical scales. Beethoven frequently treated the voice as a musical in- strument, irrespective of the expression of words. This is exemplified in his Choral Symphony and Fantasia. Some singers iinconsciously treat the voice in the same way by entirely neglecting or by slurring the articulation of their words ; but in general acceptation singing implies expression of words uttered on the various musical notes. It may be said that the power of the artist is exhibited in proportion as the hearer is struck with the force and beauty of these words musically pronounced by a singer. I may say in passing that I am fully aware that the foregoing, like all arbitrary definitions, falls far short of indi- cating either the likenesses qr differences between speech and song. Musical intonation is as necessary to the former as the latter, so much so that, as Professor Hullah well puts it in his admirable lectures on the Spealcing Voice, ‘ that which is effec- tively and agreeably said must be (partially) sung.’ We all know this by experience when we say that such or such an orator has a musical voice. Signor Salvini is a striking example of a man whose voice may be almost said to sing to his hearers, so beautifully true and flexible is it. Italian recitative is not much more than impassioned perfect speaking. For the complete development of the power of conveying Avords and sentiments in song many qualifications are necessary, Avith only some of which can we now deal. It is only with voice production that we are now concerned, and it is our object to consider how these various musical notes forming the voice may be so produced as to allow the singer to retain to himself the power to express on them any emotion he may will. For the right understanding of this matter we must look at the formation of the parts concerned, and endeavour to find for each part its proper function. In other words, we must know something of the anatomy and physiology of the vocal organs. The vocal apparatus may be conveniently divided into five parts. They are generally dmded into only four :— 1. The lungs or bellows. 2. The trachea or windpipe, carrying air to— 3. The larynx or voice-box, in which are situated the vocal cords or reeds. 4. The variable cavity, being that portion above the voice- box to the soft palate called the pharynx, as well as the nasal passages, the latter common to some extent also to— 5. The articulating cavity, compi'ising that portion from the soft palate to the lips, whence the sound is emitted. [Short anatomical description of the various parts omitted. The reader may be referred for such information to Professor Huxley’s or any other Manual of Physiology.] Voice is produced by vibration of the vocal cords caused by the passage of air driven from the lungs. The fii’st desideratum,