How to Sing [Meine Gesangskunst]

How to Sing [Meine Gesangskunst] is Lilli Lehmann's rigorous exposition of vocal technique, uniting practical instruction with the reflective authority of a great stage artist. Treating breath, resonance, registers, diction, tone placement, and interpretation as parts of a single disciplined art, the book belongs to the great late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century tradition of vocal pedagogy, yet it is strikingly personal in method and tone. Its style is analytical, exacting, and occasionally aphoristic, shaped by the conviction that singing is both physiological craft and imaginative expression. Lehmann, one of the most celebrated German sopranos of her era, brought to this treatise the authority of an extraordinary operatic career. Renowned for her work in Mozart, Wagner, and the broader dramatic repertoire, she combined technical command with intellectual seriousness. Her long experience on the international stage, and her concern for the preservation of healthy, expressive singing, clearly inform the book's insistence on patient study and bodily awareness. This volume is recommended to singers, teachers, musicologists, and historically minded readers seeking insight into a foundational voice tradition. Though some terminology reflects its period, Lehmann's central principles remain illuminating for anyone interested in the union of technique, artistry, and disciplined self-knowledge.