ion of vibration up into the
head. In every way Nature seems to indicate that there are three vocal
registers.

The most extreme limits of human voice so far known were found in the
voices of Ludwig Fischer, a bass singer, and of Lucrezia Agujari (La
Bastardella), a florid soprano. Fischer created the role of Osmin in
Mozart's "_Entfuehring aus dem Serail_." His voice went down to contra F
[Music: F1] an entire octave lower than the ordinary bass singer.
La Bastardella sang as high as [Music: C7] or an octave higher than what
usually is spoken of as soprano "high C." These, however, were marvellous
voices, so extraordinary that they form part of the history of singing.
Indeed, Baker, in his "Biographical Dictionary of Musicians," credits
Fischer with D--a^1 [Music: D2-A4].

A reasonable statement of the vocal compass would be 2-1/2 octaves, or
[Music: F3 to C6] for female voice and the same, an octave lower, for male
voice. Allowing for unusual voices, the statement would be as follows:

[Music:

Treble staff:
Low or Chest Register. D3-F4
Middle Register. G4-F5
High or Head Register. G5-F6

Bass staff:
Low or Chest Register. C2-F3
Middle Register. G3-F4
High or Head Register. G4-C5]

This musical example shows that save for the lowest note of the bass
voice and the three highest of the soprano, the male and female compass
parallel each other at an interval of an octave apart, and that the
division of the registers is the same for both.

Still utilizing the same musical example, but noting now the two chief
divisions of male and female voices (bass and tenor in the male and alto
and soprano in the female), the example would be divided as follows:

[Music:

Alto.
Low or Chest Register. D3-F4
Middle Register. G4-F5

Soprano.
Low or Chest Register. C4-F4
Middle Register. G4-F5
High or Head Register. G5-F6

Bass.
Low or Chest Register. C2-F3
Middle Register. G3-E4

Tenor.
Low or Chest Register. B[flat]2-F3
Middle Register. G3-F4
High or Head Register. G4-C5]

It must be borne in mind that registers overlap, that they extend up
and down one into another, and that at points where this occurs it is
optional with the singer in which of the two overlapping registers he
will produce his tones. There are many singers who can sing at will the
lower half of the middle register either in chest or middle, and the
upper half of the middle either in middle or hea