Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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498 SOLFEGGIO SOLFEGGIO
of oompromiae has been adopted in exercises of
agility, that syllable being used which comes
upon the principal or accented note of a group
or division, e.g.
The word Solfeggio ' ' is a good deal misused,
and confounded with ' Vocalizzo ' in spite of
the etymology of the two words. The preface
to the fourth edition of the Solfeges ' d'ltalie
says La ' plupart des Solfeges nouyeaux exigent
qu'ils soient SoljUs sans nominer les notes. ' Here
is an absurd contradiction, and a confusion of
the two distinct operations of Solfeggiare and
Vocalizzare. We have no precise eqmvalent in
English for Solfeggio and Solfeggiare. The
French have Solfege and Solfier. We say, to
Sol - fa, and Sol - faing. As a question of
voice -production, the wisdom of vocalisation,
chiefly upon the vowel a (Italian), and certainly
before other vowels are practised, and most
decidedly before using consonants, has been
abundantly proved. The use of the words in
question is not therefore a matter of much
importance. This appears to be in direct
opposition to the advice of » very fine singer
and an eminent master. Pier Francesco Tosi,
whose book upon singing was published at
Bologna in 1723, the English translation by
Galliard appearing in 1742. He says, 'Let
the master never be tired in making the scholar
sol-fa as long as he finds it necessary ; for if he
should let him sing upon the vowels too soon,
he knows not how to instruct.' 'As long as
he finds it necessary,' however, is a considerable
qualification. The world lives and learns, and
Crescentini's verdict may safely be accepted.
The vowel a, rightly pronounced, gives a position
of the resonance-chambers most free from impediment,
in which the entire volume of air
vibrates without after-neutralisation, and consequently
communicates its vibrations in their
integrity to the outer air ; this, therefore, is the
best preparation, the best starting-point for
the formation of other vowels. After this
vowel is thoroughly mastered the others are
comparatively easy, whereas if i or m (Italian)
are attempted at first, they are usually accompanied
by that action of the throat and
tongue which prevails to suCh a disagreeable
extent in this country. When the vowels have
been conquered, the consonants have a much
better chance of proper treatment, and of good
behaviour on their own part, than if attacked
at the outset of study. Vocalisation upon all
the vowels throughout the whole compass of
the voice should be practised after the vowel a
is perfected ;
then should come the practice of
syllables of all kinds upon all parts of the voice
and then the critical study and practice (much
neglected) of recitative.
The words Gokoheggio and Goegheggiarb,
from Gorga, an obsolete word for 'throat,' are
applied to the singing of birds, and by analogy
to the execution of passages requiring a very
quick and distinct movement or change of note,
such as trills and the different kinds of turn,
also reiterated notes and quick florid passages
in general. The English verb 'to warble' is
given as the equivalent of gorgheggiare, but
warbling is usually accepted to mean a gentle
wavering or quavering of the voice, whereas
agility and brilliancy are associated with the
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Italian word. A closer translation, throatsinging,'
would give a rendering both inadequate
and pernicious—inadequate, as throat-singing
may be either quick or slow, and pernicious as
suggesting unnecessary movement of the larynx,
and helping to bring about that defective
execution so often heard, in which there is
more breath and jar than music, closely resembling
unnecessary movement of the hand
when using the fingers upon an instrument.
The fact is, that execution, however rapid,
should be perfect vocalisation in its technical
sense, and perfect vocalisation has for its foundation
the Portamenio. The Portamento (or
carrying of the voice-—the gradual gliding from
one note to another) removes inequalities in
the voice, and facilitates the blending of
registers. Increased in speed by degrees, the
voice learns to shoot from note to note with
lightning-like rapidity, and without the abovenamed
convulsion of the larynx which produces
a partial or total cessation of sound, or at any
rate a deterioration of sound during the instantaneous
passage from note to note. It is this
perfect passage from note to note, without
lifting off or interrupting the voice, that fills
space with a flood of sound, of which Jenny
Lind's shake and vocalised passages were a
bright example. But this kind of vocalisation
is the result of yeara of conscientious practice
and the exercise of a strong will. With such
books as those of Garcia, Panseron, Madame
Sainton, Randegger, etc. etc., and of course
some special passages for individual requirements,
to say nothing of those of Rossini, and
the numberless vocalizzi of Bordogni, Nava,
etc. etc., the 'Solfeges d'ltalie,' and the 'Solffeges
du Conservatoire,' there is work enough
if students will avail themselves of it. Tosi,
in speaking of the difficulties in teaching and
learning the shake, says, The ' impatience of
the master joins with the despair of the learner,
so that they decline further trouble about it.
The first of the two great works just named
is entitled ' Solffeges d'ltalie, avec la Basse
chiffrte, composes par Durante, Scarlatti, Hasse,
Porpora, Mazzoni, Caffaro, David Perez, etc.
D^di^s \ Messeigneura les premiers Gentilshommes
de la chambre du Roi [Louis XV.], et
reoueillis par les Srs. Levesque et B&he, ordinaires
de la Musique de sa Majeste.' The work