The following is extracted from Volume 29.1 of the 2001 edition of MUSICUS

FREDERICK ALEXANDER HAAGEN (25.05.1924 - 27.12.2000),

Singing Teacher, Composer, Producer, Baritone

Frederick Alexander Haagen was born on the 25th of May 1924 in Keetmanshoop, Namibia.  After matriculating at the Jan van Riebeeck High School in Cape Town, he went on to study BCom at the University of Cape Town.  During this time he started

taking singing lessons with Rosita Silvestri, and Alessandro Rota.  In 1964 he went to London where he studied with Professor Gustave Sacher and later with Frederick Field-Hyde at Cambridge University.  He also attended some memorable master classes with the best Wagner singer of her time, Kirsten Flagstad.  During this time he sang in six musicals (where he even went on tour with a very young Dirk Bogarde).

On the 19th of February 1950 he gave a lieder recital (Mahler’s Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen) with the Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, which was followed up by a tour through Holland and Germany.  He then went on to study with Professor Maria Hittorf in Vienna.  In 1956 he came back to South Africa and went on a country-wide lieder recital tour.  It was during this time that he realized what his real purpose in life would be.  He had discovered that, although considered a promising singer, he was suffering very much under the extreme pressures of performing in public, and stage fright became a big part of his performing. He made a conscious decision not to pursue a career as a solo singer and to dedicate his life to teaching other promising young singers.

He took on a position as singing teacher at the South African College of Music at the University of Cape Town, where he also took singing lessons from Madame Adelheid Armhold, who proved to be the most important influence in his teaching career.  During this time and also later on in his career, he took part in opera and operetta productions, but it became continually more difficult for him to perform in public.

In 1961 Xander Haagen was offered the position as singing lecturer at the new music department at the University of Pretoria.  He then not only discovered his talents as a producer (performing many operas with his students) but also became a prolific

composer.  His operettas Aandster Ver, Opsitkers en Vonkelwyn and Haaipolfaai en Tierlantyn were performed many times with great success. He also composed the radio opera Frederick en Bastiana for the SABC, which was broadcast as part of the Jan van Riebeeck festivities.

After leaving the University of Pretoria in 1970 he taught at the Pretoria Educational College for four years, and in 1975 he emigrated to Cologne, Germany to open a private singing studio.  He worked with some of the top soloists at the Cologne

City Opera and also lectured at the Music Conservatoire in Siegburg and the Music School in Bonn.  Of his pupils, Marie Collier sang at Covent Garden and Elisabeth Payer-Tucci sang Sieglinde at the Metropolitan Opera, to mention just a few.

In 1983 he was appointed Professor of Singing at the Staatliche Musikhochschule, Freiburg.  When he retired in 1989 he continued teaching privately, traveling regularly to Munich, where he taught many of the soloists and chorus members at the Bavarian State Opera.

He died on 27 December 2000 in Freiburg.

Tributes by a few of his pupils:

Marita Knobel, Munich, Germany

When I met Xander Haagen in March 1961 at the University of Pretoria, and started taking singing lessons with him, a new world opened for me.  He not only gave me the technical basis for a successful singing career in Europe, but (far more important)

taught me what it meant to be an artist and not just a singing instrument.  He taught us (George Kok, Ina Di Michele, Antoinette Gouws, Gerda Hartman, Barbara Veenemans, Joan Wilken, Bronwen Basson, De Wet van Rooyen and many others) what it meant to be a singer in the deepest and most meaningful sense of the word. He was a fine actor and although far too nervous to perform himself, himself, he could show us how to communicate a musical thought.  We learnt to move on stage, how to use props, how to make a gesture count.  We learnt how to sing Mozart recitatives and I will always be thankful that I already knew how to sing recitatives when I started my career in Germany.  I have met many singers who have never learnt how to execute

this very difficult part of opera singing.  We were so ignorant and so eager to learn! He taught us what music to appreciate, and how to listen.  He taught us how to walk onto the stage during Lieder recitals, how to take a bow and what to wear.  We had to bring our dresses to the rehearsals and he discussed in detail the importance of appearances on stage.  He knew so much!  He brought European flair into our dull little Pretoria lives  –  none of us had ever been overseas and he had so much to tell us about his experiences there.  He was always a gentleman, always charming and the most generous person I knew.  Many were the

days when he invited us all to lunch at his house looking over Magnolia Dell, where we discussed everything under the sun.  And most important of all  –  he taught us to laugh at ourselves and know what to take seriously and what not.  He was very witty and humorous and we laughed a lot!  He could also be sarcastic at times and did not suffer fools gladly  –  one had to be tough to survive him!  In Germany, he was considered by many to be one of the finest teachers in Europe.  His singing method was founded upon a very deep knowledge of the singing instrument.  He had an excellent diagnostic ear and saved many voices from ruin.  He knew how to invent exercises for every individual problem.  He would sometimes call me the day after a lesson and spend an hour on the phone giving me the new exercises that he had devised during the night, specifically for a problem that may have developed.  But I think his most important characteristic was his unbounded enthusiasm and enjoyment of life.  Even when he started becoming very frail, he could still call up the energy to enjoy and love a beautiful voice, and could sweep the pupil up into an orgy of singing and performing.  He is sorely missed!

