,,of ,,singing999999 file which includes the original illustrations4 ,see #bjjfi-;h4htm or #bjjfi-;h4zip3 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/dirs_/#b_/ j_/j_/f_/bjjfi_/bjjfi-;h_/#bjjfi-;h4htm7 or 7https3_/_/www4gutenberg4org_/dirs_/#b_/ j_/j_/f_/bjjfi_/bjjfi-;h4zip7 ,,caruso ,,and ,,tetrazzini ,,on ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,singing by ,,enrico ,,caruso and ,,luisa ,,tetrazzini ,metropolitan ,company1 ,publishers1 ,new ,york1 #aiji4 ,,preface ,in offering this work to the public the publishers wish to lay before those who sing or who are about to study singing1 the simple1 fundamental rules of the art based on common sense4 ,the two greatest living exponents of the art of singing--,luisa ,tetrazzini and ,enrico ,caruso--have been chosen as examples1 and their talks on singing have additional weight from the fact that what they have to say has been printed exactly as it was uttered1 the truths they expound are driven home forcefully1 and what they relate so simply is backed by years of experience and emphasized by the results they have achieved as the two greatest artists in the world4 ,much has been said about the ,italian ,method of ,singing4 ,it is a question whether anyone really knows what the phrase means4 ,after all1 if there be a right way to sing1 then all other ways must be wrong4 ,books have been written on breathing1 tone production and what singers should eat and wear1 etc41 etc41 all tending to make the singer self-conscious and to sing with the brain rather than with the heart4 ,to quote ,mme4 ,tetrazzini3 ,you can train the voice1 you can take a raw material and make it a finished production2 not so with the heart4 ,the country is overrun with inferior teachers of singing2 men and women who have failed to get before the public1 turn to teaching without any practical experience1 and1 armed only with a few methods1 teach these alike to all pupils1 ruining many good voices4 ,should these pupils change teachers1 even for the better1 then begins the weary undoing of the false method1 often with no better result4 ,to these unfortunate pupils this book is of inestimable value4 ,he or she could not consistently choose such teachers after reading its pages4 ,again the simple rules laid down and tersely and interestingly set forth not only carry conviction with them1 but tear away the veil of mystery that so often is thrown about the divine art4 ,luisa ,tetrazzini and ,enrico ,caruso show what not to do1 as well as what to do1 and bring the pupil back to first principles--the art of singing naturally4 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,singing ,by ,luisa ,tetrazzini ,illustration3 ,,luisa ,,tetrazzini ,,luisa ,,tetrazzini ,,introductory ,,sketch ,,of ,,the ,,career ,,of ,,the ,,world-,,famous ,,prima ,,donna ,luisa ,tetrazzini1 the most famous ,italian coloratura soprano of the day1 declares that she began to sing before she learned to talk4 ,her parents were not musical1 but her elder sister1 now the wife of the eminent conductor ,cleofante ,campanini1 was a public singer of established reputation1 and her success roused her young sister's ambition to become a great artist4 ,her parents were well to do1 her father having a large army furnishing store in ,florence1 and they did not encourage her in her determination to become a prima donna4 ,one prima donna1 said her father1 was enough for any family4 ,luisa did not agree with him4 ,if one prima donna is good1 she argued1 why would not two be better8 ,so she never desisted from her importunity until she was permitted to become a pupil of ,professor ,coccherani1 vocal instructor at the ,lycee4 ,at this time she had committed to memory more than a dozen grand opera roles1 and at the end of six months the professor confessed that he could do nothing more for her voice2 that she was ready for a career4 ,she made her bow to the ,florentine opera going public1 one of the most critical in ,italy1 as ,inez1 in ,meyerbeer's ,l',africaine1 and her success was so pronounced that she was engaged at a salary of #ajj a month1 a phenomenal beginning for a young singer4 ,queen ,margherita was present on the occasion and complimented her highly and prophesied for her a great career4 ,she asked the trembling debutante how old she was1 and in the embarrassment of the moment ,luisa made herself six years older than she really was4 ,this is one noteworthy instance in which a public singer failed to discount her age4 ,fame came speedily1 but for a long time it was confined to ,europe and ,latin ,america4 ,she sang seven seasons in ,st4 ,petersburg1 three in ,mexico1 two in ,madrid1 four in ,buenos ,aires1 and even on the ,pacific coast of ,america before she appeared in ,new ,york4 ,she had sung ,lucia more than #bjj times before her first appearance at ,covent ,garden1 and the twenty curtain calls she received on that occasion came as the greatest surprise of her career4 ,she had begun to believe that she could never be appreciated by ,english-speaking audiences and the ovation almost overcame her4 ,it was by the merest chance that ,mme4 ,tetrazzini ever came to the ,manhattan ,opera ,house in ,new ,york4 ,the diva's own account of her engagement is as follows3 ,i was in ,london1 and for a wonder ,i had a week1 a wet week1 on my hands4 ,you know people will do anything in a wet week in ,london4 ,there were contracts from all over the ,continent and ,south ,america pending4 ,there was much discussion naturally in regard to settlements and arrangements of one kind and another4 ,suddenly1 just like that--she makes a butterfly gesture--,m4 ,hammerstein came1 and just like that--a duplicate gesture--,i made up my mind that ,i would come here4 ,if his offer to me had been seven days later ,i should not have signed1 and if ,i had not ,i should undoubtedly never have come1 for a contract that ,i might have signed to go elsewhere would probably have been for a number of years4 ,voice experts confess that they are not able to solve the mystery of ,mme4 ,tetrazzini's wonderful management of her breathing4 ,it is perfectly natural1 she says4 ,i breathe low down in the diaphragm1 not1 as some do1 high up in the upper part of the chest4 ,i always hold some breath in reserve for the crescendos1 employing only what is absolutely necessary1 and ,i renew the breath wherever it is easiest4 ,in breathing ,i find1 as in other matters pertaining to singing1 that as one goes on and practices1 no matter how long one may have been singing1 there are constantly new surprises awaiting one4 ,you may have been accustomed for years to take a note in a certain way1 and after a long while you discover that1 while it is a very good way1 there is a better4 ,breath ,control ,the ,foundation of ,singing ,there is only one way to sing correctly1 and that is to sing naturally1 easily1 comfortably4 ,the height of vocal art is to have no apparent method1 but to be able to sing with perfect facility from one end of the voice to the other1 emitting all the notes clearly and yet with power and having each note of the scale sound the same in quality and tonal beauty as the ones before and after4 ,there are many methods which lead to the goal of natural singing--that is to say1 the production of the voice with ease1 beauty and with perfect control4 ,some of the greatest teachers in the world reach this point apparently by diverging roads4 ,around the art of singing there has been formed a cult which includes an entire jargon of words meaning one thing to the singer and another thing to the rest of the world and which very often doesn't mean the same thing to two singers of different schools4 ,in these talks with you ,i am going to try to use the simplest words1 and the few idioms which ,i will have to take from my own language ,i will translate to you as clearly as ,i can1 so that there can be no misunderstanding4 ,certainly the highest art and a lifetime of work and study are necessary to acquire an easy emission of tone4 ,there are quantities of wonderful natural voices1 particularly among the young people of ,switzerland and ,italy1 and the ,american voice is especially noted for its purity and the beauty of its tone in the high registers4 ,but these naturally untrained voices soon break or fail if they are used much unless the singer supplements the natural1 ,god-given vocal gifts with a conscious understanding of how the vocal apparatus should be used4 ,the singer must have some knowledge of his or her anatomical structure1 particularly the structure of the throat1 mouth and face1 with its resonant cavities1 which are so necessary for the right production of the voice4 ,besides that1 the lungs and diaphragm and the whole breathing apparatus must be understood1 because the foundation of singing is breathing and breath control4 ,a singer must be able to rely on his breath1 just as he relies upon the solidity of the ground beneath his feet4 ,a shaky1 uncontrolled breath is like a rickety foundation on which nothing can be built1 and until that foundation has been developed and strengthened the would-be singer need expect no satisfactory results4 ,from the girls to whom ,i am talking especially ,i must now ask a sacrifice--the singer cannot wear tight corsets and should not wear corsets of any kind which come up higher than the lowest rib4 ,in other words1 the corset must be nothing but a belt1 but with as much hip length as the wearer finds convenient and necessary4 ,in order to insure proper breathing capacity it is understood that the clothing must be absolutely loose around the chest and also across the lower part of the back1 for one should breathe with the back of the lungs as well as with the front4 ,in my years of study and work ,i have developed my own breathing capacity until ,i am somewhat the despair of the fashionable modiste1 but ,i have a diaphragm and a breath on which ,i can rely at all times4 ,in learning to breathe it is well to think of the lungs as empty sacks1 into which the air is dropping like a weight1 so that you think first of filling the bottom of your lungs1 then the middle part1 and so on until no more air can be inhaled4 ,inhale short breaths through the nose4 ,this1 of course1 is only an exercise for breath development4 ,now begin to inhale from the bottom of the lungs first4 ,exhale slowly and feel as if you were pushing the air against your chest4 ,if you can get this sensation later when singing it will help you very greatly to get control of the breath and to avoid sending too much breath through the vocal chords4 ,the breath must be sent out in an even1 steady flow4 ,you will notice when you begin to sing1 if you watch yourself very carefully1 that1 first1 you will try to inhale too much air2 secondly1 you will either force it all out at once1 making a breathy note1 or in trying to control the flow of air by the diaphragm you will suddenly cease to send it forth at all and will be making the sound by pressure from the throat4 ,there must never be any pressure from the throat4 ,the sound must be made from the continued flow of air4 ,you must learn to control this flow of air1 so that no muscular action of the throat can shut it off4 ,open the throat wide and start your note by the pressure breath4 ,the physical sensation should be first an effort on the part of the diaphragm to press the air up against the chest box1 then the sensation of a perfectly open throat1 and1 lastly1 the sensation that the air is passing freely into the cavities of the head4 ,the quantity of sound is controlled by the breath4 ,in diminishing the tone the opening of the throat remains the same4 ,only the quantity of breath given forth is diminished4 ,that is done by the diaphragm muscles4 ,filare la voce1 to spin the voice from a tiny little thread into a breadth of sound and then diminish again1 is one of the most beautiful effects in singing4 ,it is accomplished by the control of the breath1 and its perfect accomplishment means the complete mastery of the greatest difficulty in learning to sing4 ,i think one of the best exercises for learning to control the voice by first getting control of the breath is to stand erect in a well-ventilated room or out of doors and slowly snuff in air through the nostrils1 inhaling in little puffs1 as if you were smelling something4 ,take just a little bit of air at a time and feel as if you were filling the very bottom of your lungs and also the back of your lungs4 ,when you have the sensation of being full up to the neck retain the air for a few seconds and then very slowly send it out in little puffs again4 ,this is a splendid exercise1 but ,i want to warn you not to practice any breathing exercise to such an extent that you make your heart beat fast or feel like strangling4 ,overexercising the lungs is as bad as not exercising them enough and the results are often harmful4 ,like everything else in singing1 you want to learn this gradually4 ,never neglect it1 because it is the very foundation of your art4 ,but don't try to develop a diaphragm expansion of five inches in two weeks4 ,indeed1 it is not the expansion that you are working for4 ,i have noticed this one peculiarity about young singers--if they have an enormous development of the diaphragm they think they should be able to sing1 no matter what happens4 ,a girl came to see me once whose figure was really entirely out of proportion1 the lower part of the lungs having been pressed out quite beyond even artistic lines4 ,you see1 madam1 she exclaimed1 ,i have studied breathing4 ,why1 ,i have such a strong diaphragm ,i can move the piano with it6 ,and she did go right up to my piano and1 pushing on this strong diaphragm of hers1 moved the piano a fraction of an inch from its place4 ,i was quite aghast4 ,i had never met such an athletic singer4 ,when ,i asked her to let me hear her voice1 however1 a tiny stream of contralto sound issued from those powerful lungs4 ,she had developed her breathing capacity1 but when she sang she held her breath back4 ,i have noticed that a great many people do this1 and it is one of the things that must be overcome in the very beginning of the study of singing4 ,certain young singers take in an enormous breath1 stiffening every muscle in order to hold the air1 thus depriving their muscles of all elasticity4 ,they will then shut off the throat and let only the smallest fraction of air escape1 just enough to make a sound4 ,too much inbreathing and too violent an effort at inhaling will not help the singer at all4 ,people have said that they cannot see when ,i breathe4 ,well1 they certainly cannot say that ,i am ever short of breath even if ,i do try to breathe invisibly4 ,when ,i breathe ,i scarcely draw my diaphragm in at all1 but ,i feel the air fill my lungs and ,i feel my upper ribs expand4 ,in singing ,i always feel as if ,i were forcing my breath against my chest1 and1 just as in the exercises according to ,delsarte you will find the chest leads in all physical movements1 so in singing you should feel this firm support of the chest of the highest as well as the lowest notes4 ,i have seen pupils1 trying to master the art of breathing1 holding themselves as rigidly as drum majors4 ,now this rigidity of the spinal column will in no way help you in the emission of tone1 nor will it increase the breath control4 ,in fact1 ,i don't think it would even help you to stand up straight1 although it would certainly give one a stiff appearance and one far removed from grace4 ,a singer should stand freely and easily and should feel as if the chest were leading1 but should not feel constrained or stiff in any part of the ribs or lungs4 ,from the minute the singer starts to emit a tone the supply of breath must be emitted steadily from the chamber of air in the lungs4 ,it must never be held back once4 ,the immediate pressure of the air should be felt more against the chest4 ,i know of a great many singers who1 when they come to very difficult passages1 put their hands on their chests1 focusing their attention on this one part of the mechanism of singing4 ,the audience1 of course1 thinks the prima donna's hand is raised to her heart1 when1 as a matter of fact1 the prima donna1 with a difficult bit of singing before her1 is thinking of her technique and the foundation of that technique--breath control4 ,this feeling of singing against the chest with the weight of air pressing up against it is known as breath support1 and in ,italian we have even a better word1 apoggio1 which is breath prop4 ,the diaphragm in ,english may be called the bellows of the lungs1 but the apoggio is the deep breath regulated by the diaphragm4 ,the attack of the sound must come from the apoggio1 or breath prop4 ,in attacking the very highest notes it is essential1 and no singer can really get the high notes or vocal flexibility or strength of tone without the attack coming from this seat of respiration4 ,in practicing the trill or staccato tones the pressure of the breath must be felt even before the sound is heard4 ,the beautiful1 clear1 bell-like tones that die away into a soft piano are tones struck on the apoggio and controlled by the steady soft pressure of the breath emitted through a perfectly open throat1 over a low tongue and resounding in the cavities of the mouth or head4 ,never for a moment sing without this apoggio1 this breath prop4 ,its development and its constant use mean the restoration of sick or fatigued voices and the prolonging of all one's vocal powers into what is wrongly called old age4 ,the ,mastery of the ,tongue ,the tongue is a veritable stumbling block in the path of the singer4 ,the tongue is an enormous muscle compared with the other parts of the throat and mouth1 and its roots particularly can by a slight movement block the passage of the throat pressing against the larynx4 ,this accounts for much of the pinched singing we hear4 ,when the tongue forms a mountain in the back part of the mouth the singer produces what you call in ,english slang a hot potato tone--that is to say1 a tone that sounds as if it were having much difficulty to get through the mouth4 ,in very fact1 it is having this difficulty1 for it has to pass over the back of the tongue4 ,the would-be singer has to learn to control the tongue muscles and1 above all things1 to learn to relax the tongue and to govern it at will1 so that it never stiffens and forms that hard lump which can be plainly felt immediately beneath the chin under the jaw4 ,it requires a great deal of practice to gain control of the tongue1 and there are many different exercises which purport to be beneficial in gaining complete mastery over it4 ,one1 for instance1 is to throw the tongue out as far forward as possible without stiffening it and then draw it back slowly4 ,this can be done in front of a mirror by trying to throw the tongue not only from the tip1 but from the root1 keeping the sides of the tongue broad4 ,another way is to catch hold of the two sides of the tongue with the fingers and pull it out gently4 ,for my part1 ,i scarcely approve of these mechanical ways of gaining control of the tongue except in cases where the singer is phlegmatic of temperament and cannot be made to feel the various sensations of stiff tongue or tongue drawn far back in other ways4 ,ordinarily ,i think they make the singer conscious1 nervous and more likely to stiffen the tongue in a wild desire to relax it and keep it flat4 ,these exercises1 however1 combined with exercises in diction1 help to make the tongue elastic1 and the more elastic and quick this muscle becomes the clearer will be the singer's diction and the more flexible will be her voice4 ,the correct position of the tongue is raised from the back1 lying flat in the mouth1 the flattened tip beneath the front teeth1 with the sides slightly raised so as to form a slight furrow in it4 ,when the tongue is lying too low a lump under the chin beneath the jaw will form in singing and the tight muscles can be easily felt4 ,when the jaw is perfectly relaxed and the tongue lies flat in the mouth there will be a slight hollow under the chin and no stiffness in the muscles4 ,the tip of the tongue of course is employed in the pronunciation of the consonants and must be so agile that the minute it has finished its work it at once resumes the correct position4 ,in ascending the scale the furrow in the tongue increases as we come to the higher notes4 ,it is here that the back of the palate begins to draw up in order to add to the resonance of the head notes1 giving the cavities of the head free play4 ,you can easily see your back palate working by opening your mouth wide and giving yourself the sensation of one about to sneeze4 ,you will see far back in the throat1 way behind the nose1 a soft spot that will draw up of itself as the sneeze becomes more imminent4 ,that little point is the soft palate4 ,it must be drawn up for the high notes in order to get the head resonance4 ,as a singer advances in her art she can do this at will4 ,the adjustment of throat1 tongue and palate1 all working together1 will daily respond more easily to her demands4 ,however1 she should be able consciously to control each part by itself4 ,the conscious direction of the voice and command of the throat are necessary4 ,frequently in opera the singer1 sitting or lying in some uncomfortable position which is not naturally convenient for producing the voice1 will consciously direct her notes into the head cavities by opening up the throat and lifting the soft palate4 ,for instance1 in the role of ,violetta the music of the last act is sung lying down4 ,in order to get proper resonance to some of the high notes ,i have to start them in the head cavity by means1 of course1 of the apoggio1 or breath prop1 without which the note would be thin and would have no body to it4 ,the sensation that ,i have is of a slight pressure of breath striking almost into a direct line into the cavity behind the forehead over the eyes without any obstruction or feeling in the throat at all4 ,this is the correct attack for the head tone1 or a tone taken in the upper register4 ,before ,i explain the registers to you ,i must tell you one of the funniest compliments ,i ever received4 ,a very flattering person was comparing my voice to that of another high soprano whom ,i very much admire4 ,her voice is beautiful1 particularly in the upper register1 ,i insisted when the other lady was being criticized4 ,ah1 madame1 responded the flattering critic1 but your registers give out so much more warmth4 ,i think this joke is too good to lose1 also the criticism1 while unjust to the other singer1 is interesting to the student1 because in the high register1 which includes in some voices all the notes above middle ,c1 the notes are thin and cold unless supported by the apoggio1 the breath prop1 of which ,i have told you so much4 ,people ask whether there are such things as vocal registers4 ,certainly there are4 ,there are three always and sometimes four in very high voices4 ,the ordinary registers are the low1 the middle1 the high voice1 or head voice1 and sometimes the second high voice1 which has been called the flagellant voice4 ,a vocal register is a series of tones which are produced by a certain position of the larynx1 tongue and palate4 ,in the woman's voice the middle register takes in the notes from ,e on the first line of the staff about to middle ,c4 ,the head voice begins at middle ,c and runs up sometimes to the end of the voice1 sometimes to ,b flat or ,c1 where it joins the second head register1 which ,i have heard ascend into a whistle in phenomenal voices cultivated only in this register and useless for vocal work4 ,though the registers exist and the tones in middle1 below and above are not produced in the same manner1 the voice should be so equalized that the change in registers cannot be heard4 ,and a tone sung with a head voice and in the low voice should have the same degree of quality1 resonance and power4 ,as the voice ascends in the scale each note is different1 and as one goes on up the positions of the organ of the throat cannot remain the same for several different tones4 ,but there should never be an abrupt change1 either audible to the audience or felt in the singer's throat4 ,every tone must be imperceptibly prepared1 and upon the elasticity of the vocal organs depends the smoothness of the tone production4 ,adjusting the vocal apparatus to the high register should be both imperceptible and mechanical whenever a high note has to be sung4 ,in the high register the head voice1 or voice which vibrates in the head cavities1 should be used chiefly4 ,the middle register requires palatal resonance1 and the first notes of the head register and the last ones of the middle require a judicious blending of both4 ,the middle register can be dragged up to the high notes1 but always at the cost first of the beauty of the voice and then of the voice itself1 for no organ can stand being used wrongly for a long time4 ,this is only one of the reasons that so many fine big voices go to pieces long before they should4 ,in an excess of enthusiasm the young singer attempts to develop the high notes and make them sound--in her own ears1 at all events--as big as the middle voice4 ,the pure head tone sounds small and feeble to the singer herself1 and she would rather use the chest quality1 but the head tone has the piercing1 penetrating quality which makes it tell in a big hall1 while the middle register1 unless used in its right place1 makes the voice muffled1 heavy and lacking in vibrancy4 ,though to the singer the tone may seem immense1 in reality it lacks resonance4 ,a singer must never cease listening to herself intelligently and never neglect cultivating the head tone or over-tone of the voice1 which is its salvation1 for it means vibrancy1 carrying power and youth to a voice4 ,without it the finest voice soon becomes worn and off pitch4 ,used judiciously it will preserve a voice into old age4 ,tone ,emission and ,attack ,in my first talk ,i said a few words1 but not half enough1 on the subject of breath control4 ,my second talk was the physiological aspect of the throat1 head and tongue1 for it is necessary to become thoroughly acquainted with the mechanism with which you are to work before you can really sing4 ,today ,i'm going to take up the subject of tone emission and the attack4 ,a great many singers suffer from the defect called throatiness of the emission--that is to say1 they attack or start the note in the throat4 ,sooner or later this attack will ruin the most beautiful voice4 ,as ,i have said before1 the attack of the note must come from the apoggio1 or breath prop4 ,but to have the attack pure and perfectly in tune you must have the throat entirely open1 for it is useless to try to sing if the throat is not sufficiently open to let the sound pass freely4 ,throaty tones or pinched tones are tones which are trying to force themselves through a half-closed throat blocked either by insufficient opening of the larynx or by stoppage of the throat passage1 due to the root of the tongue being forced down and back too hard or possibly to a low1 soft palate4 ,in order to have the throat perfectly open it is necessary to have the jaw absolutely relaxed4 ,i have found in studying different nationalities that it is fairly easy for the ,french and ,spanish people to learn this relaxation of jaw and the opening of the throat1 but the ,english-speaking people generally talk with the throat half shut and even talk through half-shut teeth4 ,sometime1 when you are talking rapidly1 suddenly put your hand up to your jaw4 ,you will find that it is stiff2 that the muscles beneath it 7tongue muscles7 are tight and hard2 that the jaw seldom goes down very far in pronouncing any of the ,english words1 whereas in singing the jaw should be absolutely relaxed1 going down and back just as far as it can with ease4 ,the jaw is attached to the skull right beneath the temples in front of the ears4 ,by placing your two fingers there and dropping the jaw you will find that a space between the skull and jaw grows as the jaw drops4 ,in singing this space must be as wide as is possible1 for that indicates that the jaw is dropped down1 giving its aid to the opening at the back of the throat4 ,it will help the beginner sometimes to do simple relaxing exercises1 feeling the jaw drop with the fingers4 ,it must drop down1 and it is not necessary to open the mouth wide1 because the jaw is relaxed to its utmost4 ,however1 for a beginner it is as well to practice opening the mouth wide1 being sure to lower the jaw at the back4 ,do this many times a day without emitting any sound merely to get the feeling of what an open throat is really like4 ,you will presently begin to yawn after you have done the exercise a couple of times4 ,in yawning or in starting to drink a sip of water the throat is widely open1 and the sensation is a correct one which the singer must study to reproduce4 ,i have noticed a great many actors and actresses in ,america who speak with jaws tightly closed1 or at least closed to such an extent that only the smallest emission of breath is possible4 ,such a voice production will never allow the actor to express any varying degree of emotion and will also completely eradicate any natural beauty of tone which the voice may have4 ,however1 this is a fault which can easily be overcome by practicing this daily relaxation of the jaw and always when singing breathing as if the jaw hung perfectly loose1 or1 better still1 as if you had none at all4 ,when you can see a vocalist pushing on the jaw you can be perfectly certain that the tone she is emitting at that moment is a forced note and that the whole vocal apparatus is being tortured to create what is probably not a pleasant noise4 ,any kind of mental distress will cause the jaw to stiffen and will have an immediate effect upon the voice4 ,this is one of the reasons why a singer must learn to control her emotions and must not subject herself to any harrowing experiences1 even such as watching a sensational spectacle1 before she is going to sing4 ,fear1 worry1 fright--stage as well as other kinds--set the jaw4 ,so does too great a determination to succeed4 ,a singer's mind must control all of her feelings if it is going to control her voice4 ,she must be able even to surmount a feeling of illness or stage fright and to control her vocal apparatus1 as well as her breath1 no matter what happens4 ,the singer should feel as if her jaw were detached and falling away from her face4 ,as one great singer expresses it3 ,you should have the jaw of an imbecile when emitting a tone4 ,in fact1 you shouldn't know that you have one4 ,let us take the following passage from ,the ,marriage of ,figaro1 by ,mozart3 ,illustration3 ,voi-che sa-pe-te- ,this would make an excellent exercise for the jaw4 ,sing only the vowels1 dropping the jaw as each one is attacked--o1 eh1 ah4 ,the o1 of course1 is pronounced like the ,english o and the i in voi like e4 ,the e in che is pronounced like the ,english a4 ,sapete is pronounced sahpata4 ,you now have the vowels1 o1 ee1 a1 ah1 a4 ,open the throat wide1 drop the jaw and pronounce the tones on a note in the easiest part of your voice4 ,do not attack a note at the same time that you are inhaling4 ,that is too soon4 ,take the breath through the nose1 of course1 and give it an instant to settle before attacking the sound4 ,in this way you will avoid the stroke of the glottis which is caused by the sudden and uncontrolled emission of the accumulated breath4 ,in attacking a note the breath must be directed to the focusing point on the palate which lies just at the critical spot1 different for every tone4 ,in attacking a note1 however1 there must be no pressure on this place1 because if there is the overtones will be unable to soar and sound with the tone4 ,from the moment the note is attacked the breath must flow out with it4 ,it is a good idea to feel at first as if one were puffing out the breath4 ,this is particularly good for the high notes on which a special stress must be laid always to attack with the breath and not to press or push with the throat4 ,as long as the tone lasts the gentle but uninterrupted outpouring of the breath must continue behind it4 ,this breath pressure insures the strength and1 while holding the note to the focusing point on the palate1 insures its pitch4 ,in a general way it can be said that the medium tones of the voice have their focusing point in the middle part of the palate1 the lower tones coming nearer to the teeth to be centralized and the high notes giving the sensation of finding their focusing point in the high arch at the back of the mouth and going out1 as it were1 through the crown of the head4 ,the resonance in the head cavities is soon perceived by those who are beginning to sing4 ,sometimes in producing their first high notes young people become nervous and irritated when singing high tones at the curious buzzing in the head and ears4 ,after a short time1 however1 this sensation is no longer an irritation1 and the singer can gauge in a way where his tones are placed by getting a mental idea of where the resonance to each particular tone should be4 ,high notes with plenty of head vibration can only be obtained when the head is clear and the nasal cavities unobstructed by mucous membrane or by any of the depression which comes from physical or mental cause4 ,the best way to lose such depression is to practice4 ,practicing the long scale1 being careful to use the different registers1 as described later1 will almost invariably even out the voice and clear out the head if continued long enough1 and will enable the singer to overcome nervous or mental depression as well4 ,the different sensations in producing the tone vary according to the comparative height and depth4 ,beginning from the medium tones1 the singer will feel as if each tone of the descending scale were being sung farther outside of the mouth1 the vibration hitting the upper teeth as it goes out1 whereas with the ascending scale the vibrations pass through the nasal cavities1 through the cavity in the forehead and up back into the head1 until one feels as if the tone were being formed high over the head at the back4 ,i want to say right here that whenever a young singer feels uncomfortable when singing he or she is singing incorrectly4 ,in attacking the note on the breath1 particularly in the high notes1 it is quite possible that at first the voice will not respond4 ,for a long time merely an emission or breath or perhaps a little squeak on the high note is all that can be hoped for4 ,if1 however1 this is continued1 eventually the head voice will be joined to the breath1 and a faint note will find utterance which with practice will develop until it becomes an easy and brilliant tone4 ,the reason that the tone has not been able to come forth is because the vocal apparatus cannot adjust itself to the needs of the vocal chords or because they themselves have not accustomed themselves to respond to the will of the singer and are too stiff to perform their duty4 ,the scale is the greatest test of voice production4 ,no opera singer1 no concert singer1 who cannot sing a perfect scale can be said to be a technician or to have achieved results in her art4 ,whether the voice be soprano1 mezzo or contralto1 each note should be perfect of its kind1 and the note of each register should partake sufficiently of the quality of the next register above or below it in order not to make the transition noticeable when the voice ascends or descends the scale4 ,this blending of the registers is obtained by the intelligence of the singer in mixing the different tone qualities of the registers1 using as aids the various formations of the lips1 mouth and throat and the ever present apoggio without which no perfect scale can be sung4 ,facial ,expression and ,mirror ,practice ,in studying a new role ,i am in the habit of practicing in front of a mirror in order to get an idea of the effect of a facial expression and to see that it does not take away from the correct position of the mouth4 ,the young singer should practice constantly in front of a mirror as soon as she begins to sing songs or to express emotions in her music1 for the girl with the expressive face is likely to contort her mouth so that the correct emission of tones is impossible4 ,the dramatic artist depends largely for her expression on the changing lines of the mouth1 chin and jaw1 and in any lines spoken which denote command or will you will see the actor's jaw setting and becoming rigid with the rest of the facial mask4 ,now1 a singer can never allow the facial expression to alter the position of the jaw or mouth4 ,facial expression for the singer must concern itself chiefly with the eyes and forehead4 ,the mouth must remain the same1 and the jaw must ever be relaxed1 whether the song is one of deep intensity or a merry scale of laughter4 ,the mouth in singing should always smile lightly4 ,this slight smile at once relaxes the lips1 allowing them free play for the words which they and the tongue must form and also gives the singer a slight sensation of uplift necessary for singing4 ,it is impossible to sing well when mentally depressed or even physically indisposed slightly4 ,unless one has complete control over the entire vocal apparatus and unless one can simulate a smile one does not feel the voice will lack some of its resonant quality1 particularly in the upper notes1 where the smiling position of the mouth adjusts the throat and air passages for the emission of light tones4 ,the lips are of the greatest aid in shaping and shading the tones4 ,wagnerian singers1 for instance1 who employ trumpet-like notes in certain passages are often seen shaping their lips like the mouthpiece of a trumpet1 with a somewhat square opening1 the lips protruding4 ,however1 this can be practiced only after perfect relaxation of the jaw and control of the tongue have been accomplished4 ,a singer's mouth must always look pleasant1 not only because it creates a disagreeable impression on the audience to see a crooked and contorted mouth1 but also because natural and correct voice production requires a mouth shaped almost into a smile4 ,too wide a smile often accompanies what is called the white voice4 ,this is a voice production where a head resonance alone is employed1 without sufficient of the apoggio or enough of the mouth resonance to give the tone a vital quality4 ,this white voice should be thoroughly understood and is one of the many shades of tone a singer can use at times1 just as the impressionist uses various unusual colors to produce certain atmospheric effects4 ,for instance1 in the mad scene in ,lucia the use of the white voice suggests the babbling of the mad woman1 as the same voice in the last act of ,traviata or in the last act of ,boheme suggests utter physical exhaustion and the approach of death4 ,an entire voice production on these