m to fame is that they teach
the---- method. Proud as I am of the glorious past of vocal art in the
country of my birth, I cannot help being amused and at the same time
somewhat irritated when I think of the many palpable frauds that are
classed under the head of the "Real Old Italian Method" by inexperienced
teachers. We cannot depend upon the past in all cases to meet present
conditions. The singers of the olden day in Italy were doubtless great,
because they possessed naturally fine voices and used them in an
unaffected, natural manner. In addition to this they were born speaking
a tongue favorable to beautiful singing, led simple lives and had
opportunities for hearing the great operas and the great singers
unexcelled by those of any other European country. That they became
great through the practice of any set of rules or methods is
inconceivable. There were great teachers in olden Italy, very great
teachers, and some of them made notes upon the means they employed, but
I cannot believe that if these teachers were living to-day they would
insist upon their ideas being applied to each and every individual case
in the same identical manner.

THE VALUE OF OPERA

This leads us to the subject at hand. The students in Italy in the past
have had advantages for self-study that were of greatest importance. On
all sides good singing and great singing might be heard conveniently and
economically. Opera was and is one of the great national amusements of
Italy. Opera houses may be found in all of the larger cities and in most
of the smaller ones. The prices of admission are, as a rule, very low.
The result is that the boys in the street are often remarkably familiar
with some of the best works. Indeed, it would not be extravagant to say
that they were quite as familiar with these musical masterpieces as some
of the residents of America are with the melodramatic doings of Jesse
James or the "Queen of Chinatown." Thus it is that the average Italian
boy with a fair education and quick powers of observation reaches his
majority with a taste for singing trained by many opportunities to hear
great singers. They have had the best vocal instruction in the world,
providing, of course, they have exercised their powers of judgment. Thus
it is that it happens that such a singer as Caruso, certainly one of the
greatest tenors of all time, could be accidentally heard by a manager
while singing and receive an offer for an engagement upon t