Garcia the Centenarian and His Times: Being a Memoir of Manuel Garcia's Life and Labours for the Advancement of Music and ScienceMackinlay, M. (Malcolm) Sterling
History
Garcia the Centenarian and His Times: Being a Memoir of Manuel Garcia's Life and Labours for the Advancement of Music and Science
"I need scarcely mention how the maestro's clear, intelligent, and
thorough method furthered my artistic efforts. His ideas on the
female voice and its development were a revelation to me, and they
were the foundation of my future career. With Nicolai and
Mendelssohn I had only studied classical music; now Garcia
initiated me into the style of the Italian school, as at that time
a florid execution was the principal aim of all good singers. The
compositions of Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti were the chief
objects of study, and I was obliged, therefore, to work away at
countless scales, arpeggios, &c., and, what was worse still, with
the metronome, which sometimes rendered me almost desperate.
"Besides Garcia, Bordogni and Banderali were also justly
celebrated at this time, but he alone had made a thorough study of
anatomy and physiology.
"All the maestro's pupils were enthusiastic about him, and
patiently submitted to the necessity of waiting sometimes for hours
in the anteroom, as he permitted no one to assist at his lessons.
When at length the anxiously awaited moment had, as we thought,
arrived, he often sent us home with the remark, 'I am tired,
children; I will see you to-morrow.' Whenever this occurred we were
terribly disappointed, but this wonderfully gifted man's next
lesson made us soon oblivious of the previous day's deprivation.
"In the spring of 1847 Garcia fell from his horse and broke his
right arm, which accident prevented him for a time from continuing
his lessons. He therefore intrusted me with a number of his private
pupils. I was very much flattered with this mark of distinction and
the confidence thus placed in me, and as he had on various
occasions already confided many of his beginners to me, I was not
afraid of the responsibility, more especially as I was always able
to go to him for advice in difficult cases."
Four years after Mdlle. Graumann had commenced her studies with the
maestro, she followed him to London, and soon obtained high standing as
a mezzo-soprano concert singer. In 1852 her marriage took place, and two
years later she accepted the post of professor at the Vienna
Conservatoire. From the first her attempts at carrying on the Garcia
traditions of "Bel canto" singing met with the crown of success, and
during the succeeding years Mme. Marchesi turned out such pupils as
Ilma de Murska, Fricci, and Kraus, to bring fresh fame to the already
glorious banner of Manuel Garcia. 1861 saw her removal to Paris, where
pupils came from all parts, while about this time her text-book, 'École
du Chant,' was published.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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