Lianda Martin, National Library of South Africa, Cape Town

Xander was for me the epitome of all that was elegant, witty and beautiful.  Although my memories of him are limited to my years as a drama student and young actress, 30 years ago, I still remember to this day the classes he gave us in Music Appreciation  –  the incredible richness of the world that he opened up for me  –  I who was from a lower middle class background and who might well have passed by the entire classical genre.  Spending time with him also showed me how complicated and simple

life would be....  Goodbye my friend and teacher...  may you be in a place where there is never a musical mistake to disturb your peace and tranquility.

Peter Lurié, Munich, Germany

I worked with Xander during a very stressful time, shortly after I started performing in Germany, in my first fulltime engagement, in Pforzheim.  As a member of a small ensemble, one was constantly either performing or rehearsing, and the wear-and-tear on the vocal apparatus was enormous.  I had arrived fresh from my studies in the USA, with a reasonable technique, but little idea of how to survive under such constant pressure and vocalizing.  I was fortunate enough to work with Xander in nearby Freiburg, to keep my instrument in shape.  I remember saying ‘every time I have a session with Xander, I feel like I’ve had a vocal massage!’  My voice grew from all the use, and Xander was able to help me keep up with the development.  He was a gentle man, a talented painter in oils as well as watercolours, and a good friend who will be missed.

Evelyn Dalberg, Düsseldorf, Germany

What I loved about Xander was his incredible enthusiasm.  I worked with him during a time when there was a great need amongst the South Africans to see good productions of opera and operetta.  Xander was the driving force behind many tours and many concerts.  We would help build the sets, make the props and costumes and then go on stage and sing the parts.  But without his complete involvement and creative energy, we would probably have given up on many a project.  He kept us going with his drive, enthusiasm and most important  –  his humour.

Ina Di Michele, College for the Arts, Windhoek, Namibië

Xander Haagen het uiters spaarsamig met pluimpies en lofliedere omgegaan!  Dit was egter die helder lig in sy oë, en die onmiskenbare vreugde in sy stem wanneer die klank waarna hy op soek was uiteindelik vergestalt is, wat die student laat volhou

het met onderrig  –  met altoos die verwagting dat alles tog nie tevergeefs is nie!  Behep was hy met ‘n mooi definitiewe stem!  Natuurlik, soos dit ‘n opreggeteelde sangpedagoog betaam, met definitiewe voorbehoude.  So is onder andere onsuiwer intonasie (met allerlei afwykings na links, regs, opwaarts, afwaarts of sydelings) onmiddellik na gelang van sy bui van die dag óf

sarkasties óf vreeslik gemoedelik met vlymskerp spitsvondighede gekorrigeer!  Slymerige diksie en foutiewe uitspraak is eweneens met die hand agter die oor (asof momenteel hardhorend) begroet!  Ek het dikwels die uittog van studente wat voor

my les had, met gemengde gevoelens gade geslaan.  Dit het gewissel van bleek ‘kuwe’, neergeslane oë en ‘n bykans onhoorbare ‘Totsiens meneer, dankie meneer’ tot ‘n stralende ‘Totsiens meneer Haagen’ en ‘meneer Haagen – verskriklik dankie Meneer!’  Hy het die gewoonte gehad om, wanneer ‘n student hom óf uitermate geïrriteer óf afgryslik verveel het, ‘n lekker jazzerige ‘song’ op die klavier te tokkel terwyl die student aan’t singe was.  Ek sou dink dié gewoonte was ‘n goeie weerligaflyer, en moontlik iets wat ander sangonderwysers, onder dergelike omstandighede, in gedagte kan hou.  Gesoute sangonderwysers, weet immers dat ‘n gewone sangateljee soms in ‘n martelkamer kan verander met geluide wat die sensitiewe luisteraar graf-in kan volg!  Hy was dikwels ongeduldig, dikwels sarkasties, alte dikwels nie behep met uitermatige hoflikheid

nie.  In die lig egter van die uitsonderlike intuïtiewe aanvoeling waaroor hy as sangpedagoog beskik het, gekoppel aan sy onweerlegbare goeie smaak en sensitiwiteit vir dit wat goed en suiwer is in die Musiek, is die voorafgaande werklik in totaliteit

onbenullig.  Verder het hy hartstogtelik geglo dat sangers hul moet hou by die natuurlik fach waarmee hulle gebore is.  Derhalwe het hy nooit probeer om stemme onder sy sorg met allerlei truuks of foefies te probeer manipuleer nie.  Ek salueer hom graag

met die volgende:  Singing is essentialy a very simple and NORMAL activity (Sergius Kagen)

