-

Lore lisciier
ULLETIN
INTERVIEWS...
Lore Fischer
TNB: Frau Fischer, iou have had an enviable career
both as singer and teacher. I-ro,n tour vast storehouse
of
performance experiences iou must have a large reservoir
of know/edge to impart to the mature student. Yet, not
aiwa is, even with the mature student, have all vocal
problems been resolved. Do iOU then return once again to
the basics
of
technique with such a singer? How does the
wise teacher proceed in such cases?
LF: After I have made a thorough examination of a voice
new to me, including range extension and the varying
kinds of literature -literature which includes intensive
consideration of legato line in singing, the coloratura
factor, the rapid change of forte and piano, as well as the
demonstration of a command of the events of consonant
and vowel -I acquire an approximate picture of the
possible vocal problems that the young artist is encoun-
tering.
Next, I question the singer as to the degree to which he
or she is aware of the shortcomings my ear identifies, and
then I try to point out the best way to overcome those
shortcomings.
TNB: When a toung singer comes to you with a fine
instrument, but with little vocal technique and with a
limited performance background, where ,night ou most
probably begin with technical work?
LF: Whatever the case, I begin by establishing the basics
of a dependable vocal technique. First of all, this consists
of consciously establishing a proper working of correct
breathing, with resultant efficient breath support.
Essential to this technique is a clear understanding of
what is meant by complete relaxation and expansion.
Then, from the proper understanding of these functions
may grow the feeling for one's individual perception of
resonance capacity; such individual concept is essential
for the beauty of the voice and for effortless mastery.
If the young singer has little or no performance
experience, and consequently lacks a positive feeling for
vocal style, I would introduce him or her to easy and
practical examples from differing periods of the vocal
repertoire.
Moreover, a young singer should make use of every
opportunity to hear examples of good performance in
concert and opera, further educating him or her through
the rich treasury of recorded performances from
authoritative interpreters available to us today.
TNB: As you so well know, there exist a number of
viewpoints regarding the best wat' to manage breath for
singing (breath support). Please allow me to ask several
rather specific questions regarding the process of
breathing fr singing: 1) in what position should the chest
be found immediate/i prior to inhalation. 2) exact/)
where in the torso is expansion flt in inhalation, 3) how
long should that initial position he maintained, and 4)
what is the position of the rib cage at the beginning of
inhalation and at the close of a relative/i' long phrase?
IF: I assume that by chest and by rib ('age you mean one
and the same thing. I will base my answers to your
questions on this supposition. 1 answer in four parts:
I) With inhalation -which should be practiced by
slow breathing exercises -approximately three-to-four
seconds should be involved, during which the breath is
taken slowl y through partly-closed lips with the ribs and
sternum raised; accordingly. the diaphragm descends,
and simultaneously the intercostal muscles stretch
outward; thereby the chest cavity is considerably
enlarged. Consequently, the diaphragm must extend
itself, together with the increased expansion of the rib
cage, against the stomach wall. This is the position it
achieves immediately following the act of inhalation.
2) Expansion resulting from this inhalation will he felt
throughout the entire torso. At the same time, particular
attention must be taken to ensure that the breath be kept
low and that it not be pushed into the upper areas of the
lung.
3) After the singer has become sensually aware of this
position, and has trained the intercostal muscles
(stretched long and wide) to stay in this position, he or she
may remain in this near-inspiratory position for a very
long time. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that the
student not initially inhale too much breath, in which case
the breathing muscles will be tense, and exhalation may
then not proceed either slowly or evenly.
4) Ideally, the position of the rib cage experienced at
the moment of inhalation should be maintained through-
out the long phrase. A natural, relaxed (but upright)
posture gives the student the correct feeling for breath
apportionment, in a relatively brief period of time.
TNB: Do males and femnales breathe in the same manner
.for singing?
LF: The basic principles of the singer's breath, as already
discussed in the preceding questions, are identical for
male and female. Nevertheless, low breathing in a man
may be developed more in the direction of the abdominal
cavity, whereas the female anatomy requires more
emphasis on the intercostal and sternal regions. In any
case, one often sees less dangerously high breathing in
men than in women.
TNB: How do you assist the student in acquiring agility
in singing? Are there specific vocalises that you use?
Could You indicate some of them for us?
10JAN FEB 1982
LF: With every voice which presents itself to me I deal
with exercises for both relaxation and muscular activity.
Above all, the elasticity of the diaphragm is required for
agility. For the development of the essential flexibility of
the diaphragm. I require that the student inhale properly,
that he or she hold the breath, and then exhale with a
slight outward push on the repeated sound [php]. It is
very important that one train the abdominal-
diaphragmatic muscles to move outward during this
vocalise.