colorless lines1 however1 would always lack the brilliancy and the vitality which inspire enthusiasm4 ,one of the compensations of the white voice singer is the fact that she usually possesses a perfect diction4 ,the voice itself is thrust into the head cavities and not allowed to vibrate in the face and mouth and gives ample room for the formation of vowels and consonants4 ,and the singer with this voice production usually concentrates her entire attention on diction4 ,the cure for this tone emission is1 first of all1 the cultivation of the breath prop1 then attacking the vowel sound o o in the medium voice1 which requires a low position of the larynx1 and exercises on the ascending scale until the higher notes have been brought down1 as it were1 and gain some of the body and support of the lower notes without losing their quality4 ,the singer's expression must concern itself chiefly with the play of emotion around the eyes1 eyebrows and forehead4 ,you have no idea how much expression you can get out of your eyebrows1 for instance1 until you study the question and learn by experiment that a complete emotional scale can be symbolized outwardly in the movements of the eyelids and eyebrows4 ,a very drooping eyebrow is expressive of fatigue1 either physical or mental4 ,this lowered eyelid is the aspect we see about us most of the time1 particularly on people past their first youth4 ,as it shows a lack of interest1 it is not a favorite expression of actors and is only employed where the role makes it necessary4 ,increasing anxiety is depicted by slanting the eyebrows obliquely in a downward line toward the nose4 ,concentrated attention draws the eyebrows together over the bridge of the nose1 while furtiveness widens the space again without elevating the eyebrows4 ,in the eyebrows alone you can depict mockery1 every stage of anxiety or pain1 astonishment1 ecstasy1 terror1 suffering1 fury and admiration1 besides all the subtle tones between4 ,in singing roles of songs it is necessary to practice before the mirror in order to see that this facial expression is present and that it is not exaggerated2 that the face is not contorted by lines of suffering or by the lines of mirth4 ,another thing the young singer must not forget in making her initial bow before the public is the question of dress4 ,when singing on the platform or stage1 dress as well as you can4 ,whenever you face the public have at least the assurance you are looking your very best2 that your gowns hang well1 are well fitted and are of a becoming color4 ,it is not necessary that they should be gorgeous or expensive1 but let them always be suitable1 and for big cities let them be just as sumptuous as you can afford4 ,at morning concerts in ,new ,york1 velvets and hand-painted chiffons are considered good form1 while in the afternoon handsome silk or satin frocks of a very light color are worn with hats4 ,if a singer chooses to wear a hat let her be sure that its shape will not interfere with her voice4 ,a very large hat1 for instance1 with a wide brim that comes down over the face1 acts as a sort of blanket to the voice1 eating up the sound and detracting from the beauty of tone1 which should go forth into the audience4 ,it is also likely to shade the singer's features too much and hide her from view from those sitting in the balconies or galleries4 ,as a rule1 the singer's hat should be small or with a flaring brim1 which does not detract from the tone4 ,another word on the subject of corsets4 ,there is no reason in the world why a singer should not wear corsets1 and if singers have a tendency to grow stout a corset is usually a necessity4 ,a singer's corset should be especially well fitted around the hips and should be extremely loose over the diaphragm4 ,if made in this way it will not interfere in the slightest degree with the breath4 ,now as to diet and the general mode of life4 ,every singer must take care of her health4 ,but that does not necessarily mean that she must wrap herself in cotton batting and lead a sequestered existence4 ,i don't believe that any person who wants to make a public career can accomplish it and also indulge in social dissipations4 ,society must be cut out of the life of the would-be singer1 for the demands made by it on time and vitality can only be given at a sacrifice to one's art4 ,the care of the health is an individual matter1 and what agrees well with me would cause others to sicken4 ,i eat the simplest food always1 and naturally1 being an ,italian1 ,i prefer the food of my native land4 ,but simple ,french or ,german cookery agrees with me quite as well4 ,and ,i allow the tempting pastry1 the rich and overspiced pate1 to pass me by untouched and console myself with quantities of fruit and fresh vegetables4 ,personally ,i never wear a collar and have hardened my throat to a considerable extent by wearing slightly cutout gowns always in the house1 and even when ,i wear furs ,i do not have them closely drawn around the neck4 ,i try to keep myself at an even bodily temperature1 and fresh air has been my most potent remedy at all times when ,i have been indisposed4 ,appreciative ,attitude and ,critical ,attitude ,there is nothing so beneficial to the young artist as the kindly and just criticism of a person who knows and nothing so stimulating as his praise4 ,among my most priceless possessions ,i treasure the words of encouragement given me by ,patti and ,sembrich1 those wonderful artists1 when ,i was beginning my career4 ,mme4 ,patti is a splendid example of the many sidedness necessary to artistic perfection4 ,her wonderful voice was always supplemented by complete knowledge of the art of singing1 and her mastery of languages and of different fields of art made her not only a great artist1 but a most interesting woman4 ,to hear an artist of this kind is one of the most profitable parts of a musical education4 ,but there are two ways of listening to a singer4 ,there is the appreciative way1 and there is the entirely critical4 ,the beginner usually tries to show her knowledge by her intensely critical attitude4 ,the older you become in your art the more readily you will be able to appreciate and learn from the singers you hear on the opera or concert stage4 ,the greatest and the humblest singer can teach you something4 ,but to learn you must be in a receptive attitude4 ,the public has no real conception of what an amount of intelligent work besides talent and art is necessary to achieve the results which it sees or hears4 ,only those whose lives are devoted to the same ideals can understand the struggles of other artists1 and it is for that reason that appreciation and not condemnation should be on the tongues of those who themselves have studied4 ,the artist may demand the greatest things of herself1 and what may be good enough for others is not good enough for her4 ,as the poet says1 ,art is long1 though life may be short1 and singing is one of the most fleeting of all arts1 since once the note is uttered it leaves only a memory in the hearer's mind and since so many beautiful voices1 for one reason or other1 go to pieces long before their time4 ,if the singer's health is good the voice should end only with life itself1 provided1 of course1 it has been used with understanding and with art4 ,in performing before the public one should be governed by the tastes of the public1 not by one's own tastes4 ,just as the comedian usually wishes to play ,hamlet and the man of tragic mien thinks he could be a comedy star1 the singer who could make a fortune at interpreting chansonnettes usually wishes to sing operatic roles1 and the singer with a deep and heavy voice is longing to inflict baby songs on a long suffering public4 ,it is easy enough to find out what the public wishes to hear1 and1 though one should always be enlarging one's repertory1 it is not a bad idea to stick to that field for which one is particularly fitted vocally and physically4 ,in studying a role after one has mastered the technical difficulties one should try to steep one's personality into that of the character one is to portray1 and for that reason all study1 no matter what it is1 and reading of all kinds help one in developing a part4 ,the great ,italian tragedienne1 ,duse1 told me that one of her greatest pleasures was to wander about the streets incognito watching the types of people1 following them round1 observing them in their daily lives and remembering all the small details of action1 gesture or expression which she could some day embody into a role4 ,the more one sees and studies people with sympathy1 the more points one gets for the study of life which is embodied in the art one gives forth4 ,but it is sympathy with one's fellow beings and kindly observation which help one here1 never the critical attitude4 ,an artist can only afford to be coldly critical toward his own work and not toward the work of others4 ,recently a young woman who started her vocal career as a contralto has sung the most difficult of ,wagnerian soprano parts4 ,her high notes1 it is true1 were not the high notes of a natural soprano voice1 but the care and perfection with which each high note was attacked were worthy of closest attention and admiration and defied criticism4 ,hearing the smaller singers1 the beginners who are still struggling with their art1 should awaken in the heart of the intelligent listener not contemptuous criticism1 but should be one means of realizing one's own vocal defects and the possible ways of overcoming them4 ,there are bad singing teachers1 of course1 but often the pupils are worse and will not listen to advice4 ,the large and shrieking voice usually belongs to this type of pupil1 for it is easier to force the voice when the temperament is robust and the vocal cords equally strong than it is to learn gently and quietly the correct and natural position in voice placement1 and it is easier to make a noise as best you can than to use intelligently the different resonance cavities for the blending of the perfect tone4 ,another fault severely criticised in the youthful singer is a lack of correct pronunciation or diction4 ,it is only after the voice is perfectly controlled that the lips and tongue can function freely for the pronunciation of syllables4 ,while the voice is in what might be called a state of ferment the singer is only anxious to produce tones1 and diction slips by the wayside4 ,the appreciative listener should be able to know whether a lack of diction on the singer's part means immaturity or simply slovenliness4 ,still another fault in voice production is the tremolo4 ,it is the over-ambitious singer1 the singer who forces a small1 light organ to do heavy work1 who develops the tremolo4 ,the tremolo is a sure sign that the vocal chords have been stretched beyond their natural limits1 and there is only one thing can cure this4 ,that is absolute rest for some time and then beginning the study of the voice1 first singing with the mouth closed and relying entirely on very gentle breath pressure for the production of the sound4 ,the pupil suffering from tremolo or even very strong vibrato must have courage to stop at once and to forego having a big voice4 ,after all1 the most beautiful voices in the world are not necessarily the biggest voices1 and certainly the tremolo is about the worst fault a singer can have4 ,but that1 like almost any other vocal defect1 can be cured by persistent effort of the right kind4 ,in singing in public as well as when practicing the singer must stand so that the body will be perfectly and firmly poised4 ,one should always stand in such a position as to be able to inhale comfortably and control a large breath1 to allow the throat absolute freedom1 with the head sufficiently raised to let the inflowing air penetrate all the resonance cavities4 ,the great thing to avoid is stiffness or discomfort of any kind in the pose4 ,at the same time one must have a gracious air1 and while feeling perfectly solidly poised on the feet1 must make the impression of a certain lightness and freedom from all bodily restraint4 ,i have not meant in these short articles to give you anything but a very general idea of the salient points of the art of singing4 ,after all1 each one must do the real work herself4 ,the road is full of discouragements and hardships1 but there is always something new and interesting to learn1 and to achieve success1 whether for the public or merely for the home circle1 is worth all the trouble one can take4 ,and so ,i wish you all success4 ,,the ,,art ,,of ,,singing ,by ,enrico ,caruso ,illustration3 ,,enrico ,,caruso ,the ,career of ,enrico ,caruso ,,how ,a ,,neapolitan ,,mechanic',s ,,son ,,became ,,the ,,world',s ,,greatest ,,tenor ,enrico ,caruso enjoys the reputation of being the greatest tenor since ,italo ,campanini4 ,the latter was the legitimate successor of ,brignoli1 an artist whose wonderful singing made his uncouth stage presence a matter of little moment4 ,caruso's voice at its best recalls ,brignoli to the veteran opera habitue4 ,it possesses something of the dead tenor's sweetness and clarity in the upper register1 but it lacks the delicacy and artistic finish of ,campanini's supreme effort1 although it is vastly more magnetic and thrill inspiring4 ,that ,caruso is regarded as the foremost living tenor is made good by the fact that he is the highest priced male artist in the world4 ,whenever and wherever he sings multitudes flock to hear him1 and no one goes away unsatisfied4 ,he is constantly the recipient of ovations which demonstrate the power of his minstrelsy1 and his lack of especial physical attractiveness is no bar to the witchery of his voice4 ,caruso is a ,neapolitan and is now thirty-five years of age4 ,unlike so many great ,italian tenors1 he is not of peasant parentage4 ,his father was a skilled mechanic who had been put in charge of the warehouses of a large banking and importing concern4 ,as a lad ,enrico used to frequent the docks in the vicinity of these warehouses and became an expert swimmer at a very early age4 ,in those halcyon days his burning ambition was to be a sailor1 and he had a profound distaste for his father's plan to have him learn a trade4 ,at the age of ten he was still a care free and fun loving boy1 without a thought beyond the docks and their life4 ,it was then that his father ruled that since he would not become a mechanic he must be sent to school4 ,he had already learned to read a little1 but that was all4 ,he was sent to a day school in the neighborhood1 and he accepted the restraint with such bad grace that he was in almost constant disgrace4 ,his long association with the water front had made him familiar with the art of physical defense1 and he was in frequent trouble on that account4 ,the head master of the school was a musician1 and he discovered one day that his unruly pupil could sing4 ,he was an expert in the development of the boy soprano and he soon realized that in young ,caruso he had a veritable treasure4 ,he was shrewd enough to keep his discovery to himself for some time1 for he determined to profit by the boy's extraordinary ability4 ,the lad was rehearsed privately and was stimulated to further effort by the promise of sweetmeats and release from school duties4 ,finally the unscrupulous master made engagements for the young prodigy to sing at fashionable weddings and concerts1 but he always pocketed the money which came from these public appearances4 ,at the end of the second year1 when ,caruso was twelve years of age1 he decided that he had had enough of the school1 and he made himself so disagreeable to the head master that he was sent home in disgrace4 ,his irate father gave him a sound thrashing and declared that he must be apprenticed to a mechanical engineer4 ,the boy took little interest in his new work1 but showed some aptitude for mechanical drawing and calligraphy4 ,in a few months he became so interested in sketching that he began to indulge in visions of becoming a great artist4 ,when he was fifteen his mother died1 and1 since he had kept at the mechanical work solely on her account1 he now announced his intention of forsaking engineering and devoting himself to art and music4 ,when his father heard of this open rebellion he fell into a great rage and declared that he would have no more of him1 that he was a disgrace to the family and that he need not show his face at home4 ,so ,caruso became a wanderer1 with nothing in his absolute possession save a physique that was perfect and an optimism that was never failing4 ,he picked up a scanty livelihood by singing at church festivals and private entertainments and in time became known widely as the most capable boy soprano in ,naples4 ,money came more plentifully1 and he was able to live generously4 ,in a short time his voice was transformed into a marvelous alto1 and he soon found himself in great demand and was surfeited with attention from the rich and powerful4 ,it was about this time that ,king ,edward1 then ,prince of ,wales1 heard him sing in a ,neapolitan church and was so delighted that he invited the boy to go to ,england1 an invitation which young ,caruso did not accept4 ,now that he had arrived ,naples was good enough for him4 ,one day something happened which plunged him into the deepest despair4 ,without a warning of any sort his beautiful alto voice disappeared1 leaving in its place only the feeblest and most unmusical of croaks4 ,he was so overcome at his loss that he shut himself up in his room and would see no one4 ,it was the first great affliction he had ever known1 and he admits that he meditated suicide4 ,he had made many friends1 and some of them would have been glad to comfort him1 but his grief would admit of no partnership4 ,one evening when he was skulking along an obscure highway1 at the very bottom of the well of his despair1 a firm hand was laid on his shoulder and a cheery voice called out3 ,whither so fast8 ,come home with me1 poor little shaver6 ,it was ,messiani1 the famous baritone1 who had always felt an interest in the boy and who would not release him in spite of his vigorous efforts to escape4 ,the big baritone took him to his lodging and when he had succeeded in cheering the unhappy lad into a momentary forgetfulness of his misery asked him to sing4 ,but ,i can't1 sobbed ,caruso4 ,it has gone6 ,messiani went to the piano and struck a chord4 ,the weeping boy piped up in a tone so thin and feeble that it was almost indistinguishable4 ,louder6 yelled the big singer1 with another full chord4 ,caruso obeyed and kept on through the scale4 ,then ,messiani jumped up from the piano stool1 seized the astonished boy about the waist and raised him high off his feet1 at the same time yelling at the top of his voice3 ,what a little jackass6 ,what a little idiot6 ,almost bursting with rage1 for the miserable boy thought his friend was making sport of him1 ,caruso searched the apartment for some weapon with which he might avenge himself4 ,seizing a heavy brass candlestick1 he hurled it at ,messiani with all his force1 but it missed the baritone and landed in a mirror4 ,hold1 madman6 interposed the startled singer4 ,your voice is not gone4 ,it is magnificent4 ,you will be the tenor of the century4 ,messiani sent him to ,vergine1 then the most celebrated trainer of the voice in ,italy4 ,the maestro was not so enthusiastic as ,messiani1 but he promised to do what he could4 ,he offered to instruct ,caruso four years1 only demanding #be per cent4 of his pupil's receipts for his first five years in opera4 ,caruso signed such a contract willingly1 although he realized afterward that he was the victim of a veritable ,shylock4 ,when ,vergine was through with the young tenor he dismissed him without lavish commendation1 but with a reminder of the terms of his contract4 ,caruso obtained an engagement in ,naples1 but did not achieve marked success at once4 ,on every payday ,vergine was on hand to receive his percentage4 ,his regularity finally attracted the attention of the manager1 and he made inquiry of ,caruso4 ,the young tenor showed him his copy of the contract and was horrified to be told that he had bound himself to his ,shylock for a lifetime2 that the contract read that he was to give ,vergine five years of actual singing4 ,caruso would have reached the age of fifty before the last payment came4 ,the matter was finally adjusted by the courts1 and the unscrupulous teacher lost #bjj1jjj lire by the judgment4 ,in ,italy every man must serve his time in the army1 and ,caruso was checked in his operatic career by the call to go into barracks4 ,not long1 however1 was he compelled to undergo the tedium of army life4 ,in consideration of his art he was permitted to offer his brother as a substitute after two months1 and he returned to the opera4 ,he was engaged immediately for a season at ,caserta1 and from that time his rise has been steady and unimpeded4 ,after singing in one ,italian city after another he went to ,egypt and thence to ,paris1 where he made a favorable impression4 ,a season in ,berlin followed1 but the ,wagner influence was dominant1 and he did not succeed in restoring the supremacy of ,italian opera4 ,the next season was spent in ,south ,america1 and in the new world ,caruso made his first triumph4 ,from ,rio he went to ,london1 and on his first appearance he captured his ,covent ,garden audience4 ,when he made his first appearance in the ,united ,states he was already at the top of the operatic ladder1 and1 although many attempts to dislodge him have been made1 he stands still on the topmost rung4 ,from a ,personal ,viewpoint ,of the thousands of people who visit the opera during the season few outside of the small proportion of the initiated realize how much the performance of the singer whom they see and hear on the stage is dependent on previous rehearsal1 constant practice and watchfulness over the physical conditions that preserve that most precious of our assets1 the voice4 ,nor does this same great public in general know of what the singer often suffers in the way of nervousness or stage fright before appearing in front of the footlights1 nor that his life1 outwardly so feted and brilliant1 is in private more or less of a retired1 ascetic one and that his social pleasures must be strictly limited4 ,these conditions1 of course1 vary greatly with the individual singer1 but ,i will try to tell in the following articles1 as exemplified in my own case1 what a great responsibility a voice is when one considers that it is the great ,god-given treasure which brings us our fame and fortune4 ,i am perhaps more favored than many in the fact that my voice was always there1 and that1 with proper cultivation1 of course1 ,i have not had to overstrain it in the attempt to reach vocal heights which have come to some only after severe and long-continued effort4 ,but1 on the other hand1 the finer the natural voice the more sedulous the care required to preserve it in its pristine freshness to bloom4 ,this is the singer's ever present problem--in my case1 however1 mostly a matter of common sense living4 ,as regards eating--a rather important item1 by the way--,i have kept to the light continental breakfast1 which ,i do not take too early2 then a rather substantial luncheon toward two o'clock4 ,my native macaroni1 specially prepared by my chef1 who is engaged particularly for his ability in this way1 is often a feature in this midday meal4 ,i incline toward the simpler and more nourishing food1 though my tastes are broad in the matter1 but lay particular stress on the excellence of the cooking1 for one cannot afford to risk one's health on indifferently cooked food1 no matter what its quality4 ,on the nights when ,i sing ,i take nothing after luncheon1 except perhaps a sandwich and a glass of ,chianti1 until after the performance1 when ,i have a supper of whatever ,i fancy within reasonable bounds4 ,being blessed with a good digestion1 ,i have not been obliged to take the extraordinary precautions about what ,i eat that some singers do4 ,still1 ,i am careful never to indulge to excess in the pleasures of the table1 for the condition of our alimentary apparatus and that of the vocal chords are very closely related1 and the unhealthy state of the one immediately reacts on the other4 ,my reason for abstaining from food for so long before singing may be inquired4 ,it is simply that when the large space required by the diaphragm in expanding to take in breath is partly occupied by one's dinner the result is that one cannot take as deep a breath as one would like and consequently the tone suffers and the all-important ease of breathing is interfered with4 ,in addition a certain amount of bodily energy is used in the process of digestion which would otherwise be entirely given to the production of the voice4 ,these facts1 seemingly so simple1 are very vital ones to a singer1 particularly on an opening night4 ,a singer's life is such an active one1 with rehearsals and performances1 that not much opportunity is given for exercise1 and the time given to this must1 of course1 be governed by individual needs4 ,i find a few simple physical exercises in the morning after rising1 somewhat similar to those practiced in the army1 or the use for a few minutes of a pair of light dumbbells1 very beneficial4 ,otherwise ,i must content myself with an occasional automobile ride4 ,one must not forget1 however1 that the exercise of singing1 with its constant deep inhalation 7and acting in itself is considerable exercise also71 tends much to keep one from acquiring an over-supply of embonpoint4 ,a proper moderation in eating1 however1 as ,i have already said1 will contribute as much to the maintenance of correct proportion in one's figure as any amount of voluntary exercise which one only goes through with on principle4 ,as so many of you in a number of ,states of this great country are feeling and expressing as well as voting opinions on the subject of whether one should or should