ht be gained by combining three, four, or five
students in a class and giving lessons of an hour's time, or even an
hour and a half. The students might sing in turn, all the others
listening to the one who is singing. This form of instruction would be
of great service in ear training, and in acquainting the students with
the various qualities of vocal tone, both correct and faulty. Much time
would thus be saved in giving explanations and in pointing out the
characteristics of tone to be sought or avoided. On the side of musical
education, instruction in small classes would also be found very
effective.

A thorough understanding of Vocal Science, including both the mechanical
features of tone-production and the psychological aspects of singing, is
almost indispensable to the vocal teacher. But the student of singing
will in most cases derive no benefit from this scientific knowledge.
Those students who plan to become teachers must of course study Vocal
Science. Yet even these students will do well to defer this study until
they have acquired a thorough mastery of their voices.

* * *

Musical progress would seem to have taken a peculiar direction when a
voice need be raised in defense of the old art of pure singing. Several
famous writers on musical subjects would have us believe that the love
of vocal melody is outgrown by one who reaches the heights of musical
development. This may be true; but if so, the world has not yet
progressed so far. Music without melody may some day be written. But
Mozart knew naught of it, nor Beethoven, nor Wagner. Melody is still
beautiful, and never more lovely than when artistically sung by a
beautiful voice. We have not reached a point where we can afford to toss
lightly aside the old art of Bel Canto.

For its future development, if not indeed for its continued existence,
the art of singing depends on an improvement in the art of training
voices. For this to be accomplished, mechanical methods must be
abandoned. If this work succeeds in bringing home to the vocal
profession the error of mechanical instruction in singing, it will have
served its purpose.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pietro Francesco Tosi: _Observations on the Florid Song_. Bologna, 1723.

Giovanni Battista Mancini: _Riflessioni pratiche sul Canto figurato_.
Milan, 1776.

Georg Joseph Vogler: _Stimmbildungskunst_. Mannheim, 1776.

_Methode de Chant du Conservatoire de Musique_. Paris, 1803.

Stefana Arteaga: _Le Re