Bronwyn Basson, Pretoria

Ek dink aan Xander Haagen met toegeneëntheid en groot dankbaarheid vir wat hy vir my gedoen en beteken het aan die begin van my sangloopbaan.  Toe ek in die sestigerjare by hom begin studeer het, was hy sangdosent aan die Universiteit van Pretoria.  Ek was vir ses jaar by hom.  Wat hom as sangdosent buitengewoon gemaak het, was sy vermoë om elke stem te analiseer, dit te ‘lees soos hy ‘n boek lees’, soos iemand gesê het, probleme te ontleed en te besluit waaraan gewerk moet word.  Vir elke student het hy individuele tegniese oefeninge gegee om daardie besondere stem te ontwikkel.  Vir my het hy

stemoefeninge op band vasgelê voordat hy oorsee vertrek het waarna ek oor die jare dikwels teruggekeer het.  My sangtegniek het ek tot ‘n groot mate aan hom te danke.  Toe ek later jare vir ‘n tydjie by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf in Zürich les geneem het, wou sy weet waar ek dan my tegniek geleer het en kon nie glo dat dit in Suid-Afrika was nie.  Sy het ook gesê dat sy nie aan my tegniek sou raak nie en net aan die vertolking van Duitse Lieder soos Richard Strauss se Vier letzte Lieder aandag sou

gee.  Xander Haagen was baie reguit.  Hy het gesê wat hy wil sê en jy het geweet waar jy met hom staan.  Hy was streng en het gevolglik goeie resultate behaal.  Maar hy het gevoel vir sy student.  Daarby het hy ‘n kostelike sin vir humor gehad.  Wanneer

hy met iets wat ‘n sangstudent doen, nie tevrede was nie, het hy die manier gehad om ‘gister’ of ‘yesterday’ te sê, en dan het die student geweet dat daaraan gewerk moet word!  Hy het ook ‘n klein hart gehad.  Eenkeer, toe ons met ‘n Truk opera produksie

in Wes-Transvaal op reis was, het hy op die stoepie van ons hotel ‘n mooi ou tannietjie sien sit en hekel.  Hy het so ‘n warmte teenoor haar gevoel dat hy vir haar ‘n groot doos sjokolade gaan koop het en, nadat hy dit aan haar gegee het, het ek die trane in sy oë gesien.  Die volgende dag het hy ons vertrek vertraag omdat die vroutjie toe besig was om vir hom ‘n doekie klaar te hekel!  Op ‘n ander geleentheid het hy vir my ‘n poets gebak.  Ek was die gravin in ‘n produksie van Die Huwelik van Figaro en was net gereed om te sing nadat ‘n brief in ‘n dramatiese oomblik aan my oorhandig is.  Toe ek die brief oopmaak, moes ek

sien dat Xander daar ‘n verspotte karikatuur op geteken het, en dat hy agter die skerms vir my staan en lag.  Wat kon ek doen?  Ek moes net sing!  Op ‘n keer, toe ek in Freiburg in Duitsland ‘n rukkie by hom les geneem het, het hy vir ‘n Japannese sangstudentjie ‘n bossie blomme gaan koop omdat hy vir haar jammer was wat alleen in ‘n vreemde land was en so hard gewerk het!  En dit was nie asof hy dit finansieel breed gehad het nie.  Hy was maar altyd kort aan geld!  Afgesien van sy werk as sangdosent, sanger en regisseur, het hy ook self operettes geskryf, gekomponeer en baie suksesvol opgevoer.  Toe die

SAUK in 1978 met my en ‘n orkes onder leiding van Ronie Munro die eerste transkripsieplaat van liedere uit Afrikaanse operettes opgeneem het, was ses van die twaalf liedere wat ons gekies het deur Xander Haagen gekomponeer.  Alhoewel Xander net ‘n gedeelte van sy loopbaan in Suid-Afrika deurgebring het, het hy ‘n merk hier gemaak wat deur baie onthou sal word.

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The following is extracted from Volume 29.1 of the 2001 edition of MUSICUS

SINGING WITHOUT FRUSTRATION  -  Xander Haagen

This article is reproduced with the kind permission of Marita Knobel, currently soloist at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Germany

