TRAINING A SINGER IN ITALY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 9 October 1922, Page 6

TRAINING A SINGER IN ITALY.

"Writing from Naples, a Wellington lady, at present resident there with her daughter, who is studying at the Conservatorium in that city, gives some very interesting glimpses of the musical world and of life in general in Naples. Professor Roche, under whom her daughter is studying, is known all over Europe. He has

pupils doing "leads" in opera in America, England and France^ as well as in Italy. "We have had some very interesting chats about artists/ she writes. "He was very fond of Caruso, and was at one time the baritone to Caruso's tenor.. He considers Melba a great artist. As a teacher of singing he is simply wonderful. I never realised what artists the Italians were until I saw him teach. lam always in the room during the lesson with B—. It is the custom here. He starts off with a young voice just as if he were

handling & delicate flower. Above everything, the tone must be preserved; forcing or pushing or, loudness of any kind is instantly checked. The pupil must have an empty stomach, to enable her to breathe properly and freely. She must have had her sleep and be in no way tired. She must practise deep breathing daily, and in fact be as fit as a fiddle, or the great little man will send her home to bed. ' All being well, the pupil starts her lesson, and the knowledge of what she is to do is put before her so that un-

less she is a bom stupid she cannot fail to understand. -First the doh ra me fa,so la te doh. The whole of everything written to music has to be learned like that. She has to so learn it that when later on an opera is put before her she can read it at sight. | This is only the very first part of what" L,,the pupil must learn. The thoroughness of the method cannot \fail to turn out good singers. \