How to sing [Meine Gesangskunst]

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

19116

Title

How to sing [Meine Gesangskunst]

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Legendary soprano Lilli Lehmann offers a scientific yet practical guide to vocal mastery. Blending physiological insight with personal experience, she demystifies technical terms like 'covered' and 'nasal' to help singers achieve beauty, stability, and expressive power through disciplined study and self-awareness.

Summary up to 500 words

In 'How to Sing' (Meine Gesangskunst), celebrated dramatic soprano Lilli Lehmann presents a comprehensive manual arguing that true artistry transcends natural talent, demanding rigorous study of vocal physiology, breath control, and resonance. Lehmann critiques the 'factory system' of conservatories that produces untrained artists, advocating instead for a lifetime of dedicated practice. She systematically addresses preliminary exercises, breath management, vocal registers, and specific techniques for vowels and consonants. A central tenet of her philosophy is the 'propagation form'—preparing the vocal organs for the next tone to prevent strain and tremolo. Lehmann discusses the delicate balance between chest, head, and palatal resonance, warning against 'white' voices that lack expression. Through detailed interpretations of works by Schumann, Brahms, and Schubert, she illustrates how technical precision serves emotional expression. Ultimately, Lehmann urges singers to educate themselves and the public, striving for the highest artistic standards regardless of immediate applause. She emphasizes that the lower voice ranges possess the greatest strength, the middle ranges the greatest power of expression, and the higher ranges the greatest carrying power. The ideal voice unites all three. Lehmann warns against the misuse of head tones, which can be feeble close at hand but possess immense carrying power when properly mixed with palatal resonance. She asserts that the artist's duty is to offer the best, thereby educating an uncultivated public rather than succumbing to mediocre tastes. For Lehmann, the applause belongs to the master whose work is being interpreted, not the performer personally. She concludes that while class of voice is inborn, its development depends entirely on industry and energy, urging every singer to ennoble the taste of mankind and raise it above the miseries of the workaday world.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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2026-07-08 07:15 UTC

Categories

• Music
• Singing