not drink intoxicants1 you may inquire what practice is most in consonance with a singer's well being1 in my opinion4 ,here1 again1 of course1 customs vary with the individual4 ,in ,italy we habitually drink the light wines of the country with our meals and surely are never the worse for it4 ,i have retained my fondness for my native ,chianti1 which ,i have even made on my own ,italian estate1 but believe and carry out the belief that moderation is the only possible course4 ,i am inclined to condemn the use of spirits1 whisky in particular1 which is so prevalent in the ,anglo-,saxon countries1 for it is sure to inflame the delicate little ribbons of tissue which produce the singing tone and then--addio to a clear and ringing high ,c6 ,though ,i indulge occasionally in a cigarette1 ,i advise all singers1 particularly young singers1 against this practice1 which can certainly not fail to have a bad effect on the delicate lining of the throat1 the vocal chords and the lungs4 ,you will see by all the foregoing that even the gift of a good breath is not to be abused or treated lightly1 and that the goose with the golden egg must be most carefully nurtured4 ,outside of this1 however1 one of the great temptations that beset any singer of considerable fame is the many social demands that crowd upon him1 usually unsought and largely undesired4 ,many of the invitations to receptions1 teas and dinners are from comparative strangers and cannot be considered1 but of those from one's friends which it would be a pleasure to attend very few indeed can be accepted1 for the singer's first care1 even if a selfish one1 must be for his health and consequently his voice1 and the attraction of social intercourse must1 alas1 be largely foregone4 ,the continual effort of loud talking in a throng would be extremely bad for the sensitive musical instrument that the vocalist carries in his throat1 and the various beverages offered at one of your afternoon teas it would be too difficult to refuse4 ,so ,i confine myself to an occasional quiet dinner with a few friends on an off night at the opera or any evening at the play1 where ,i can at least be silent during the progress of the acts4 ,in common with most of the foreign singers who come to ,america1 ,i have suffered somewhat from the effects of your barbarous climate1 with its sudden changes of temperature1 but perhaps have become more accustomed to it in the years of my operatic work here4 ,what has affected me most1 however1 is the overheating of the houses and hotels with that dry steam heat which is so trying to the throat4 ,even when ,i took a house for the season ,i had difficulty in keeping the air moist4 ,now1 however1 in the very modern and excellent hotel where ,i am quartered they have a new system of ventilation by which the air is automatically rendered pure and the heat controlled--a great blessing to the over-sensitive vocalist4 ,after reading the above the casual person will perhaps believe that a singer's life is really not a bit of a sinecure1 even when he has attained the measure of this world's approval and applause afforded by the great horseshoe4 ,the ,voice and ,tone ,production ,the question1 ,how is it done8 as applied to the art of singing brings up so many different points that it is difficult to know where to begin or how to give the layman in any kind of limited space a concise idea of the principles controlling the production of the voice and their application to vocal art4 ,every singer or singing master is popularly supposed to have a method by following out which he has come to fame4 ,yet if asked to describe this method many an artist would be at a loss to do so1 or else deny that he had any specific method at all1 such a subtle and peculiarly individual matter it is that constitutes the technical part of singing4 ,most singers--in fact1 all of them--do many things in singing habitually1 yet so inconspicuously that they could not describe how or why they did them4 ,yet this little set of artistic habits all arise from most logical causes and have become habits from their fitness to the personality of their owner and their special value in enabling that singer to do his best work by their aid4 ,for instance1 a singer will know from trials and experience just the proper position of the tongue and larynx to produce most effectively a certain note on the scale1 yet he will have come by this knowledge not by theory and reasoning1 but simply oft repeated attempts1 and the knowledge he has come by will be valuable to him only1 for somebody else would produce the same note equally well1 but in quite a different way4 ,so one may see that there are actually as many methods as there are singers1 and any particular method1 even if accurately set forth1 might be useless to the person who tried it4 ,this is what ,i really would reply to anyone putting this question to me--that my own particular way of singing1 if ,i have any1 is1 after all1 peculiarly suited to me only1 as ,i have above described4 ,however1 there are many interesting and valuable things to be said about the voice in a general way4 ,speaking first of the classification of voices1 many young singers are put much in doubt and dilemma because they are unable to determine what sort of voice they really possess1 whether soprano1 mezzo or contralto4 ,of course1 it is easy enough to distinguish between the extremes of these1 between a real tenor and a low bass1 but the difference between a high baritone and tenor is rather more difficult to discern1 and a young man studying has often been at great disadvantage by imagining1 for instance1 that he had a tenor voice and trying constantly to sing music too high for him1 since he in reality had only a high baritone4 ,in the course of development a voice very often increases its range and changes its quality sufficiently to pass from a baritone to a tenor1 and it is sometimes a problem to place it during the transition process4 ,perhaps the surest way to determine the real character of a voice is to see on what notes words can be most easily pronounced4 ,for the average tenor the notes up to ,a above middle ,c1 for the baritone1 ,d above middle ,c1 and for the bass up to middle ,c itself1 can be pronounced on the best4 ,one should never try to change the tessitura1 or natural character of the voice4 ,a voice will become higher just when it should by the development due to rational work and never by forcing it4 ,nothing is easier than to force a voice upward or downward1 but to cause it to recede1 as it were1 in either direction1 is another matter4 ,a baritone who tries to increase his upper range by main strength will surely in time lose his best lower notes1 and a light tenor who attempts to force out notes lower than his range will never be able to sing legitimate tenor roles1 and after two or three years may not be able to sing at all4 ,it may be well to speak now of a very important point in singing--what is called the attack of the tone4 ,in general this may be described as the relative position of the throat and tongue and the quality of voice as the tone is begun4 ,the most serious fault of many singers is that they attack the tone either from the chest or the throat4 ,even with robust health the finest voice cannot resist this4 ,this is the reason one sees so many artists who have made a brilliant debut disappear from sight very soon or wind up later on a mediocre career4 ,singers who use their voices properly should be at the height of their talents at forty-five and keep their voices in full strength and virility up to at least fifty4 ,at this latter age1 or close after it1 it would seem well to have earned the right to close one's career4 ,a great artist ought to have the dignity to say farewell to his public when still in full possession of his powers and never let the world apprise him of his falling off4 ,to have the attack true and pure one must consciously try to open the throat not only in front1 but from behind1 for the throat is the door through which the voice must pass1 and if it is not sufficiently open it is useless to attempt to get out a full1 round one2 also the throat is the outlet and inlet for the breath1 and if it is closed the voice will seek other channels or return quenched within4 ,it must not be imagined that to open the mouth wide will do the same for the throat4 ,if one is well versed in the art1 one can open the throat perfectly without a perceptible opening of the mouth1 merely by the power of respiration4 ,it is necessary to open the sides of the mouth1 at the same time dropping the chin well1 to obtain good throat opening4 ,in taking higher notes1 of course1 one must open the mouth a little wider1 but for the most part the position of the mouth is that assumed when smiling4 ,it is a good idea to practice opening the throat before a mirror and try to see the palate1 as when you show your throat to a doctor4 ,in pronouncing the sound ah one must always attack it in the back part of the throat1 taking care1 however1 before uttering the syllable1 to have the throat well open2 otherwise what is called stroke of the glottis occurs and the tone formed is hard and disagreeable4 ,if you ever hear this stroke of glottis on the attack1 you may know that the singer did not attack far enough back in the throat4 ,the tone once launched1 one must think how it may be properly sustained1 and this is where the art of breathing is most concerned4 ,the lungs1 in the first place1 should be thoroughly filled4 ,a tone begun with only half filled lungs loses half its authority and is very apt to be false in pitch4 ,to take a full breath properly1 the chest must be raised at the same moment the abdomen sinks in4 ,then with the gradual expulsion of the breath a contrary movement takes place4 ,the diaphragm and elastic tissue surrounding and containing the stomach and vital organs and the muscles surrounding1 by practice acquire great strength and assist considerably in this process of respiration and are vital factors in the matter of controlling the supply which supports the tone4 ,the diaphragm is really like a pair of bellows and serves exactly the same purpose4 ,it is this ability to take in an adequate supply of breath and to retain it until required that makes or1 by contrary1 mars all singing4 ,a singer with a perfect sense of pitch and all the good intentions possible will often sing off the key and bring forth a tone with no vitality to it1 distressing to hear1 simply for lack of breath control4 ,this art of respiration once acquired1 the student has gone a considerable step on the road to ,parnassus4 ,to practice deep breathing effectively it is an excellent plan to breathe through the nose1 which aids in keeping the confined breath from escaping too soon4 ,the nose also warms and filters the air1 making it much more agreeable to the lungs than if taken directly through the mouth4 ,in the practice of slow breathing make sure that the lungs are as nearly emptied as possible on the expulsion of the breath before beginning a new inspiration1 as this gives extra impetus to the fresh supply of air and strengthens all the breathing muscles4 ,if this is not done1 moreover1 the effect is like two people trying to get in and out of the same narrow door at the same time4 ,the voice is naturally divided into three registers--the chest1 medium and head4 ,in a man's voice of lower quality this last is known as falsetto1 but in the case of a tenor he may use a tone which in sound is almost falsetto1 but is really a mezza voce1 or half voice4 ,this latter legitimately belongs to a man's compass2 a falsetto does not4 ,the most important register is the medium1 particularly of tenors1 for this includes the greater part of the tenor's voice and can be utilized even to the top of his range if rightly produced4 ,in the matter of taking high notes one should remember that their purity and ease of production depend very much on the way the preceding notes leading up to them are sung4 ,beginning in the lower register and attacking the ascending notes well back1 a balance must be maintained all the way up1 so that the highest note receives the benefit and support of the original position of the throat1 and there is no danger1 consequently1 of the throat closing and pinching the quality of the top notes4 ,singers1 especially tenors1 are very apt to throw the head forward in producing the high notes1 and consequently get that throaty1 strained voice which is so disagreeable4 ,to avoid this one should try to keep the supply of breath down as far toward the abdomen as possible1 thus maintaining the upper passages to the head quite free for the emission of the voice4 ,remember also to sing within yourself1 as it were--to feel the tones all through your being2 otherwise your singing will possess no sentiment1 emotion or authority4 ,it is the failure to accomplish this which has produced so many soulless artists--singers endowed with magnificent voices1 capable of