In an era of "mechanical" vocal training, The Voice of the Mind is a reminder that singing is an art of the invisible. It challenges students to stop doing and start thinking , shifting the focus from the throat to the imagination.
It includes an introductory lesson by the legendary tenor Beniamino Gigli , detailing his thoughts on breath control and vowel formation, as well as scientific commentary by acoustician Noel Bonavia-Hunt . Community Perspectives and Availability the voice of the mind edgar f herbert caesari pdf exclusive
He devotes significant space to nasal resonance. He argues that "nasality" (a bad, twangy sound) is not the same as "nasal resonance" (the buzzing, ringing quality that carries the voice). He encourages singers to cultivate a healthy "hum" sensation (like 'NG' or 'M') to place the voice forward and keep the throat open. In an era of "mechanical" vocal training, The
Here is a detailed review of the book and its concepts. Here is a detailed review of the book and its concepts
: One of the most famous contributions of the book is the detailed exploration of the "pharyngeal voice." Herbert-Caesari describes this as a "peculiar" mechanism, historically used by tenors of the Rossini and Bellini eras, which acts as a bridge between the modal (chest) and falsetto registers.
Herbert-Caesari was unique because he tried to use the science of his day (acoustics and anatomy) to explain why the Old Italian masters taught what they taught. He validates the old adage of "singing on the breath" with physiological explanations, aiming to bridge the gap between art and science.