Alfred Wolfsohn's pupils demonstrate his revolutionary musical ideas,

they include - Roy Hart - Marita Günther - Jill Johnson - Jenny Johnson

The following is a translation of his introductions - by Ralf Peters, read by Paul Silber on the disc

1. "The new sound combinations and connections that are possible between instruments and voices can be heard in the following English Canon, performed frist by a violin and then by a cello, then by male and female voices."

2. DEMONSTRATION.

3. "To complete the the comparison between voice and instrument, you will now hear part of a movement from Haydon's string quartet No 6, first played by instruments and then sung by male and female voices."

4. DEMONSTRATION.

5. "The extension of the vocal range, when connected to an increased consciousness of the dynamic, of colours and emotional expression, will give rise to a more accurate idea of what the human voice really is. This runs contrary to our understanding of the specialized voice, that is the soprano, alto, tenor or bass voice.

The human voice is not just the function of an anatomical structure called the larynx. It is the expression of the whole personality.

In modern psychology, Chinese wisdom speaks of the unity of opposites. This reality is becoming more and more recognized now. Height is based on depth, male is inter-related with female, heaven is reliant on earth. This unity also exists in the human voice. To show how this unity works and how the uniting of opposites can be attained, we will now listen to one single voice, that Jill Johnson's singing extracts of Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute". She now sings each of the arias depicting the characters of - Pamina, Tamino, Papagena, Papageno, the Queen of the night and Sarastro."

6. DEMONSTRATION

7. "Jill Johnson now speaks all the parts of Rilke´s "Cornett", to show how the extension of the vocal range can also be used to give emotional expression to the speaking voice as well as the sung voice."

8. DEMONSTRATION

Alfred Wolfshon - London 1955

 

Index page of "Alfred Wolfsohn - his musical ideas"