Show MASCAGNIS METHODS How the Great Italian Teaches His Vocal Pupils A pupil of Muscagnl has been good enough to tell something of his methods In voice work Mascagul Is better known l as a composer and lender of orchestras than as a vocal teacher but like ninny other geniuses he cxcclta at several things Monsieur V B deLocrv lately of San Francisco and who baa opened < a studio here studied with Maaeagnl whilo the latter was In America and hi tells the following about Mascagnls methods Slug naturally says Mascagnl to his pupils never force assmno an easy and dimilllcd position let the column of air b < directed against the roof of the mouth and feel no rontracUmr of mho throat Tin singer Intuit hlJ free and via throat remain In a natural position and l by all nioniiH the larynx must not be lowered When the high notes arc sung the bond must not be lowered as Is often thin case for female fe-male voices and the breathing must be what Is termed diaphragmatic I3icnthtng Is vhat may be termed he footsteps of the voice nndIt Is Just as I absurd for pupils > to sing ongs without having mastered breathing us it would I bo to teach a oneyearold child to dance before bo knows bow to walk Mascatjiil says that every jour hundreds of American Ameri-can students apply to him for study but Invariably he refuses then saying that they had butler go home nod master tho ruxllmciils of music and lien come to him He sass that no European lonelier who has respect for himself will allow any of his pupils to attempt an opera nor even a difficult song before three years study yet every year We sue scores of pupils returning from IGurope having sung In opera there In Paris Milan Lou don and Berlin Another thing that Mascagnl Insists upon is the radIcitlonof all sickly sen tIin < > ntuHlvv Sine an aria pnserving lU 1 character and movement pay attention to the accords on the beats of the measure be careful with the rubato the crescendo must bo gradual and nol sudden a pianissimo pianis-simo means that the voice must be soft but not Inaudible the chest must not bu raised In breathing and special curt must be taken of the arms ua during the process pro-cess of inhaling they ought to be kept close to the body In a natural position In fuel I to make matters abort oa Mas cagnl nays All the effort ought to come from the diaphragm and thc column of air ought to bo allowed to poss freely through the larynx without any pressure bearing or contraction fiom ho neighboring muscles mus-cles and thus a singer can acquire tin ease and facility required for nn artistic career I |