does not the preservation of their voices then require the greatest care and watchfulness?  Is that in your power?  Have you the requisite knowledge for it?  Are not these few well-educated voices obliged to sing by the side of singers who have been taught in a wrong manner, and who have no pure, correct intonation?  Then what do these societies amount to?  Do they improve or destroy the voice?  They make the members musical.  A fine consolation for the loss of the voice!  They teach them to hit the notes and to keep time.  A great comfort after the voice has been destroyed by false culture!

* * * * *

A singing-teacher who has no firm, decided principle, who is constantly wavering backwards and forwards, and who frequently leads others into error by his untenable opinions; who cannot quickly discern the special talent and capacity of his pupils, or discover the proper means to get rid of what is false or wrong, and adopt the speediest road to success, without any one-sided theories of perfection; who mistrusts and blames, worries, offends, and depresses, instead of encouraging; who is always dissatisfied instead of cordially acknowledging what is good in the pupil; who at one time rides a high horse instead of kindly offering a helping hand, and at another time praises as extravagantly as he before has blamed, and kills time in such ways as these,—­he may be an encyclopaedia of knowledge, but his success will always fall short of his hopes.  Firmness, decision, energy, and a delicate, quick perception; the art not to say too much or too little, and to be quite clear in his own mind, and with constant considerate kindness to increase the courage and confidence of his pupils,—­these are requisite above all things for a singing-master as well as for a piano-teacher.

* * * * *

“My singers are to be educated for the public, for the stage, and must therefore sing loud, study hard, force their execution, and make use of a great deal of breath.  How else will they be able to produce an effect?”

Answer. What, then, is the effect of your culture?  I know of none, except that they at first are applauded, because they are young and pretty, and are novelties; because they have good voices, and the benevolent public wishes to encourage them; and then they disappear in a year or two without leaving any trace.

“The singing-teacher can succeed in cultivating not more than one good voice in twenty, with any noteworthy result.  Hence the decadence of the art of singing.”

Answer. Unless some unusual disturbance or sickness occur, all voices improve till the twenty-fourth year.  When this is not the case, it is to be attributed only to the singing-teacher.

“Many voices acquire a sharp tone, which is the precursor of decay.”

Answer. All voices are, and will remain, more or less tender, if their culture is correct.