Preamble

A professional singing career is not all pomp and glory, with performances, ovations, fan clubs, receptions etc. It is an extremely demanding and exacting profession with constant vocal training, studying new repertoire, rehearsals, travelling etc. It requires enormous sacrifices, dedication, discipline and total concentration. Before deciding on a career as a professional singer you should consider all aspects. It is very helpful to talk to an objective professional. It could be a singer, a teacher or a conductor. If this person thinks that you have the necessary vocal material, personality, appearance, acting ability and musicality, then you should ask yourself : ‘Is singing my one aim in life?’; ‘Will I die if I cannot stand on a stage and sing for an audience?’ If you discover that you can imagine doing something else in life, then my advice to you is to forget the idea of becoming a professional singer and study singing for your own enjoyment. Sing for your friends and have fun! This may sound very hard and cynical, but my long experience in this business has shown me that singers who are not totally dedicated, never make it to the top. So, the next step would be to find yourself a good singing teacher. This person should preferably be someone who has sung on professional stages for many years and who knows the ‘singing business’ inside out. He should have an accurate knowledge of the singing mechanism and a trained ear to enable him to hear the correct sound. He should, of course also be a master of his own technique so as to be able to demonstrate the correct sound. He must have a knowledge of the different voice types (known as ‘fach’) and be able to diagnose and train the voice in the right fach. He should also be able to recognize whether the singer is more suited for a career as an opera singer or should rather sing oratorio or lieder (the liedsinger needs to be highly musical and possess the ability to make magic without the benefit of costumes, props or an orchestra).

In this article, I have written down my technique, which I have developed and honed for the last thirty years. It should also be valuable for singing teachers. May they take note and produce fine singers! For practical purposes, I have decided to call the student he’. May all the wonderful female singers out there, forgive me!

Freiburg, Germany

Professor Xander Haagen

March 1999

Introduction

There is no difference in function between the adult male or female voice except that the male voice sounds an octave lower than the female voice. The muscle function of the breathing and voice mechanisms, are exactly the same. The singing voice is

divided into three registers: chest, middle and high. It is not always possible to say exactly on which note the voice ... ‘changes gear’ as each voice is different, and the pupil should find it out for himself with the help of his teacher.

If the voice is correctly placed in the vocal column and supported on the breath, one should feel the same connection from the bottom to the top. The voice will sound steady and well-balanced, meaning that the listener will not hear any difference when the voice goes from one register to the next. A well-placed voice will stay slender but grounded, should have no problem going from one register to the next and should have an easy range of two octaves.

If, however, the sound is too open or thick, the singer will, firstly have great difficulty changing gear from one register to the next, and secondly never be able to produce easy tones in the very highest or lowest part of the voice. It will be as if you are trying to put a thick thread through the small hole of a needle. If, however, you roll the thread together with moistened fingers thereby

creating a slender point, the thread will go through the needle without any problem.

Some baritones or basses tend to sing too much in the mouth, with a low pressed tongue and an artificially pressed down larynx, believing that this sounds more manly. They only succeed in making the voice sound throaty and bottled up, cutting off resonance and overtones.

A lot of singers think they will lose the quality of their voice if they try to sing ‘slenderly’. Therefore they try to make the sound thicker and heavier, thinking it will become more beautiful. The opposite is the case. The heavy sound may sound wonderful in your own ears, but it will probably only reach the front half of the audience, lack overtones and sound forced in the higher range. If the voice is placed correctly, and you are supporting it correctly you will always keep your own natural quality and will have the necessary overtones and power to reach across the orchestra I once did a masterclass with Kirsten Flagstad, one of the greatest Wagnerian sopranos of this century. She had an enormous and very beautiful voice, which never lost its quality or purity in the high range. Her advice to young singers was: ‘Leave Wagner alone, unless you know what you’re doing!’ The first thing a singer should know is that it is very dangerous to listen to your own voice, because you cannot hear it the way a listener will. You need somebody you can trust to listen to the tone objectively. It can be a coach or a singing teacher. You should never try to work on your own without supervision. If you have to, then you should make a recording and listen to it very objectively.

My method is based on three principles:

1. Breathing

You cannot be a good singer if you do not understand the importance of supporting and controlling the breath on the column

of air.

2. Placing

The voice must be placed forward in the mask resonance and the articulation should be pure and clear.

3. Space

The voice needs space in the mouth to give it a beautiful, natural tone.

How to start

At the first lesson the new pupil should sing something (it can be a song, a ballad or an aria).The teacher should then ask him to do a few simple exercises so that he can determine the scope and technical standard of the voice. Does the pupil have a good ear; does he have a sense of rhythm; is he musical? Quite often the pupil is too nervous to show the true potential of his voice and ability and will suddenly come to life after the first few lessons.

In my experience the new pupil should have a lesson every day for the first few weeks. It is better during this time not to practice at home, because one could undo the work of the previous lesson. As soon as the teacher feels that he has a correct idea of his method, the pupil can start practising on his own. He should then take a lesson 2 or 3 times a week. It is very important to have regular lessons. In the holidays one should try and practice at least three times a week so that the singing muscles do not get out of practice.

It is important to control the stance of the pupil. One should stand with the feet slightly apart, the shoulders down, arms hanging freely, head resting loosely on the body (not thrown back or pushed forward).The body should be relaxed, freely balanced but firmly grounded. The singer should imagine that he is a marionette hanging on a string. This gives the feeling as though his head rests on his neck and his neck rests on his shoulders. There should be no tension in the jaw, neck or shoulders. It is very important not to develop bad physical habits. There is absolutely no reason for distorting the facial or other muscles whilst singing.

