A (R) T ®
Harald Riedel, Trainer for the Alexander-Technique, member of ATI (Alexander Technique International)

Alexander nach seinem Arztbesuch:
If that is so, I must try to find out for myself

Schauspieler F. M. Alexander

Story Teil 1: Important Engagement

F. M. Alexander wurde 1869 in Tasmanien geboren. Das Foto zeigt ihn 1894.
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Alexander startete als Amateur-Rezitator von Shakespeare-Stücken und wurde durch Feedback ermutigt, in das Profilager zu wechseln.
From my early youth I took a delight in poetry and it was one of my chief pleasures to study the plays of Shakespeare, reading them aloud and endeavouring to interpret the characters. This led to my becoming interested in elocution and the art of reciting, and now and again I was asked to recite in public. I was sufficiently successful to think of taking up Shakespearean reciting as a career, and worked long and hard at the study of every branch of dramatic expression. After a certain amount of experience as an amateur, I reached the stage when I believed that my work could stand the severer test of being judged from the professional standard, and the criticisms I received justified me in deciding to take up reciting as a profession.
Einige Jahre ging alles gut, bis Alexander Probleme mit seinem Stimmapparat bekam.

Man beachte seine Fähigkeit seine "Malaisen" zu benennen. Dies lässt wohl auf eine gute Beobachtungsgabe schließen.
All went well for some years, when I began to have trouble with my throat and vocal cords, and not long after I was told by my friends that when I was reciting my breathing was audible, and that they could hear me (as they put it) "gasping" and "sucking in air" through my mouth.
Alexander war überrascht, von den üblichen Problemen seiner Branche eingeholt zu werden. Er glaubt vorher, er sei eine Ausnahme und so etwas könne ihm nicht passieren.
This worried me even more than my actual throat trouble which was then in its early stages, for I had always prided myself on being free from the habit of audibly sucking in breath which is so common with reciters, actors and singers.
Alexander sucht medizinischen Rat. Ungeachtet dessen nehmen seine Stimmprobleme nehmen zu.
I therefore sought the advice of doctors and voice trainers in the hope of remedying my faulty breathing and relieving my hoarseness, but in spite of all that they could do in the way of treatment, the gasping and sucking in of breath when I was reciting became more and more exaggerated and the hoarseness recurred at shorter intervals.
footnote: The medical diagnosis in my case was irritation of the mucous membrane of the throat and nose, and inflammation of the vocal cords which were said to be unduly relaxed. My uvula was very, long and at times caused acute attacks of coughing. For this reason two of my medical advisers recommended it should be shortened by a minor operation, but I did not follow this advice. I now have little doubt that I was suffering from what is sometimes called "clergyman's sore throat".
Die ärztliche Behandlung wird nach der Beschreibung von Alexander immer wirkungsloser.
The treatment I was receiving became less and less effective as time went on, and the trouble gradually increased until, after a few years, I found to my dismay that I had developed a condition of hoarseness which from time to time culminated in a complete loss of voice.
Alexander hatte bereits sein ganzes Leben über Erfahrungen mit einem schlechten Gesundheitszustand und begann nun die Gesundheit seines Stimmapparates in Frage zu stellen.
I had experienced a good deal of ill-health all my life and this had often been a stumbling-block to me, so that with the additional burden of my recurring hoarseness, I began to doubt the soundness of my vocal organs.
Der Höhepunkt der Krise kam, als Alexander ein wichtiges und attraktives Engagement angeboten wurde.
Die Zuverlässigkeit der Funktionsfähigkeit seiner Stimmorgane war an einem Punkt angekommen, wo er zweifelte, ob er das Engagement annehmen sollte.
The climax came when I was offered a particularly attractive and important engagement, for by this time I had reached such a stage of uncertainty about the conditions of my vocal organs that I was frankly afraid to accept it.
Alexander besuchte seinen Doktor ein weiteres Mal. Nach einer gründlichen Untersuchung versprach der Doktor, das - wenn er seine Stimme schone - seine Stimme zum gewünschten Zeitpunkt normal sein werde.
I decided to consult my doctor once more, even though the previous treatment had been disappointing. After making a fresh examination of my throat, he promised me that if, during the fortnight before my recital, I abstained from reciting and used my voice as little as possible and agreed to follow the treatment he prescribed, my voice by the end of that time would be normal.
Alexander folgt dem Rat seines Doktors und schont seine Stimme.