surmounting every technical difficulty1 but devoid of that charm of intonation which is so vital to success on the operatic stage4 ,faults to be ,corrected ,i have previously mentioned mezza voce and will now say a word on this subject1 for the artistic use of the half voice is a very valuable adjunct in all singing4 ,it may be defined simply as the natural voice produced softly1 but with an extra strength of breath4 ,it is this breathy quality1 however--which one must be careful never to exaggerate or the tone will not carry--that gives that velvety effect to the tone that is so delightful4 ,mezza voce is just a concentration of the full voice1 and it requires1 after all1 as much breath support4 ,a soft note which is taken with the head voice without being supported by a breath taken from the diaphragm is a helpless sort of thing4 ,it does not carry and is inaudible at any distance1 whereas the soft note which does possess the deep breath support is penetrating1 concentrated and most expressive4 ,another important point is that1 with a piano note properly taken in the register which is proper to it1 there is no danger of having to change the position of the throat and consequently the real character of the note when making a crescendo and again diminishing it4 ,it will be the same note continuing to sound4 ,on the other hand1 with a soft note taken in a register foreign to it1 as soon as its strength is augmented the register must suddenly be changed and the result is like a ,tyrolean yodel4 ,so remember in a mezza voce to see that the register is right and to use a double breath strength4 ,i speak of the matter of register here for the benefit of those who must keep this constantly in mind4 ,i myself have been blessed with what is called a naturally placed voice1 and never had trouble with the mezza voce4 ,the majority of ,italian singers come to it easily4 ,there are a number of wrong sorts of voices which should be mentioned to be shunned--the white voice1 the throaty voice1 the nasal voice1 and the bleat4 ,the nasal quality is the most difficult to correct4 ,many teachers1 especially the ,french1 make a point of placing the voice in the nasal cavity on the pretext of strengthening it1 and this nasal quality1 partly on account of the sound of many of the ,french words1 is only too prevalent4 ,the voice1 however1 can only be strengthened by legitimate means2 otherwise it can easily be ruined4 ,one can breathe through the nose1 but never attack or sing through it4 ,the white voice 7voce bianca7 is a head voice without deep support and consequently without color2 hence its appellation4 ,one can learn to avoid it by practicing with the mouth closed and by taking care to breathe through the nose1 which forces the respiration to descend to the abdomen4 ,the throaty voice comes from singing with the throat insufficiently opened1 so that the breath does not pass easily through the nose and head cavities and1 again1 from not attacking the tone deeply enough4 ,to cure oneself of this throaty quality attack your notes from the abdomen1 the mouth well open1 standing in front of a mirror4 ,the force of the respiration will keep the tongue depressed and the throat will remain free4 ,as for the fault of nasality1 it is1 as ,i have said1 the most difficult to get rid of4 ,sometimes one never does lose it4 ,the only remedy is what ,i have previously indicated--to attack from the abdomen1 with the throat open1 and carry the voice over the soft palate1 for if the voice is placed in the nose it indicates that one is singing too far forward1 which is against the rules of song4 ,if the student has a tendency to sing in this way it is well to practice in vowel sounds only 7ah-eh-ee-la-lay-lee1 etc47 in order to be cured of this serious fault4 ,after all1 however1 those who have practiced the art of right breathing need have none of the defects mentioned above4 ,the bleat or goat voice1 a particular fault of ,french singers1 proceeds from the habit of forcing the voice1 which1 when it is of small volume1 cannot stand the consequent fatigue of the larynx4 ,many singers with voices suitable only for light opera are constantly trying to branch out into big dramatic arias4 ,such performances are assuredly distressing to hear and are certainly disastrous for the voices concerned4 ,it is no wonder that these people are often ill1 for one cannot make such efforts without injuring the health4 ,i realize that they often do it to please their directors and to be obliging in an emergency1 but when they are down and out others will easily replace them and they are heard from no more4 ,to keep the voice fresh for the longest possible time one should not only never overstep his vocal means1 but should limit his output as he does the expenses of his purse4 ,there is only one way to cure a bleaty voice1 and that is to cultivate an absolute rest2 then1 on taking up singing again1 to use the closed mouth method until the time the strength of respiration shall be such that one can open his mouth and let the restored voice take its course4 ,a few words on practicing with closed mouth may here be appropriate4 ,this method of study is really all that is necessary to place certain voices1 but is bad for others4 ,it all depends on the formation of the mouth and throat4 ,for example1 a singer troubled with the fault of closing the throat too much should never work with the mouth closed4 ,when one can do it safely1 however1 it is a most excellent resource for preparatory exercises in respiration4 ,since1 as ,i have already explained1 breathing through the nose with closed mouth throws back the respiration to the abdomen1 it is best to do the exercise seated in a comfortable1 natural position4 ,vocal work with closed mouth is also a powerful auxiliary to vocal agility4 ,many great artists perform their daily vocal exercises with the mouth shut1 and ,i can personally testify to the excellency of this practice4 ,it most certainly strengthens the breathing powers and at the same time rests the voice4 ,but one should know how to do it properly4 ,i know of many badly fatigued voices that have been restored to their normal condition in this way4 ,singers1 of all musicians1 have the reputation of displaying the least regard for time4 ,in operatic work1 however1 with an orchestra to follow or be followed1 it is especially essential to observe a sane respect for the proper tempo4 ,otherwise one is liable to get into immediate trouble with the conductor4 ,of course ,i do not mean that one should sing in a mechanical way and give nothing of one's own personality4 ,this would naturally rob the music of all charm4 ,there are many singers who cannot or will not count the time properly4 ,there are those who sing without method1 who do not fit their breathing1 which is really the regulator of vocal performance1 to the right periods1 and who consequently are never in time4 ,they make all kinds of rallentandos where they are not necessary1 to gain time to recover the breath that they have not taken when they should4 ,it is not enough to give the notes their full value4 ,the rests1 above all1 should be carefully observed in order to have sufficient opportunity to get a good breath and prepare for the next phrase4 ,it is this exactitude that gives certainty to one's rendition and authority in singing--something many artists do not possess4 ,a singer may make all the efforts he desires and still keep the time1 and he must keep it4 ,those who roar most loudly rarely sing in time4 ,they give every thought to the volume of tone they are producing and do not bother themselves about anything else4 ,the right accents in music depend very much on the exact time4 ,tone artists1 while still making all their desired effects in apparent freedom of style and delivery1 nevertheless do not ever lose sight of the time4 ,those who do are usually apt to be amateurs and are not to be imitated4 ,good ,diction a ,requisite ,good diction1 or the art of pronouncing the words of a song or opera properly and intelligently1 is a matter sadly neglected by many singers1 and indeed is not considered important by a large proportion of the audiences in this country1 who do not understand foreign language1 at any rate4 ,and in an opera sung in a language unknown to most of the audience it is apparently unimportant whether the words are understood or not as long as there is a general knowledge of the plot1 and the main consideration is1 of course1 the music4 ,yet for those who are conversant with the language in which the opera is written1 how common an experience it is 7in concert1 also7 to be able1 in spite of their linguistic knowledge1 to understand little of what is being sung1 and what a drawback this really is6 ,how many singers there are who seem to turn all their attention to the production of beautiful sounds and neglect in most cases the words that often are equally beautiful1 or should be6 ,one hears a great deal just now about the advisability of giving operas in the native language1 as it is done in ,france and ,germany1 and the idea would seem to have its advantages1 as has already been demonstrated in some excellent performances of ,german1 ,french and ,italian operas in ,english4 ,but of what avail would such a project be if1 after all1 one could not understand the words of his own language as they were sung8 ,the language might as well be ,sanskrit or ,chinese4 ,in ,france the matter of diction is probably given the greatest attention1 and singers at the ,opera ,comique1 for instance1 are noted for their pure and distinct enunciation of every syllable4 ,indeed1 it is as much of a sine qua non there as good singing1 if not more so1 and the numerous subtleties in the ,french language are difficult enough to justify this special stress laid upon correct pronunciation4 ,it requires a very particular ability in a foreigner to attain the atmosphere of perfect ,french to any very high degree4 ,italian is generally considered an easier language to pronounce in song1 as indeed it is1 all the vowel sounds being full and sonorous and lacking that covered or mixed quality so often occurring in the ,french4 ,nevertheless1 ,italian has its difficulties1 particularly in the way of distinctly enunciating the double consonants and proper division of the liaisons1 or combining of final vowels with initial vowels1 and the correct amount of softness to be given to the letter ,c4 ,all this1 of course1 is from the standpoint of those to whom these languages are foreign4 ,certainly no singer can be called a great artist unless his diction is good1 for a beautiful voice alone will not make up for other deficiencies4 ,a singer endowed with a small voice or even one of not very pleasing quality can give more pleasure than a singer possessing a big1 impressive voice1 but no diction4 ,some people claim that a pronunciation too distinct or too much insisted upon spoils the real voice quality1 but this should not be the case if the words are correctly and naturally brought out4 ,doubtless1 this impression has come from the fact that1 particularly in ,france1 many singers possessed of small voices must exaggerate their diction to obtain their effects4 ,but if they did not have this perfect diction they often would have little else to recommend them4 ,i would aver that a fine enunciation1 far from interfering with it1 aids the voice production1 makes it softer and more concentrated1 but diction should act rather as a frame for the voice and never replace it4 ,each of the three languages1 ,french1 ,german and ,italian1 has its peculiar characteristics1 which are of aid to the student in the general study of pronunciation1 and it is well to have a knowledge of them all outside of the fact that an artist nowadays needs to have this knowledge in order not only to rank with the greatest1 but to cope with the demands of an operatic career4 ,the ,italian language in its very essence is rich in vowels and vowel combinations1 from which comes principally the color in tones1 and it has consequently been called the language of song4 ,italians thus have naturally what it is so much trouble for singers of other nations to acquire--the numerous variations of vowel sounds4 ,french has the nasal sounds as its dominating characteristic and is very valuable in the cultivation of nasal resonance4 ,as ,i said before1 it is so easy to exaggerate and the voice is so apt to get too much in the nose that one has to be extremely careful in the use of the ,french n and ng4 ,german is so full of consonants that one needs to have exceptional control of the tongue and lips to give their proper value4 ,english possesses the features of all the other languages--of course1 in less marked degree--resembling most1 perhaps1 the ,german4 ,the th is the most difficult sound to make effective in singing4 ,i have already spoken of the various phases of nervousness which an artist feels before the performance1 but ,i wish to say here a word in regard to the