At the close of the 16th century, Spanish Soprani were in very great request; and were, indeed, preferred to all others, until the year 1601, when a far more momentous change was introduced.
During nearly the whole of the 17th and the greater part of the 18th centuries, the Theatres of Europe were supplied with adult male Soprano and Contralto Voices, preserved by a process so barbarous, that at one time it was forbidden, in Italy, on pain of death. Yet, notwithstanding this penalty, and its inherent wickedness, the system prospered, and enriched the Stage with many of its most accomplished ornaments, such as Nicolini Grimaldi, Senesino, Carestini, Pacchierotti, Farinelli, and others. It has been said that Farinelli's wonderful Soprano Voice was accidentally preserved: and the story is probably true; for it is certain that very fine Voices are sometimes preserved by accident, and quite reasonable to suppose that such accidents may very frequently happen, though, should the sufferers possess no musical talent, one is not likely to hear of them. In these purely accidental cases, no Singer, with a good Voice, has ever been refused admission into the Pontifical Choir: but the transgression of the Law, which was formerly punishable with death, now renders the offender de facto excommunicate, and therefore effectually prevents his reception into the Collegio. One of the most learned and accomplished Musicians in Rome, now in command of one of its most celebrated Choirs, remembers the admission of three artificial Voices, accidentally produced, while he was studying under Baini. Two of them proved too weak to be used, except as ripieni; but the third developed into a magnificent Soprano.
The first Soprano Singer of this kind permitted to sing in the Sistine Chapel, was a Priest named Girolamo Rosini, a member of the Congregation of S. Philip Neri, who was received into the College in 1601, and died in 1644. Since his time, such Voices have always been found in the Choir: and such a Voice is now actually possessed, by its present head, Signer Mustafa. But, the trained Soprano falsetto, which needs no accident to produce it, is not yet extinct.[1]
Italian Choir-Masters draw a careful distinction between the different Voices they employ. The Voce bianca or naturale, is by no means uncommon, but produces only Contralto Singers. The true adult Soprano, arte fatta (made by method[2]), is an excessively rare Voice, produced 'rather in the head than in the chest or throat,' and lasting, generally, to extreme old age, to the astonishment of the uninitiated hearer, who cannot understand its co-existence with a long white beard.[3] The distinguished Musician on whose authority we make these statements, had, quite lately, three such Soprani in his Choir. One of them died, a short time ago, at the age of 74, singing to the last. The other two are still singing Treble, at 70 years of age. There is also, at the Church of S. Giovanni Laterano, a Youth of 17 or 18, whose Voice is said to be the most heavenly Soprano imaginable; and our informant expresses his full belief that he will succeed in preserving it through life. The occurrence of such phenomena is, however, so exceptional, that the late Pope, Pius IX, founded the Scuola di S. Salvatore, near S. Peter's, for the express purpose of supplying the Choirs of Rome with Boys, subject, as in England, to be discharged on the breaking of their Voices.[4] [See Mutation.]
It remains only to say a few words concerning the style of Singing practised by this matchless Choir, and the lessons to be learned from it.
For the last three centuries at least—quite certainly ever since the production of the 'Missa Papæ Marcelli'—the one great aim of the Maestri has been, to bring the Music into the most intimate possible connection with the Service of which it forms part. One of the most important duties of the elected head of the Choir is to stand at the Grille, and carefully watch the Altar, in order that he may make signs to the Conductor, as often as it becomes desirable for him to retard or accelerate the Tempo, to introduce a forte, or to calm down the tone to pianissimo. At certain points in the Gloria and Credo, when the Celebrant takes off his Berretta, and bows his head, a pianissimo is always introduced. [See Mass.] When the Celebrant proceeds from the Sedilia to the Altar, the Tempo of the last Amen is so arranged that it may terminate exactly at the required moment. The Conductor beats time with a roll of Music called the [5]Solfa; and almost always with a simple up and down motion, two beats being accorded to each Semibreve in Common Time, and one only, when there are three Semibrevea in the Measure. As the Music is not divided into Bars, this method, which has been in use from time immemorial, answers its purpose perfectly. There are, also, certain traditional ornaments, and forms of expression, which are profound mysteries to the uninitiated. For instance, the Second and Third Lamentations, on the three last days in Holy Week, are sung, as is generally supposed, by a high Voice: but, when that Voice is too-weak for the task, it is assisted by another, which, even in the most difficult Abbellimenti keeps so exactly with it, that the two Voices are invariably mistaken for one. Again, there has long been a traditional way of making crescendi and diminuendi, which has astonished even the most experienced Choir Masters. The secret of this wonderful effect is, that, not only the amount of tone produced by each individual Voice, but the actual number of Voices employed, is gradually
- ↑ These statements are founded on information supplied to us by gentlemen resident in Rome, whose high position and long experience render their evidence more than ordinarily trustworthy.
- ↑ I.e. not by operation
- ↑ In Adami da Bolsena's 'Osservazioni' (Roma 1711) will be found numerous portraits of Soprani and Contralti, with long beards—many of them Priests.
- ↑ There are three principal Choirs, in Rome, besides that of which we are writing: (1) that of S. Peter's, now under the direction of Sig. Salvatore Meluzzi, consisting of from 16 to 18 members, of whom five possess the Voce bianca, two being Boys; (2) that of S. Giovanni Laterano, consisting of 12 members, of whom two are Boys; and (3) that of S. Maria Maggiore, consisting of eight members, with no Soprano Voices.
- ↑ Pronounced Sólfa, with the accent on the first syllable. The obedience enforced by this time-honoured instrument is so strict, that an Italian proverb says, of an imperious man, Egli batte la solfa.