During the first few lessons the teacher should explain clearly how the singing instrument functions, and which muscle groups are used for which result.

Basic principles

The breathing mechanism consists of the following muscle groups: the diaphragm, the upper and lower rib muscles, the back rib muscles and the lower abdominal muscles.

The diaphragm is a dome-shaped muscle which separates the thorax (chest cavity) from the abdominal cavity. The in-taking breath presses the diaphragm downwards, thus enlarging the thorax. This is a reflex action and any extra muscle activity will only result in unnecessary tension. During this action, the ribs should expand to the sides, front and back. When one emits a sound (eg sings) this position should be held in a balanced equilibrium. Singing depends on the successful equilibrium of the breathing muscles. The diaphragm itself possesses no voluntary muscles capable of raising it again, and this is done by contracting the lower abdominal muscles, which forces the relaxed diaphragm up from below, thus pressing the air out through the mouth. It is extremely important to understand that the singing action should be mainly supported by the side and back rib muscles and not by the diaphragm or abdominal muscles. Very often the pupil misunderstands the word ‘breath support’. The teacher would say ‘support, support!’ and the pupil would try and hold the diaphragm out. This is wrong!! The diaphragm should always stay flexible so as to control the sound emission during singing. What is meant by the word ‘support’ is that the side and back rib muscles as well as the upper rib muscles around the sternum (breast bone) should be kept in an expanded position, whilst the diaphragm is kept free and relaxed. If this principal is not understood from the beginning, the pupil will never be able to produce flexible, beautiful tones. He will always have difficulty with piano singing (which is the basis of a good voice) and will probably only produce hooting sounds when he tries to sing the exposed top notes of his range.

Breathing exercises which will help you strengthen the breathing muscles are provided in the exercise section. These should be practised every day of your professional life. I have pupils who have been singing professionally for more than thirty years and you can be sure that they still do breathing exercises every morning!

The larynx is a cartilaginous structure situated at the top of the trachea (windpipe). It houses the vocal chords, two bands of muscle, which, when flexed, closes the trachea opening and stops the air from entering or leaving the lungs.

Correctly speaking one should talk about ‘vocal folds’, but the term ‘vocal chords’ is easier for singers to understand, so I shall continue using this term. When the glottis (the space between the vocal chords) is closed, and pressure is applied through the breath, the vocal chords start vibrating, thus creating sound. The vocal chords are stretched by a series of intricate muscles in the larynx (it will be too complicated to name them all here) thereby producing vibrations which are translated into sound.

The pitch of this sound depends upon the length and breadth of the vocal chords. When a low note is produced, the vocal chords are short and thick, and the throat muscles are relatively relaxed. As the pitch rises, the vocal chords gradually lengthen and grow thinner and the opening between the chords (the glottis) becomes smaller.

The larynx is suspended from the hyoid bone, which is attached to the root of the tongue. Hence any movement of the tongue, influences the position of the larynx.

The tongue, which lies in the floor of the mouth, consists of many intricate muscles. For our purposes it suffices to say that the tongue consists of firstly the front part, which can be seen in the open mouth, and is responsible for the formation of all the vowels

as well as some consonants, and secondly the pharyngeal part, which stretches into the cavity of the pharynx (throat) and is attached to the laryngeal muscles.

The primary vowels are A, E, I, O, U. These must be pronounced phonetically, and not in the English way! In both German and Italian the vowels are very pure (from a phonetic point of view). The position of the tongue determines the vowel:

AThe tongue is flat and the larynx in its normal position.

EThe tongue is high in the middle, with the edges touching the middle upper teeth.

I  The tongue is at its highest position, leaning even more against the upper teeth.

OThe middle of the tongue is lowered, thereby lowering the position of the larynx.

UThe middle tongue is lowered even more and the larynx is still lower.

It must be pointed out that these pure vowels have many variations. For example the German ‘O’ in ‘Mozart’ is different from the Italian ‘O’ in ‘amore’. The German ‘E’in ‘Leben’ is much purer than the ‘E’ in ‘Herz’ which is pronounced like the ‘A’ in the English word ‘hat’. The closest vowels are the ‘Ö’ as in the German ‘Möwe’ or ‘schön’; the ‘Ü’ as in ‘müde’; the ‘O’ as in ‘Brot’ or ‘Not’ and the ‘U’ as in the Italian ‘luna’ or the German ‘klug’. The beginner should practice on the open Italian vowels, because they are the easiest.

It is very important to understand, that vowels are formed inside the mouth and that one does not need to make unnecessary movements with the lips.

The ideal singing position is with a relatively small mouth setting and a big space in the back of the throat, which is called the dome.

The dome is the high position of the soft palate which can be described as ‘the beginning of a yawn’. The dome gives the necessary overtones to the voice and prevents ‘spreading’.

