ed for artistic singing, one that
is intrusted with the greatest of tasks, to interpret works of art
that are no popular songs, but, for the most part, human tragedies.
Most male singers--tenors especially--consider it beneath them,
generally, indeed, unnatural or ridiculous, to use the falsetto,
which is a part of all male voices, as the head tones are a part of
all female voices. They do not understand how to make use of its
assistance, because they often have no idea of its existence, or know
it only in its unmixed purity--that is, its thinnest quality. Of its
proper application they have not the remotest conception. Their
singing is generally in accordance with their ignorance.

The mixture is present by nature in all kinds of voices, but singers
must possess the skill and knowledge to employ it, else the natural
advantage goes for nothing.

SECTION XVII

THEODOR WACHTEL

The most perfect singer that I remember in my Berlin experience was
Theodor Wachtel in this respect, that with his voice of rare splendor,
he united all that vocal art which, as it seems, is destined quite to
disappear from among us. How beautiful were his coloratura, his
trills,--simply flawless! Phrasing, force, fulness of tone, and beauty
were perfect, musically without a blemish. If he did not go outside
the range of Arnold, G. Brown, Stradella, Vasco, the Postillion and
Lionel, it was probably because he felt that he was not equal to
interpreting the Wagnerian spirit. In this he was very wise. As one of
the first of vocal artists, whose voice was superbly trained and was
preserved to the end of his life, I have had to pay to Wachtel the
tribute of the most complete admiration and recognition, in contrast
to many others who thought themselves greater than he, and yet were
not worthy to unloose the latchet of his shoes.

Recently the little Italian tenor Bonci has won my hearty admiration
for his splendidly equalized voice, his perfect art, and his knowledge
of his resources; and notwithstanding the almost ludicrous figure that
he cut in serious parts, he elicited hearty applause. Cannot German
tenors, too, learn to sing _well_, even if they do interpret Wagner?
Will they not learn, for the sake of this very master, that it is
their duty not to use their voices recklessly?

Is it not disrespectful toward our greatest masters that they always
have to play hide and seek with the _bel canto_, the trill, and
coloratura? Not till one