After the action of this movement is correctly
established. I give the student rapid descending mordent
exercises (Figure I), with the first tone articulated by a
light impulse from an elastic, supple diaphragm. This
action is followed by a double-mordent (Figure 2), and
then by short, rapid triplet exercises on "da" or
whereby the pronunciation of the consonant, with the tip
of the tongue exactly located behind and in contact with
the top teeth, is exactly coordinated with a light flexible
out wardpush of the diaphragmatic wall (Figures 3 and 4).
-I I I
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Another group of ascending exercises then follows.
executed within the range of only a 5th, in small sequences
of 4, then 5, and finally, 6 and 7 notes (Figures 5. 6, 7 and
8). All of these exercises must be done very rhythmically
and always in connection with a feeling of relaxation in
the areas of head and shoulders, and with flexible strength
in the breathing apparatus.
II
-' --' !-
('Music copied b y William D. Lever/c)
TNB: / have heard recordings 0/jour OWfl singing, and I
am aliiars struck hr i'our marvelous legato line and hr
the constan tlr vibrant tone displa red, two aspects of
singing whichI must confess I do not alwa y s hear from
some of y our German colleagues. Two questions follow
from this observation: I) do y ou agree that legato and
vibrant tone as musical and vocal ideals are often lacking
among a number of German-trained singers? and 2) how
do y ou go about teaching the student to sing a vibrant,
legato line?
IT: Perhaps the fact that even as a child I knew
instinctively that I would become a singer could help
explain what you so kindly say about my own singing.
Very early I began to play the violin, and I searched there
for the tonal ideal of compactness and richness (I)ichiig-
keit des Manges), legato. and natural vitality (natrli-
chen Lehen), vibrato, that I believe quite naturally
carried over into my own singing!
With regard to your two questions. I must reply that
unfortunately it is often the case in the training of German
singers that too little attention is paid to the natural Ideal
Tone (Idealk/ang), the natural quality of each singing
voice. Therefore, my work is often concerned to a large
extent with detecting stiffness and tightness in the singing
muscles, and disclosing the manifold and most delicate
interplay of those two important poles in singing: proper
tensions, and relaxations. While making the student
conscious of the necessity of this dynamic interplay of
tension and relaxation. I work together with him or her to
bring to life the singer' s individual Ideal Tone.
As a purely technical device for achieving this balance,
I have my students sing low scales in a concentrated,
vibrant legato, followed by slow triads in the same way (I
may also suggest a Lied by Schubert!), and finally, very
slow octaves in ascending chromatic patterns.
TNB: In relation to the previous question, when one
sings Bach or other late Baroque vocal literatures, should
one re/i' heavil y on straight tone as some people current/i'
believe? In jour viewpoint is this vocal/i' a sound device
and is it st y listicall y correct:)
l.l': It is correct that with Bach and other composers of
the late Baroque Period, one can make use of a calmer,
more instrumentally-conceived vocal color, but by no
means can a "dead" vocal color do justice to this glorious
music. I would never build a voice upon this vocal
coloration - upon an absolutely straight tone and.
indeed. I hold such a practice to be stylistically incorrect
as well.
Of course, we all know that in Bach' s time, the solo
vocal parts were sung by bo ys' voices. But does not a boy' s
voice also have a natural life and vitality of its own' ? I.
myself, have sung an infinite amount of Bach. I was for
many years a major soloist at the most important
performances in the 'J'homaskirche, Leipzig, and at all the
great Bach Festivals, but it never occurred to me to
consciousl y alter my vocal sound while singing Bach!
Naturally, extremely big, unfocussed voices, and
bombastic operatic tones, are inappropriate to the
realization of either the clear, instrumental lines of Bach' s
music or to the absolute equality of each of his ingenious
parts, be that part given over to the human voice, the
oboe, the flute, the violin, the cello, or whatever. Ifwc are
successful in educating the young singer to listen to the
totality of the musical texture, so that the singer
understands that his or her own vocal instrument is but
(Continued)
IAN l :
FH 1992
one part be it subsidiary or prominent - of this
wonderful musical whole, the singer will gradually find
the correct approach to an authentic Bach style for the
voice.
TNB: You have taught a number of American singers
both in Europe and during tour American master class
tours. Are there ant specific "A ?nerican" problems that
You discern in those voices, related either to language or
culture?
IF: Yes, there are some problems for the American
singer, above all in the treatment of the consonants of the
German language, and in the essential differentiation of
vowel definition and color. These factors are naturally
difficult for a non-native singer of the German language.
