Delsarte used to say:  “When I am speaking, stop me in the moment of my greatest exaltation, and I defy you to find me, from my head to my feet, in a position contrary to my method.”

“Voice-culture for the speaking-voice is not an art that is cultivated in France,” Mme. Geraldy said, “What can you do to change your voice?  It was given to you by nature; you cannot change your vocal cords.”

Mme. Geraldy returned to France, bearing with her the hope that her efforts have not been altogether unsuccessful in making the great work of her father’s life better known to Americans, better understood and appreciated by them.

Part Seventh.

Addenda.

Trueness in Singing.

Notes of a Lecture by Delsarte, Taken by His Pupil A. Giraudet, of The
National Academy of Music, Paris.

By a most reasonable deduction derived from his admirable principles,
Delsarte reckoned three modes or degrees of correct singing: 

1.  Absolute trueness;

2.  Temperate trueness;

3.  Passional trueness.

Absolute trueness is that adopted by theorists, who divide the gamut into five notes and two semi-notes; the note into nine commas, or shades of tone; the chromatic semi-tone into five, and the diatonic semi-tone into four.

Thus from C to C# they count five shades of tone; whereas from C to Db they count but four.  Likewise, from D to Db they count five shades of tone, and from D to C# but four.

[Illustration:  Absolute scale]

The difference of a comma between the D flat and the C sharp, seemingly a very slight difference, is, nevertheless, most important in singing, as we shall see later on.  But performers, to simplify our musical system, have divided this comma into two, making synonymous notes of D flat and C sharp; that is to say, notes having the same sound.  The note is, therefore, practically divided into two semitones of four commas and a half.  This is what is known as moderation or temperate trueness.

[Illustration:  Temperate scale]

Temperate trueness is defective from many points of view.  This is the universal opinion, but we are forced to accept this method by the absolute impossibility of any improvement, especially with the key-board instruments now in vogue; and it must be accepted until some new invention shall revolutionize the piano by modulating its tones, a transformation which would give that instrument not only the musical design, but also the color and warmth which it now lacks.

Let us pass to passional trueness, leaving science to enter the domain of art.  “Passional trueness,” said Delsarte, “consists in giving each semitone three, four, five, six, or even seven commas, according to its tendency.”  As we see, the precept is daring, and an inattentive scholar would only have to forget the last words of the definition to make people say that the great master of lyric art taught his pupils to sing false.