When the voice is spread, the vowels become flat and ugly and the voice sounds sharp and inflexible. When the dome is used correctly the soft palate will have the high position which is needed for the low, relaxed position of the larynx, because the action of the soft palate is related to to the larynx, thus when the soft palate rises, the larynx descends. Once the pupil understands how the dome functions, there will be no need for the him to try and control the larynx through muscular action, because the larynx will automatically be in the right position.

When the larynx is too high, one gets a pinched, forced sound or even a ‘Kickser’ as the Germans call it. You often hear it with tenors who don’t understand the importance of the high soft palate. The voice suddenly jumps up on a high note–it gets a ‘Kickser’

Another result of a small space in the back of the throat is the so called ‘Knödel’, the throaty sound that is so popular with altoes who are in love with their own voice. Unfortunately this sound does not get across the first two rows of the auditorium!

The dome is difficult for a beginner to understand, but the teacher should remind him constantly until it becomes part of his singing. He should never confuse it with the darkened covered vowels which the Germans call ‘abdunkeln’. The pupil should always remember that the place is in the ‘mask’ (see later section on resonance) and the space is in the mouth.

To demonstrate the dome, the pupil should try it in front of the mirror. He should start a yawning movement and then watch how the larynx descends into the relaxed position. He can feel his larynx with his hand. He should also be aware that his soft palate is in a nice high position. Now add the small lip setting, and you have the correct singing position. It is as if you have a hot potato in your mouth!

The mouth should never be opened too widely, except on the very high notes. If you watch a video of Maria Callas, you will notice that she has a relatively small lip setting when she sings (especially during the piano notes).

The beginner will find it difficult at first to understand the small mouth setting without tensing the jaw. It is important to drop the jaw into a relaxed position without opening the mouth too much or pushing the jaw forward. Remember, as soon as the jaw tightens, the throat loses its openness, because the jaw muscles are connected to the throat and laryngeal muscles.

The palate consists of a hard (bony) and a soft (fleshy) part. The hard palate arches backwards from the upper teeth and forms 2/3 of the whole palate. The remaining third is the soft palate which is freely movable and used to form the dome. It ends in the

uvula which extends into the pharyngeal cavity.

It is a great help to think in terms of a ‘mouth funnel’. This means that the lips are slightly rounded on all vowels. If you sing an ‘I’ vowel as in the German ‘Liebe’, you should always imagine you are singing ‘Lübe’. Or try a slight ‘O’ in ‘Madre’, or an ‘O’ in ‘Leben’. This adds more beauty and resonance to the sound, without distorting the vowel. So it is with every vowel. They should all be rounded off slightly by using the ‘mouth funnel’, but with relaxed lips. This may sound incredible to you and it is difficult to understand that the vowels can still be understood even whilst using this technique, but it is worth trying it out once. You should record yourself singing a vowel in the so called normal position, and then record it again whilst using the mouth funnel. But don’t forget the space in the back of the throat!

The dome plus the mouth funnel plus the essential breath support, is what makes the tone beautiful, powerful and flexible. If the mouth funnel is not understood as the extension of the dome, you will get distorted vowels eg ‘moin’ instead of ‘mein’.

Another great advantage of the mouth funnel is that you should have no problem going up to a difficult high note. An example would be the difficult phrase ‘Constanze’ in the tenor aria in Entfuhrung aus dem Serail. If the last two syllables are not sung exactly in the same rounded place as the preceding ‘O’ syllable, the voice will sound strained on the high notes. What also helps here is of course the appoggio, which will be discussed in the next section.

The consonants, K and G are formed with the back of the tongue against the hard palate and the J and CH (as in ‘Mädchen’) are formed with the middle of the tongue pushing against the hard palate. With all these consonants the tongue is in the ‘I’ position. The other consonants T, D, L, N, R, S and Z are formed with the tip of the tongue. In his attempt to bring the intensity to the point of the tongue, the pupil tends to tighten the middle tongue. Another problem is bringing the point of the tongue down again as quickly as possible so that the following vowel is not restricted by the point of the tongue leaning against the upper teeth. (See

tongue exercises in the next section) The consonants P, B, F, V and W are formed by the lips. They are very important for activating the breathing muscles (see exercises).

Whilst singing, it is a good idea to breath through the nose and mouth. Never through the nose alone. Firstly, the mouth breathing helps relax the jaw, and assists in forming the dome. Secondly, one seldom has enough time during singing an aria or a song, to breath in through the nose alone.

Resonance The resonators are: the mouth, the throat, the nose and (very important) the sinus cavities in the forehead. The chest can also be a resonator in certain low registers.

Basically, a well-placed, well-supported and domed tone finds the necessary resonators by itself, but it is important to understand that the singing voice should be placed well forward. One should imagine this so called ‘mask resonance’ as a triangle. The highest point being the top of of the forehead, the sides move across the cheeks, and the base of the triangle is the lower jaw. It is not difficult to understand, and will not be necessary for the pupil to try and push the tone into the resonance. Often, it is enough to think the tone into the mask. Care should just be taken not to make the tone too nasal.

