Singing in the 20th Century

Other types of phonation include the balanced attack, in which there is neither glottal “stroke” nor breathy sound, and the breathy attack, in which there is real and obvious loss of breath in phonation. Many pedagogues favor the balanced attack. There is no question but that the balanced attack requires greater vocal control than either the glottal or breathy attacks and is of great use in singing non-German art song and opera. Proper German pronunciation, of course, will include a slight bump of the glottis in all words beginning with a vowel.

Vocalization is dependent, nevertheless, on a minimum of breath pressure in order for the voice to speak. All singers have had the experience of running out of breath while singing; the voice simply stops when there is insufficiency of breath pressure. That is why young singers generally need to expand their capacity of air at the same time they are learning to sing more efficiently; that is, while generating greater supply, they are also using less air to produce sound.

Should singers initiate sound from the glottis? That is certainly where the proper point of attack is sensed. Should there be a stroke or bump of the glottis when initiating the vowel?  Several situations suggest a very useful articulation of the glottal attack.

When singing in German, of course, proper enunciation of text requires the glottal touch.  Even when singing in other languages, dramatic scenes sometimes may suggest a firmer emphasis on certain words, and if the words begin with a vowel, the glottal attack may be indispensable. Employment of the glottal bump may be exercised for greater security of placement in exposed entrances; it can therefore assist young singers in locating the “place” where they may sense the speaking of their voices; and , finally, it may suggest the location the singer must discover to execute the balanced attack – which is neither breathy nor glottal at its base.

What, then, is the argument against the use of a touch or bump of the glottis in singing?  One difficulty may be suggested by the sometimes wooden and leathery sounds of mature male German singers (including Americans and others who have sung for too many years in German theatres).  It is possible, however, that the touch of the glottis is not the culprit in bad German singing. One effect may arise from the exaggeration of text that is sometimes heard in smaller German theatres. Singing more within the outer mouth (as in speech) than within the “line” of the singing voice for a number of years can certainly take its toll. On the other hand, German singers who have studied in the Italian school and appreciate the Italian emphasis on line, resonance, and suppleness, seem to manage the glottis very well. Such a tenor was Fritz Wunderlich, a singer who certainly understood the singing use of the Italian vowels.              Perhaps a greater evil in German singing is that of insufficiently     prepared young men (and women) attempting to become dramatic tenors and dramatic baritones (and dramatic sopranos and mezzos) in order to sing Wagner. Ironies abound, of course, since Wagner, himself, buried the orchestra and hired Germans, Czechs, and others with Italian training to sing at Bayreuth.  Today, males, in particular, may be trying to sing too loudly, with excessive mouthing and overly frontal singing which compromise the Italian vocal line and which actually reduce the carrying power of the voice.

One of the most beautiful of the German lirico spintos, Elizabeth Rethberg, certainly made use of the glottal attack. In a re-broadcast of her La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera, recorded in the late forties while singing the role of “Mimi,” she made a quiet entrance on the upper-middle E-natural, singing with a soft, yet full sound, gently bumping the glottis with perfect intonation.

Perhaps a re-evaluation of the “glottal” attack is in order. Where there is abuse of the voice, of course, nothing will help. At the same time, a voice used with discretion and based on a proper technique, will last many years.