r earlier years she sang only arias and duets or single
solos, never taking part in ensembles. She never sang even her limited
repertory when she was indisposed. She never attended rehearsals, but
came to the theater in the evening and sang triumphantly, without ever
having seen the persons who sang or acted with her. She spared herself
rehearsals, which, on the day of the performance or the day before,
exhaust all singers because of the excitement of all kinds attending
them, and which contribute neither to the freshness of the voice nor to
the joy of the profession.

Although she was a Spaniard by birth and an American by early adoption,
she was, so to speak, the greatest Italian singer of my time. All was
absolutely good, correct and flawless, the voice like a bell that you
seemed to hear long after its singing had ceased. Yet she could give no
explanation of her art, and answered all her colleagues' questions
concerning it with "Ah, je n'en sais rien!" She possessed unconsciously,
as a gift of nature, a union of all those qualities that other singers
must attain and possess consciously. Her vocal organs stood in the most
favorable relations to each other. Her talent and her remarkably trained
ear maintained control over the beauty of her singing and her voice.
Fortunate circumstances of her life preserved her from all injury. The
purity and flawlessness of her tone, the beautiful equalization of her
whole voice constituted the magic by which she held her listeners
entranced. Moreover, she was beautiful and gracious in appearance. The
accent of great dramatic power she did not possess, yet I ascribe this
more to her intellectual indolence than to her lack of ability.

But how few of us would ever make a career if we waited for such favors
from Nature!

LESSONS MUST BE ADEQUATE

Bearing in mind the absolute necessity and real joy in vocal work, it
confounds and amazes me that teachers of this art feel their duty has
been accomplished when they donate twenty minutes or half an hour to a
pupil! I do not honestly believe this is a fair exchange, and it is
certainly not within reason to believe that within so short a time a
pupil can actually benefit by the concentration and instruction so
hastily conferred upon her. If this be very plain speaking, it is said
with the object to benefit the pupil only, for it is, after all, _they_
who must pay the ultimate in success or failure. An hour devoted to the
minute needs of