Articulation: The singer should always be aware of the importance of diction. The reason why one sings, is to communicate thoughts, and there is nothing worse than a singer who does not pronounce the words clearly. This does not mean that one should move the lips excessively. It is possible to pronounce clear vowels and pure consonants inside the mouth without losing the relaxed, slightly rounded, mouth setting.

The Appogio (Italian ‘appogiare’ - to lean) One sings on the breath and not with breath. There should always be a resistance, or a stopping of the breath. This can be done with the first consonant or vowel of a phrase and gives the necessary body connection to the tone. Some singers think they are supporting a tone, because they are working hard with the breathing muscles, but if the voice is not connected to the breath through the flexible diaphragm action and the use of the appoggio, the result will be an ugly flat sound with no ‘body’ to it. We call it a ‘spread’ tone. When a phrase starts with a consonant, and the appoggio is not used with care, there is the danger of a ‘coup de la glotte’ or glottal attack, which can be harmful to the voice.

The appoggio can be described as an inverted hiccup. When we hiccup, there is a quick intake of breath and the vocal chords close. If you place a finger on the highest point of the abdomen, between the two floating ribs, you should feel the involuntary muscle contraction, and the breath leaning against the breast bone.

The appoggio is the same action reversed. The abdominal muscles jerk the diaphragm up. At the same time, the breathing muscles (which, as you will remember, are the side, back and front intercostal muscles) go out. Try to sing the word ‘Wein’,

stopping the breath with the ‘W’, and then singing the ‘ei’ whilst leaning into the rib muscles. You should have the feeling of ‘sucking’ in the tone. Whilst you sing a phrase, you should expand these muscles even further, giving you the feeling of supporting the voice, whilst the diaphragm is free to do its work of controlling the flow of breath.

If one does not understand this principle, one will never be able to sing piano. The importance of piano singing cannot be stressed enough. It is the basis of good singing. I would even go as far as to say that one will never have good forte notes if they

are not sung in the same place as the piano notes. A Wagner soprano once told me that when she has problems attacking a difficult high note, she imagines that she is about to sing a soft note, thereby achieving the slender place and the flexibility which

is needed for the floating tones that can then be crescendo’d and decrescendo’d at will. Another reason for good breath support, is to keep the voice young and supple. The older one gets the more one starts ..wobbling’. This need not happen! I have known many singers who had great careers till the age of 65 without a wobble in sight.

General Rules

1. Keep fit! Singing is physical work. You should train as if you were an athlete, about to take part in the Olympic Games. And breathe in lots of fresh air.

2. Exercise your mind! As an artist it is your duty to see that you have a good general knowledge of other forms of art (eg literature or fine arts). How will you be able to understand how to play an opera role in a 19'hh century opera without a basic knowledge of how the people lived or dressed in those times? You should also be well versed in music and opera literature. Listen to as many operas as you can. Read about the composers and their lives. Soak yourself in music!

3. Interpretation is more important than technique! The reason why we work on a foolproof technique is because we need it as a tool for the real reason why we sing. Try and remember from the beginning to communicate thoughts and feelings.

4. Take language lessons. Every singer should be able to pronounce the words perfectly, unless he wants to stay an amateur. Especially as an opera singer it is important, not only to pronounce the words but to speak the language. How will you be able to make Mozart recitatives sound authentic if you don’t know the language inside out? You must learn Italian and German as well as some French.

5. An opera singer should take acting and movement lessons. Opera is not only singing. To be believable as a character, you must know how to get the character across to your audience with your body and your acting ability.

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

I have written ‘hm’ instead of ‘mm’ to prevent the pupil from making a glottal attack. This does not mean that you should aspirate the sound. Just hum softly.

Exercise 4

Now we add a vowel to the humming sound. The ‘MMM’ gives the necessary breath connection and brings the vowel into the right resonator. Don’t forget to ‘dome’ or you will get a ‘white’ ugly sound. The Italian ‘O’ vowel is best vowel to achieve the perfect sound. Now start using other vowels, but always keeping in mind that the vowel has to be rounded off and never spread. Even the German ‘E’ and ‘I’ must be made with the mouth funnel.

Exercise 5

Connect the one ‘N’ to the following ‘N’ by singing through the vowel so that there are no holes in the phrase. The consonant should be pronounced with the point of the tongue but without using the jaw which is (as always) relaxed. Like in ‘parlato’ singing. Here we are not looking for beauty of tone, only for body connection.

On the last note there is a fermata. This provides a good opportunity for the so called ‘sucking in’ of the sound–holding the rib cage out whilst singing the vowel.

On the last ‘N’ the tone is automatically taken off and the diaphragm automatically drops down for the next intake of breath.

Now you can try to sing the same scale but with different consonants and vowels. Try it with ‘mö’ or ‘vi’ or ‘sü’, as long as it helps you to connect with the breath.

