Solomon Markovich Khromchenko: Bolshoi Tenor and Pedagogue, Part 2

The following article is the second of two installments of a series of monographs written by Solomon Markovich Khromchenko (1907 - 2002) and translated for The Opera Quarterly by his granddaughter Nadia Sikorsky. One of the Bolshoi's leading tenors from 1934 - 1957, Khromchenko was born in the small Ukrainian town of Zlatopol, where he sang in the choir of a local synagogue while still a boy. He studied at the Kiev Conservatory with Mikhail Engel-Kron (1929 - 1931) and then pursued postgraduate training at the Moscow Conservatory (1932 - 1935) , where he worked with Ksenia Dorliak (mother of soprano Nina Dorliak). For more information, please see the introductory note to part 1 of the series, published in The Opera Quarterly 21 (1) .

Vocal and Technical Difficulties Encountered by Students

Singing is easy either for a dilettante or for a unique kind of singer who possesses an inborn, "naturally" trained voice. But even such a singer would have to spend some time mastering the vocal art, though the road to the heights of this art might seem surprisingly easy to him. A comparison can be made with a dramatic actor: a genius does not need the Stanislavsky system, even if he does not reach the top at once. The overwhelming majority of singers, as well as dramatic actors, require a long time to become masters. This is a long and difficult road.

Why is it long and why is it difficult?

The difficulties are the proper breathing, the correct positioning and projection of the sound, supporting the voice, and knowing how to use the resonators. One should mention also the overall musical development and, last but not least, the routine of self-discipline, which is as important as learning to sing properly.

All this does not come to a singer at once. It has to enter his flesh and blood and become natural. And this takes years. Moreover, even a professional singer, both at the onset of his career and when he becomes a generally recognized master, still has to overcome certain vocal difficulties in each performance and in each new part.

But I don't want to make it sound negative. And I certainly never say this to my students when we begin to work together. A person who wants to learn to sing and who knows how to study, how to work on his voice, will overcome all the obstacles set in his way to the summit of the Art. There are many vocal and technical complexities. Some of them need to be mentioned only once. To cope with others might require weeks, months, or even longer. This should not scare one away. The most important thing to remember is gradualness and persistence.

To date there is no single, universally recognized school of voice training. Each pedagogue teaches his students his way, recalling how he himself was taught and using his own pedagogical and singing experience. Iclearly remember that at the beginning of my studies, my first voice teacher seemed not to focus my attention on breathing, but rather demanded the correct support and projection of the sound. Later he talked to me about breathing a great deal, but this was when I had already mastered it to a certain degree, so that his remarks regarding breathing could not affect other components.

I believe that this historical and deeply rooted individualism in voice training may be explained by the absence of an authoritative school. There are no clear and precise arguments on which pedagogues can base their work with students. At present, in fact, a small group of enthusiasts is searching for a scientifically proven, single correct method of teaching. I mean the vocal laboratory of our Institute, and I wish good luck to this handful of researchers. In the meantime, however, we shall continue in the old-fashioned way.

So, coming back to voice training, I would like to repeat that all...