Am Termin seines Engagements ist er ziemlich frei von Heiserkeit.

Noch vor der Halbzeit war seine Stimme wieder in der gewohnten gestressten Situation.

Gegen Ende der Vorstellung konnte er kaum noch sprechen.
I acted on his advice and accepted the engagement. After a few days I felt assured that the doctor's promise would be fulfilled, for I found that by using my voice as little as possible I gradually lost my hoarseness. When the night of my recital came, I was quite free from hoarseness, but before I was halfway through my programme, my voice was in the most distressing condition again, and by the end of the evening the hoarseness was so acute that I could hardly speak.
Alexander sieht das Aus für seine Profession ("Berufsunfähigkeit"), die er so beschreibt:

"Meine Enttäuschung war so groß, dass ich sie gar nicht beschreiben kann."
Es erschien ihm so, als ob er nur gelegentlich auftreten und nicht seine professionelle Karriere fortsetzen könnte.
My disappointment was greater than I can express, for it now seemed to me that I could never look forward to more than a temporary relief, and that I should thus be forced to give up a career in which I had become deeply interested and believed I could be successful.
Alexander konsultiert seinen Doktor am nächsten Tag, um die Angelegenheit durchzusprechen. "Wir müssen mit der Behandlung fortfahren" sagt der Doktor. Ich sagte ihm, dass ich das nicht könne. Und als mich der Doktor fragte "Warum?" legte ich dar, dass ich gewissenhaft seine Anweisungen ausgeführt hatte, meine Stimme nicht während der Behandlung öffentlich zu gebrauchen. Der alte Zustand von Heiserkeit kehrte binnen einer Stunde zurück, nachdem ich begonnen hatte, meine Stimme in der Abendvorstellung wieder zu gebrauchen.
"Ist es dann nicht fair", fragte ich ihn, "zu schlussfolgern, dass es etwas war, das ich in dieser Abendvorstellung tat [und zwar in der Art und Weise, wie ich meine Stimme gebrauchte, das diese Schwierigkeiten verursacht hat]."
Er dachte einen Moment nach und sagte: "Ja, es muss so gewesen sein". "Können Sie mir dann sagen", fragte ich, "was es war, das ich tat, das diese Schwierigkeiten verursacht hat?" Er gab frei und offen zu, dass er das nicht konnte." "Also gut" erwiderte ich, "falls das so ist, dann muss ich es selber für mich versuchen herauszufinden.
I saw my doctor next day and we talked the matter over, and at the end of the talk I asked him what he thought we had better do about it. "We must go on with the treatment," he said. I told him I could not do that, and when he asked me why, I pointed out to him that although I had faithfully carried out his instruction not to use my voice in public during his treatment, the old condition of hoarseness had returned within an hour after I started to use my voice again on the night of my recital. "Is it not fair, then," I asked him, "to conclude that it was something I was doing that evening in using my voice that was the cause of the trouble?" He thought a moment and said "Yes, that must be so." "Can you tell me, then," I asked him, "what it was that I did that caused the trouble?" He frankly admitted that he could not. "Very well," I replied, "if that is so, I must try to find out for myself"
Quelle: The Books of F. Matthias Alexander, Seite 409ff. (3rd book: USE OF THE SELF) IRDEAT edition 1997, 74 MacDougal Street, New York, Now York 10012 Übertragung: Harald Riedel, art-balance.de