Show Grand Opera Star Writes Series Series' A Secrets of Successful Singing Outlined When Words Are IndIstinct Indistinct Indistinct Indis Indis- Song Is Only a Melody Singer Observes EDITORS EDITOR'S NOTE This is the first frt of a series of articles written for fop The Telegram and NEA Service by Rosa Ponselle dramatic soprano of the Metropolitan Opera Company New York These articles will ap appear ap appeal appear pear peal each week on this page By ROSA PONSELLE Even if It you ou have a lovely Iy vOi voice you may feel that your songs do donot donot donot not not receive the right appreciation People with voices voices voices' not nearly as asgood asgood asgood good as yours ours are more enthusIastically enthusiastically cally received Then a a. little self self- questioning is due as to why your songs to use a professional term i do not go across better belter Your Tour trouble may come from several everal sources First Firt of ot all all enunciation elation of ot the words word you sing may not be clear second those words wards may not be sung with expression I third you may not put pat emphasis on words where it properly be be- longs All these things or any anyone one of ot them will keep your our listeners f from om fully enjo enjoying a a. song because they do not know what it is all about The Tho first named of these troubles trou trou- bles bios Indistinct enunciation can be overcome if it you recite slowly i the words you are to sin sing uttering uttering uttering utter utter- i ing every everyone one of ot them distinctly and being always careful to pronounce pronounce pronounce pro pro- the final syllables I IA A common fault with many i singers is that they drop tIme tIle voice final syllables to speak I on or or so swallow th them m. m This fault leaves many words to be guessed be-guessed guessed by the listener Again a singer may be so bus busy trying to give lovely tones that the I pronunciation of ot the words is sacrificed sacrificed sac sac- I to it it consequently the song 1 is nothing but a melody and I might as well be played on a violin violin vio yb- I lin as far as words are concerned As we all know certain letters are hard to give distinctly on certain tones but by taking them as a separate study they can be conquered conquered conquered con con- and th the t tone ne still remain beautiful As to the matter of singing the n Popular Soprano I I F jj IS p r I ROSA PONSELLE words with expression Take Tale the case ease of or two people telling the thes s me anecdote one will catch general general gen gen- era eral attention while the the theother other will fall flat lat flat Jn In n singing a song it Is exa exactly the same To arouse in interest in- in terest teres the words of ot a a. song must be alive with meaning y You u would not say c carelessly y I love you You would woul say it as if you meant it As to to giving important Impo words emphasis in In Ina a s sentence words which must be be emphasized to bring out the full Cull meaning t take ke that same sentence I r love you The two words demanding special emphasis are LOVE and YOU They would lose their entire value If sung for instance this way I lOr ILOVE 1 LOVE you Every sentence should be studied by br the singer to put emphasis emphasis em- em where it belongs |