Elements of Expression, Vocal and Physical

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1896. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XVI. TONE COLOR. The power of some painters is so great, that, by one stroke of the brush, they can change the nature of a picture. They can convert a dismal scene into a smiling one, a weeping into a laughing child. We can as quickly and completely color an emotion b3' means of vocal quality. Faure tells us, that the speaker's palette is as rich and varied as that of the painter. Besides its lights and shadows, its broken tones and brilliant colors, it possesses infinite varieties of rhythm and timbre that may be combined to produce endless effects. In order to do this, we must color the words to fit the thought they express, we must make the sound seem an echo to the sense. The following from Moore's--Puck The Fairy, can only be justly rendered in a light, jaunty, delicate mnuner corresponding with its mirthful flow. To a raiser's bed, where he snoring slept And dreamt of his cash, I slily crept: Chink, chink o'er his pillow like money I rang, And he waked to catch-but away I sprang, Singing, I am the sprite Of the merry midnight, light! Who laugh at weak mortals, and love the moou Observe how inappropriate the bright, gay colors of the former would be to express tlie following from The Homeless Poor. There black waters in their luring silence Under loathsome ashes crawl and creep, There the rats and vermin her.l together, There God's poor ones sometimes come to sleep. In slow darkness creeps the dismal river From its depths looks up a sinful rest, Many a weary, baffled, hopeless wanderer Has it drawn into its treacherous breast. Adelaide A. Procter. T!i is cheerless picture requires vocal colors sombre as the dismal river.' All writers of merit since Homer's day have understood the charm and potency of words whose sound echoes their se...