Exercise 6

Remember the parlato! Only the tongue and not the jaw! Keep the mouth funnel (high soft palate and rounded vowels) and do not open the mouth too wide. Remember to ‘suck in’ the tone on the last vowel. Also try other vowels eg Nu, Na, Ni, Nü, Ne.

Exercise 7

Don’t forget the breath support (feel the connection on the ‘N’) and the mouth space. In this exercise you need even more breath support to do the last three notes evenly without wobbling. Don’t scoop up to the notes and let the ‘N’ ring on the pitch for a second before singing the vowel.

Repeat the exercise with Nan, Nen, Nin.

Exercise 8

Remember to sing ‘through’ the consonants and connect them with the vowels.

Exercise 9

Another one to train the breath support. You should be very aware of connection to your breathing muscles.

Exercise 10

Repeat with Nan, Nen, Nin.

Exercise 11

Now we prepare for the staccato. Cut the ‘hm’ off with a slight jerk of the diaphragm. Do not breath between the notes, thereby keeping the rib and chest muscles out.

Exercise 12

Now we try the staccato. Do not make a glottal attack–start immediately on the note, and do not aspirate (an ‘h’ before the note).

Keep the breath out while doing the appoggio (diaphragm jerk).

Exercise 13

Here you could start with the ‘m’ if you find it easier.

Exercise 14

Here we increase the range. Remember to lift the diaphragm on the last seven notes.

Exercise 15

This is a good one for practising legato. Sing through the consonants and make the vowels as long as possible, without any holes in between.

Exercise 16

Breathe between the two halves of the exercise. Also try different vowels and voiced consonants eg wang, weng, wong, söng, süng, song, etc.

Exercise 17

To feel the place where the ‘dome’ is. Mix the consonants and vowels in one ringing stream of tone.

Exercise 18

This one is particularly good for singing pure vowels without moving the lips too much. try to keep the lips as closed and relaxed as possible, and form the vowels only with the tongue. Look in the mirror to see that the lips do not move too much.

Exercise 19

Keep the mouth in one position, and try to form the vowels only with the tongue. Using lips to form vowels only wastes valuable muscle energy.

Exercise 20

Another one for practising flexibility of the diaphragm.

Exercise 21

Exercise 22

Now you learn the trill. Begin slowly, gradually going faster and faster until you feel you can go into the trill. No breaths in between and remember to use the diaphragm.

Exercise 23

The same but with a bigger jump.

Exercise 24

Do not slur the notes. Think it on the same level. Try different consonants eg ni, nu, nü, na, ne. But keep the vowels very pure.

Exercise 25

How to sing intervals without putting an ‘h’ between the notes or slurring. Think of it as one steady line. Don’t drop the tongue too suddenly after attacking with the ‘j’. The ‘a’ should be part of the ‘j’.

Exercise 26

Exercise 27

Remember to try and keep one line. You can also start on other voiced consonants.

Exercise 28

You should experience a strong vibration on the ‘v’. Remember the diaphragm action when you go up to the second half of the exercise. You could also try other vowels eg vo, vi, vö, vü, vu.

Exercise 29

Again, remember to keep one line, and don’t forget to keep the lower rib and chest muscles out.

Exercise 30

Now we do it staccato. Don’t take a breath in between. Also try other vowels.

Exercise 31

Good for learning to use as little breath as possible. Don’t breathe in between and don’s attack with extra breath.

Exercise 32

For mixing the vowels equally and getting the voice forward in the mask resonance. It helps if you put a ‘j’ in between eg vi-je. Also try it on vi-jo and vi-ju.

Exercise 33

For good diction and flexibility without losing the legato line.

Exercise 34

Now we enlarge the compass. Beginners should not go above their middle range. Take a snatch breath before the staccato.

Exercise 35

For good diction whilst keeping the legato line. You should exercise different vowels and consonants eg mano, vanno, gioja, cielo, vieni, luna, sposa, come, credo, citta, wonne, freude, stille, keine, müde, süße, schöne. The vowels should be very pure.

Exercise 36

To keep an open throat on all vowels.

Exercise 37

For rolling the ‘r’ and stopping the breath on the ‘s’ of ‘sol’. The crescendo and decrescendo helps you control the breath.

Exercise 38

To sing through the consonants in a continuous flow.

Exercise 39

Crescendo and decrescendo on a closed vowel. Give the necessary room by dropping the jaw on the vowel but keep the lips as closed as possible.

Exercise 40

The closed German vowel helps us to practise singing piano. You could also use the Italian ‘luna’. Direct the sound into the mask resonance.

Exercise 41

If you have too much tremolo or vibrato, this will help you smooth out the tone.

Exercise 42

This is to help you give full value to shorter, subdivided notes. Most singers have a tendency to swallow the short notes. Here you should take care to give every note it’s full value and sing through the semiquavers with a legato line.

Exercise 43

Exercise 44

Exercise 45

Exercise 46