practical significance of such nervousness4 ,artists who do not experience it are those who lack real genius4 ,there are really two kinds of fear--that arising from a realization of the importance of what is to be done1 the other from a lack of confidence in one's power4 ,if a singer has no conscience in his performance he is never nervous1 but full of assurance4 ,it is seldom that true artists are much troubled with nervousness after going upon the stage4 ,generally1 as ,i have before mentioned1 they are apt to be ill during the day of the performance1 but before the public they forget everything and are dominated only by the real love of their art and sustained by the knowledge of possessing a proper method4 ,it is certain with a good breath support even nervousness need not prevent one from singing well1 although one may be actually suffering from trepidation4 ,yet we know that sometimes the greatest of artists are prevented thus from doing their best work4 ,the principle1 however1 remains unshaken that singing in a correct way is the greatest possible bracer4 ,it is best to remain absolutely quiet and see no one on the day of the performance1 so as not to be enervated by the effort of talking much1 to say nothing of tiring the vocal chords4 ,one prima donna of my acquaintance occupies herself in trimming hats on the day when she sings1 believing that this provides a distraction and rests her nerves4 ,it is just as well not to pass through the role that is to be sung on the day of the appearing1 but in the morning a few technical exercises to keep the voice in tune1 as it were1 are to be recommended4 ,the great ,italian singers of other days followed this rule1 and it still holds good4 ,if the singer gives much of himself as well as of his voice to the public he should still hold his breathing supply in1 so to speak1 as he would guard the capital from which comes his income4 ,failure should thus be impossible if there is always a reserve to draw on4 ,so the more one sings with good breath support the more beautiful the voice becomes4 ,on the other hand1 those who sing haphazard sometimes begin the evening well1 but deteriorate more and more as the performance advances and at the end are uttering mere raucous sounds4 ,they are like a man unable to swim who is in a deep river--their voices control them in place of they controlling their voices4 ,they struggle vainly against obstacles1 but are carried away by the flood and are finally engulfed in the waters4 ,many too ambitious students are their own worst enemies in the culture of their voices4 ,because they have a large vocal power they want to shout all the time in spite of the repeated admonitions of their masters1 who beg them to sing piano4 ,but they hear nothing except the noise they make themselves4 ,such headstrong ones will never make a career1 even with the finest voices in the world4 ,their teachers should give up trying to make them listen to reason and devote their attention to those who merit it and want to study seriously4 ,singing as an art is usually not considered with enough earnestness4 ,one should go to a singing master as one goes to a specialist for a consultation and follow with the greatest care his directions4 ,if one does not have the same respect and confidence one places in a physician it must be because the singing master does not really merit it1 and it would be much better to make a change at once4 ,in general it is better not to stick entirely to one teacher1 for it is easy to get into a rut in this way1 and someone else may have a quite different and more enlightening way of setting forth his ideas4 ,in taking up operatic work it is understood1 of course1 that the singer must have mastered most of the technical difficulties1 so as not to be troubled with them when they are encountered in some aria4 ,it is a most excellent thing to secure an engagement in one of the small theatres abroad1 where one may get a large experience before trying to effect an entrance into the bigger organizations of the great capitals4 ,but be sure that the voice is well placed before trying any of this sort of work1 and never attempt to sing a role above your powers in the earlier stage of your career1 which otherwise may be compromised permanently4 ,one more bit of advice in closing4 ,the best sort of lesson possible is to go often to the opera and note well the methods of the great artists4 ,this personal example is worth more and is more illuminating than many precepts4 ,this is not so much that any form of imitation may be attempted as to teach the would-be artist how to present at his best all those telling qualities with which he may be endowed4 ,it is the best of schools4 ,pet ,superstitions of ,great ,singers ,the most visible phase of the opera singer's life when he or she is in view of the public on the stage is naturally the one most intimately connected in the minds of the majority of people with the singer's personality1 and yet there are many happenings1 amusing or tragic1 from the artist's point of view1 which1 though often seen1 are as often not realized in their true significance by the audience in front of the orchestra4 ,one might naturally think that a singer who has been appearing for years on the operatic stage in many lands would have overcome or outgrown that bane of all public performers1 stage fright4 ,yet such is far from the case1 for it seems as though the greater the artistic temperament the more truly the artist feels and the more of himself he puts into the music he sings the greater his nervousness beforehand4 ,the latter is of course augmented if the performance is a first night and the opera has as yet been untried before a larger public4 ,this advance state of miserable physical tension is the portion of all great singers alike1 though in somewhat varying degrees1 and it is interesting to note the forms it assumes with different people4 ,in many it is shown by excessive irritability and the disposal to pick quarrels with anyone who comes in contact with them4 ,this is an unhappy time for the luckless dressers1 wig man and stage hands1 or even fellow artists who encounter such singers before their first appearance in the evening4 ,trouble is the portion of all such4 ,in other artists the state of mind is indicated by a stern set countenance and a ghastly pallor1 while still others become slightly hysterical1 laugh uproariously at nothing or burst into weeping4 ,i have seen a big six-foot bass singer1 very popular at the opera two or three seasons ago1 walking to and fro with the tears running down his cheeks for a long time before his entrance1 and one of our greatest coloratura prima donnas has come to me before the opera1 sung a quavering note in a voice full of emotion and said1 with touching accents3 ,see1 that is the best ,i can do4 ,how can ,i go on so8 ,i myself have been affected often by such fright1 though not always in the extreme degree above described4 ,this nervousness1 however1 frequently shows itself in one's performance in the guise of indifferent acting1 singing off the key1 etc4 ,artists are generally blamed for such shortcomings1 apparent in the early part of the production1 when1 as a matter of fact1 they themselves are hardly conscious of them and overcome them in the course of the evening4 ,yet the public1 even critics1 usually forget this fact and condemn an entire performance for faults which are due at the beginning to sheer nervousness4 ,the oft-uttered complaint that operatic singers are the most difficult to get on with of any folk1 while justified1 perhaps1 can certainly be explained by the foregoing observations4 ,we of the opera are often inclined to be superstitious in a way that might annul matter of fact ,americans4 ,one woman1 a distinguished and most intelligent artist1 crosses herself repeatedly before taking her cue1 and a prima donna who is a favorite on two continents and who is always escorted to the theatre by her mother1 invariably goes through the very solemn ceremony of kissing her mother good-by and receiving her blessing before going on to sing4 ,the young woman feels that she could not possibly sing a note if the mother's eye were not on her every moment from the wings4 ,another famous singer wears a small bracelet that was given to her when an infant by ,gounod4 ,she has grown somewhat stout of late years1 and the hoop of gold has been reenforced so often that there is hardly any of the great composer's original gift left4 ,still1 she feels that it is a charm which has made her success1 and whether she sings the part of a lowly peasant or of a princess the bracelet is always visible4 ,and these little customs are not confined to the woman singers either1 for the men are equally fond of observing some little tradition to cheer them in their performance4 ,these little traits1 trivial perhaps in themselves1 are of vital importance in that they create a sense of security in the soul of the artist1 who goes on his way1 if not rejoicing1 at least convinced that the fates are not against him4 ,one of the penalties paid by the singers who are much in the public eye is the constant demand made on them to listen to voices of vocal aspirants--not always very young ones1 strange to say4 ,it is sad to contemplate the number of people who think they can sing and are destined by talent and temperament for operatic careers1 who have been led by misguided or foolish friends and too often by overambitious and mercenary singing masters into spending time and money on their voices in the fond hope of some day astonishing the world4 ,alas1 they do not realize that the great singers who are heard in the ,new ,york opera houses have been picked from the world's supply after a process of most drastic selection1 and that it is only the most rarely exceptional voice and talent which after long years of study and preparation become worthy to join the elect4 ,i am asked to hear many who have voices with promise of beauty1 but who have obviously not the intelligence necessary to take up a career1 for it does require considerable intelligence to succeed in opera1 in spite of opinions to the contrary expressed by many4 ,others1 who have keen and alert minds and voices of fine quality1 yet lack that certain esprit and broadness of musical outlook required in a great artist4 ,this lack is often so apparent in the person's manner or bearing that ,i am tempted to tell him it is no use before he utters a note4 ,yet it would not do to refuse a hearing to all these misfits1 for there is always the chance of encountering the unknown genius1 however rare a bird he may be4 ,and how often have the world's great voices been discovered by chance1 but fortunately by some one empowered to bring out the latent gift6 ,one finds in ,america many beautiful voices1 and when one thinks of the numerous singers successfully engaged in operatic careers both here and abroad1 it cannot with justice be said as it used to be several years ago that ,america does not produce opera singers4 ,naturally a majority of those to whom ,i give a hearing here in ,new ,york are ,americans1 and of these are a number of really remarkable voices and a fairly good conception of what is demanded of an opera singer4 ,sometimes1 however1 it would be amusing if it were not tragic to see how much off the track people are who have been led to think they have futures4 ,one young man who came recently to sing for me carried a portentous roll of music and spoke in the deepest of bass voices4 ,when asked what his main difficulty was he replied that he didn't seem to be able to get on the key4 ,and this was apparent when he started in and wandered up and down the tonal till he managed to strike the tonic4 ,then he asked me whether ,i would rather hear ,qui sdegno1 from ,mozart's ,magic ,flute1 or ,love ,me and the ,world is ,mine4 ,upon the latter being chosen he asked the accompanist to transpose it1 and upon this gentleman's suggesting a third lower1 he said3 ,no1 put it down an octave4 ,and that's where he sang it1 too4 ,i gently but firmly advised the young man to seek other paths than musical ones4 ,however1 such extreme examples as that are happily rare4 ,i would say to all young people who are ambitious to enter on a career of opera3 ,remember1 it is a thoroughly hard-worked profession1 after all2 that even with a voice of requisite size and proper cultivation there is still a repertory of roles to acquire1 long months and years of study for this and requiring a considerable feat of memory to retain them even after they are learned4 ,then there is the art of acting to be studied1 which is1 of course1 an entire occupation in itself and decidedly necessary in opera1 including fencing--how to fall properly1 the various gaits and gestures wherewith to portray different emotions1 etc4 ,then1 as opera is sung nowadays1 the knowledge of the diction of at least three languages--,french1 ,german and ,italian--if not essential1 is at least most helpful4