First, 1 would like to comment about those "carriers of
expression" (Ausdruckstrager) of the German language
the consonants. German consonants in singing must be
worked on diligently to attain their exact individual
character. The voiced consonants [1], [m], [n], [s], [z], [v],
and such unvoiced phonetic sounds as [st] and [s]
illustrate the inner content of a single word or a musical
line in German. as for example with such words as S tille,
schon, se/mend. wU/mend, ladielnd, S c/ilaf sinki. The
plosive sounds [h] and
[p]
must be made by an intensive
pressing of the lips; [d] and [t] by an intensive pressing of
the tip of the tongue behind the upper teeth (0 Tod; Don
in den Weiden). In [g] and [k] the tongue articulates
against the hard palate, at the same time lifting itself away
from the epiglottis, making possible a free and open
sound on the vowel which follows (Mein Gott; Komm, o
komnie bald).
Let us touch on the second major linguistic problem in
German for the American singer: German vowel sounds.
Depending if one or two consonants follow a vowel, such
vowel will be either open or closed. Here are several
examples of open and closed vowels juxtaposed in words
with single and double consonants: Abend-Ap
fel, Ofen-
offen, Liehe-Lippe. reden-ret ten. An important pitfall for
the American singer is to be found in the gutteralization
of several sounds which are perfectly normal in American
speech and which are not usable in German: these are the
vowels [a], [e], and [i] and the consonant [1]. Of value
pedagogically then, for the American who must sing in
German, is the development of a new sense of sound for
these phonemes, and to coordinate the inseparable
connection between tongue po.s' ition / tongue movement
and those vocal sounds. In so doing, one must pay
particular attention that the bright vowels [a], [e], and [i]
are not additionally influenced by lateral tension in the
facial muscles. Such lateral tension results in a shrill or
hollow sound.
TNB: You are a . frequent adjudicator at international
competitions/or singers in several parts
ofihe
world. In
Your judgment, has the level
ofperformance
achievement
risen or has it lowered in the last decade?
IF: When I reflect upon the level of the competitions
that I have adjudicated in the last ten years. I must say
that the performance level has neither greatly risen nor
greatly lowered. I did notice at a recent competition in
Rio de Janeiro that all the participants were very well
prepared. Of course, when one considers the international
character of such competitions, good preparation should
From the President
( ( 0 n1 i1 7 1 1 C d . 1 r0 t?1 page 7 )
than twenty now. I pledge that NA IS
will Continue to publish worthwhile
materials for our membership.
Workshop and NATSAA are two
outstanding programs under the
sponsorship of NAT S, these will be
enhanced with the creation ofadviso-
ry councils that will assist the officers
responsible for the program. Song
composition is an area that needs
encouragement; we must explore
ways to foster more creative song
writing by leading composers of
today. We need an"ErlkOnig" for the
twentieth century. Lastl y, our NAFS
Foundation is worthy of our fullest
support and encouragement.
I earnestly seek your assistance
and help as my term of office begins.
Do convey to the national hoard
your wishes for a more effective
organization, an organization that
will better serve your professional
needs.
When we have finished singing
"Auld Lang Sync" at the close of our
convention, might we achieve a spirit
of camaraderie that will lift our
spirits and inspire new dedication to
the art of teaching singing, a spirit
that will carry us through the winter
and into the first bright blooms of
spring. Is it too much to accept the
words of Ralph Waldo Emerson
when he says:
"To whatsoever upright mind, to
whatsoever heating heart I speak, to
VOL] it is committed to educate men.
By simple living, by an illimitable
soul, you inspire, you correct, you
embellish all. By your own art you
teach the beholder how to do the
practicable. According to the depth
from which you draw your life, such
is the depth not only of your effort,
but of your manners and your
presence. Work straight on in abso-
lute dutr,and you lend an arm and an
encouragement to all the youth of the
universe. Consent yourself to be an
organ of your highest thought, and
lo, suddenly you put all men in your
debt, and are the foundation of an
energy that goes pulsing on with
waves of energy to the borders of
society."
This ke y note address %t' asgit' en at the
Vatio,zal C onvention, Louisville,
Kentuck y . December, 1 981 .
POCKET COACH
PUBLICATIONS
STUDY TAPES FOR SINGERS
STEREO CASSETTE TAPES
OF ITALIAN AND GERMAN ART SONGS
REFERENCE FOR VOICE TEACHERS AND
STUDY AID TO STUDENTS
AND VOCAL PERFORMERS
Each song is presented in logical steps:
1. The poem is recited by native speaker,
word for word translation included.
2. The poem is spoken in short phrases, with
pauses for student to repeat ( similar to
language study tapes).
3. The poem is melodically spoken over the
melody to insure correct diction ( German
only).
4. The piano accompaniment is played with
the melody line, but can be heard sepa-
rately if desired on stereo equipment.
