I think they mean soft volume, but perhaps more than that. Twain often 
mumbled asides, and his drawl came and went. It may have been a combination 
of these things. I'd suggest getting a copy of THE COMPLETE INTERVIEWS and a 
copy of my review of that book (which includes page refs) and track how 
Twain's stage voice varied. I don't think I specifically discussed the "low 
volume" but I noted his changing drawl. Not to oversimplify, but when he was 
overseas there's evidence the drawl receded and that he was clearly 
understood (and comments about his drawl vanish from reviews of his 
lectures), but it returned when he got back on native soil (and so did the 
comments in reviews). I vaguely recall Clara making a comment about his 
drawl sometimes evaporating, probably in MY FATHER MT, but maybe elsewhere. 
The drawl and the mumbling and the voice modulations, which I attach to the 
public persona of "Mark Twain" would have been a challenge to perform in the 
days before sound systems and in a wide variety of venues with terrible 
acoustics.

Kevin
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-----Original Message----- 
From: Clay Shannon
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2016 8:05 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Which "low" is meant?

I'm reading a book by Paul Fatout about Mark Twain on the lecture circuit. =
In it, some reviewers complain that Mark Twain's voice was "low" as he lect=
ured.
Did they mean "low" in tonal range (bassy) or did they mean "low" in volume=
(soft-spoken)?
I assume the latter, as his singing voice has been described as a "beautifu=
l tenor" but would like to know "y'alls" take on it.=C2=A0- B. Clay Shannon