6

breathe well ? Certainly not . It was necessary to make of that branch of the
art a thorough and fundamental study , and at every performance the singer made

, his
gradual but sure progress in developing pronunciation respiration

of in

in
voice

,
,
correcting faulty intonation and emission both which defects were rendered
in

by
the delicacy the orches

of
more apparent and therefore the more intolerable

,
,
for the most part simple accom

to
tral instrumentation which was limited

a
,
paniment
.

by
Apart from previous training the above mentioned repertoire

of
virtue

,
-
singer who might have had only the gift naturally good voice and

of
,
a

a
certain musical talent found the music itself the best and surest master for

it in in
,

;
be

he
supposing him wanting pecuniary means previous study

or
art to

could

,
his
all
equally well not being considered disadvantage

his at

to
cultivate the
,

begin secondary
to

80
the characters the less when fellow artists were the
in

-
great singers the day And thus with patience and application
of

then was

it
,
,
.

At
possible supply the want regular training under the care
of

of
to

master
a

.
the present day different
in is
it

Vocal music almost entirely

to

order assume more dramatic character

is
a

an ,
,

by
agility every this

to
despoiled
of

kind extent that

of

carried such
is
;

degrees willlittle else than musical declamation

to
become the total exclusion
it

,
melody entering question not any advan
of

Without

or
here into the whether
.

tage may accrue musical science through these innovations shall only briefly
theto

,
I
it not

singing though absolutely

of

observe that
as

to
melodies true nature

is
,

,
me
yet productive much pleasure pity that the
of

to

to
the audience seems
;

a
for
be

melodramatic system should exchanged one perhaps more realistic but

,
art
melody and
of

of
to

to
which tends the exclusion hence detrimental the
is
,

singing
declamation frequent the theatres
of

Let the admirers draina and tragedy

of

,
no

of

where there intensify the desired expression

to

need orchestral music

to is

.
Owing
no

the fact that singers longer find the best

of

methods and
do
in in

masters the music itself and either begin their

or

to

not wish are unable

,

the slow but sure way their predecessors they rarely attain more
of

careers
,

than mediocrity their art and their singing usually defective and unsatis
in

is
,

factory
.

of

Another singing
of
of

cause the decadence the absence the musici

is

a
,

singers incompatible
of

class with modern civilization This while presents

it
,
.

just and necessary progress leaves

an on

humanity
of

on

the side art

of

the side
a

,
by

its

irreparable void depriving

, of

most assiduous cultivators

it

.
all

Pacchiarotti Crescentini Veluti Marchesi etc. most celebrated artists

,
,

re ,

having left the stage appeared again their pupils The very fact their
in

to of
.
,

tiring while deterred them from other distractions obliged them

it

dedicate
,

their affections minds and whole attention

to

of

the cultivation the art which

,

they had made the sole occupation

of

their lives
.