POCKET COACH STUDY TAPES enable the
voice teacher to concentrate on vocal pro-
duction and expressionno singing on
tapesideal for lesson accompaniment and
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Each tape ( 6-8 songs) $14.95
Set Italian Art Songs ( 3 tapes) $36.00
Set German Lieder ( 6 tapes) $72.00
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THE RING 1982
Seattle and the
Wagner Festival
German Cycle:
July 23-30
English Cycle:
July 31-August 7
I n c ludes opera t ic ket s, tour of Mt .
Ranier, cruise to Victoria, B.C.,
and much more!
LONDON '82
Fine Arts Tour
May 22 - June 6
(: )a I
be a foregone conclusion, but it has not always been so.
Even in the last rounds of contests in which the highest
demands are made upon those who reach that level,
singers are sometimes so masterful that the first and
second prizes have been shared respectively because
several contestants meet the same high performance
standards. This has been increasingly true in the last five
years. in this I see something of an improving tendency in
the level of such competitions, and I would here like to
congratulate the up-and-coming generation of singers. I
would also like to dedicate to them all my effort and love,
and hope that they will never tire in the pursuit and
aspiration toward the highest goal in the art of singing.
TNB: Mani' thanks to y ou, Frau Fischer, fr your
willingness to share y our vii eit'poitits on singing with us. it
has ahi'ai's been exciting to watch You teach and to hear
the positive results of tour teaching in the performances
y our students. Best wishes for continued success!
[The Editor wishes to acknowledge the assistance of'
Mr. Carl Davis. Stuttgart, in the translation of this
interview.]
Frau Kammersngerin lore Fischer ha s been a promin en t figure in
the Europea n c on c ert n or!d/or severa l (lei a c /i's. She ha s performed wit h
t oot ! of f/u, in ie'rn wiun a lli'-a c c la imed c on duc t ors a n d orc hest ra s
of
her
gen era t ion . a s well a s a t ma /or music fest iva ls. She ha s in t roduc ed a
la rge repert ory f c on t empora r y voc a l lit era t ure, muc h u/it writ t en fur
her b y n ot ed c omposers. Fra u Fisc her wa s Jr a n umber of' yea rs
Pr
ofessor
a ! t he /loi'hst j a le fur . t usik, Swt t ga rt , a n d c urren t /v t ea c hes
priva t eh a n d a t t he I n t ern a t ion a le Somn iera ka demn ie, ' Mo:a rt eum,"
Sa l:/mrg. She i
s
/rc quen f member of a djudic a t ion pa n els a t
in t ern a t ion a l vu a ! c omn pet it ion . s on severa l c on t in en t s, a n d oft en gives
020. 5/er I a ss,'s
t it
Europe a n d t he U. S.
PLEASE SEND CHANGE OFADDRESS NOTICE 60 DAYS IN ADVANCE
Opera at Covent Ga rden , South
ba n k Concerts, West en d Thea t re,
Museum &Ca t hedra l Lec t ures,
Overn ight to Bath &St ra t
ford,
-
just some
of
t he highlight s!
18 DAY
CHINA TOUR
October 1982
Chinese cultural performances,
Ga rden s &a rc heologic a l digs.
For Free Brochures,
Contact Your Fine Arts
Travel Agency
RIVERSIDE TRAVEL
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414-542-1333 Telex 2-6803
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ENGLISH SONG COLLECTIONS
The Recording:
Engl i s h Song Reci tal
Ian Partridge sings -and Jennifer
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record album of English Songs by
Gurney, Delius, Warlock, and Vaughan
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International, PLE136/7 $17.96
The Printed Music:
Engl i s h Song Col l ecti ons
A selection of our publications, in
which are the songs recorded above,
and many more -
IVOR GURNEY: A Fi fth Vol ume of
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By a Bierside;Desire in Spring:
Severn Meadows: Song of Ciabhen;
The Apple Orchard: The Cloths of
Heaven: The Fields are Full;The
Night of Trafalgar;The Twa Corbies:
Walking Songs
FREDERICK DELIUS (Texts edi t-
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Young Venevil;Twilight Fancies;
Hidden Love;The Minstrel;The
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Sleep;Pretty Ring Time;Rest, sweet
nymphs;Sigh no more, ladies;And
wilt thou leave me thus?;Passing by;
Robin Good-fellow;Fair and true;
The Lover's maze;Cradle Song:
Jillian of Berry: Twelve Oxen
And many single songs by R.
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
All these and many more are listed in
our new SOLO SONG CATALOGUE. If
you didn't stop to pick up your copy of
this new catalogue at the NATS Con-
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too MADISON AVIN%JI. NEW YORK, NY l?Ql
JAN FEB 1982