Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 4: Sexual Selection In ManEllis, Havelock
Science
Studies in the Psychology of Sex, Volume 4: Sexual Selection In Man
Ellis, Havelock
Sex; Sex (Psychology)
Vaschide and Vurpas, who emphasize the sexually stimulating
effects of music, only bring forward one case in any detail, and
it is doubtless significant that this case is a woman. "While
listening to a piece of music X changes expression, her eyes
become bright, the features are accentuated, a smile begins to
form, an expression of pleasure appears, the body becomes more
erect, there is a general muscular hypertonicity. X tells us that
as she listens to the music she experiences sensations very like
those of normal intercourse. The difference chiefly concerns the
local genital apparatus, for there is no flow of vaginal mucus.
On the psychic side the resemblance is marked." (Vaschide and
Vurpas, "Du Coefficient Sexual de l'Impulsion Musicale,"
_Archives de Neurologie_, May, 1904.)
It is sometimes said, or implied, that a woman (or a man) sings
better under the influence of sexual emotion. The writer of an
article already quoted, on "Woman in her Psychological Relations"
(_Journal of Psychological Medicine_, 1851), mentions that "a
young lady remarkable for her musical and poetical talents
naïvely remarked to a friend who complimented her upon her
singing: 'I never sing half so well as when I've had a
love-fit.'" And George Eliot says. "There is no feeling, perhaps,
except the extremes of fear and grief, that does not make a man
sing or play the better." While, however, it may be admitted that
some degree of general emotional exaltation may exercise a
favorable influence on the singing voice, it is difficult to
believe that definite physical excitement at or immediately
before the exercise of the voice can, as a rule, have anything
but a deleterious effect on its quality. It is recognized that
tenors (whose voices resemble those of women more than basses,
who are not called upon to be so careful in this respect) should
observe rules of sexual hygiene; and menstruation frequently has
a definite influence in impairing the voice (H. Ellis, _Man and
Woman_, fourth edition, p. 290). As the neighborhood of
menstruation is also the period when sexual excitement is most
likely to be felt, we have here a further indication that sexual
emotion is not favorable to singing. I agree with the remarks of
a correspondent, a musical amateur, who writes: "Sexual
excitement and good singing do not appear to be correlated. A
woman's emotional capacity in singing or acting may be remotely
associated with hysterical neuroses, but is better evinced for
art purposes in the absence of disturbing sexual influences. A
woman may, indeed, fancy herself the heroine of a wanton romance
and 'let herself go' a little in singing with improved results.
But a memory of sexual ardors will help no woman to make the best
of her voice in training. Some women can only sing their best
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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