e two-lined _a_, _b_ flat, _b_, where kind Nature does not
at first place the voice, because she has reserved for herself the slow
and careful development of it. As for the unfortunate gasping medium
voices, which are still less docile, and which sigh in the throat, and
after all can only speak, such teachers postpone the cultivation of
these to the future, or else they exclaim in a satisfied way, "Now we
will sing at sight! Hit the notes! Let us have classical music!" Of
these, also, I forbear to speak.

And as for the singing-teachers, whose business it is to educate the
voice for "the opera of the future," I am really unable to write about
them. In the first place, I know nothing about "the future," the unborn;
and, in the second place, I have more than enough to do with the
present.

And now I come to those who honestly wish to teach better, and who in a
measure do so. But even they are too pedantic: with prejudiced views,
they pursue one-sided aims. Without looking around to the right or to
the left or forwards, and without daily learning, reflecting, and
striving, they run in a groove, always ride their particular hobby, cut
every thing after one pattern, and use up the time in secondary matters,
in incredible trifles. For the formation of a fine tone, not a minute
should be lost, particularly with lady singers, who are not strong, and
usually cannot or ought not to sing more than twenty days in a month,
and who surely ought to be allowed to use their time in a reasonable
manner. Moreover, these are the teachers whom it is most difficult to
comprehend. Though they use only seven tones, they are plunged in
impenetrable mysteries, in incomprehensible knowledge and a multitude of
so-called secrets, out of which, indeed, nothing can ever be brought to
light. For this, however, they do not consider themselves to blame, not
even their hobby-horses; but, as they say, "the higher powers." We will,
for once, suppose that three-fourths of the measures which they are
accustomed to employ in their treatment of the voice and of the
individual are good and correct (the same is true of many
piano-teachers); but the remaining fourth is sufficient to ruin the
voice, or to prevent its proper development, and therefore nothing
correct is to be gained. There are other teachers who never can get
beyond the formation of the tone, and are lost in the pursuit of
_perfection_,--that "terrestrial valley of tears." Truly a beautiful
count