Caio wrote:
>Has anyone read or does anyone know anything about anybody...ops...about
>Herbert-Caesari? According to what I heard he's 'deciphered' Belcanto to
our
>generation.
I've read all four of the books. I also studied with a teacher who was a
student of Herbert-Caesari. Although this teacher no longer sang with
Herbert-Caesari's technique, his reminiscences were interesting and
informative.
Alma Caesari, Edwin Herbert-Caesari's daughter, is still alive and teaching
in London. I have sung with, for or observed a number of Herbert-Caesari's
pupils.
Herbert-Caesari's basic school is very sound, and derives from Daviesi and
Cotogni. As a young tenor in Italy, Herbert-Caesari came near to ruining his
voice through bad methods: he credited Daviesi with repairing the damage.
Unfortunately, Herbert-Caesari then made discoveries. His two hobby-horses
were a meticulous documentation of the change in vowel as one ascends (if
memory serves, he recemmended 7 different varieties of the 'a' vowel) and
the use of 'sound beams' to secure the best reonance adjustment for each
pitch. The sound beams stretched from the throat to various points in the
head.
It is to Herbert-Caesari's eternal credit that he made it plain in his books
that these two hobby horses are of his own invention, although he preferred
to think of them as discoveries. It is therefore easy to distinguish the
information he received from his teachers from the information he added
himself. I have long suspected that when he stumbled across the phenomena he
describes as 'sound beams' and 'different varieties of the same vowel', he
found that indefinable 'something' which made the method he had of his
teachers 'click' or 'work' for him. This is an experience familiar to many
of us, but Herbert-Caesari then elevate these personal discoveries to
principals of universal application, not appreciating that what was clear
and useful to him was vague and unreleable to others. Certainly in his
teaching, after an initial phase of opening up the voice (something that he
was very good at), he would embark upon the study of first the vowels and
the sound beams. Many of his students found it too difficult to put this to
any practical use, and turned away.
As to the results he achieved, my impression of those I have heard who
studied with him for more than a year is tht these were consistent, but not
particularly impressive as singing. Many of these long-servers had a
tendancy to 'sing from the neck up' (interesting, as Herbert-Caesari
inveighs against this), and the production was often gripped at the throat
and constricted. However, those whom I have met who studied with him for
only a short time do not exhibit these short-comings, and several sing in a
way that is gloriously free and resonant. It seems it was best to take
Herbert-Caesari in small doses. He also had something of a reputation as a
'voice-doctor', I know of two cases in which male singers went to him only
to learn how to sing the passaggio. They both report that they learnt the
passaggio quickly (a matter of weeks, not months) and that the technique
never therafter left them. I have heard of other, similar instances, but
have not been able to verify them.
It's probably also worth mentioning that one of Herbert-Caesari's books was
endorsed by Gigli, who was briefly a fellow student with Herbert-Caesari of
Daviesi.
Coming back to the books, they are very interesting and useful, as long as
one remembers to subtract Herbert-Caesari's 'discoveries' from whatever one
is reading. They are unfortunately let down by a querulous, hectoring tone
(there is but one Bel Canto and Herbert-Caesari alone holds the key, all
those who question this are infidels destined for outer darkness, and the
ignorance of the world is beyond all description). This sits at odds with
what I have been able to discover about his temperament, which all reports
give to have been unfailingly courteous and concerned for his pupils. But I
repeat, the books are well worth reading, the method they describe is sound,
and they contain a wealth of anecdote and aphorism more instructive than I
have seen in any other book on singing, Lamperti not excepted.
I had a look at the website. Seemed a little light on substance. Don't
bother buying the vocalises from the website: they're still in print and
available from Ricordi.
Happy Singing,
Regards / vriendelijke groeten
Laurie Kubiak
Commercial Analyst - Europe & Africa SMMS
Sales and Contract Support, Shell Services International
Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA
Telephone: +44 171 934 3853; Fax: +44 171 934 6674
Mobile: 07771 971 921: E.mail: Laurence.l.Kubiak@i...
Office: LON-SC 631
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