or B; and the voce di testa, or artificial voice, modified by the head, and going up to the highest compass of the voice. The latter is usually termed the falsetto, and is employed to continue the higher notes of the scale where the natural voice ceases. It is common with all singers, but of course its powers and qualities are infinitely varied in different individuals.

In male singers, its tone and character are unfortunately for the most part so distinct from those of their voce di petto, that they cannot make the one flow harmoniously into union with the other; and on this account the equality of the voice is much injured, from the falsetto appearing, as it were, to be the voice of another individual. It hence becomes one of the great triumphs of art, particularly in tenors, to unite and assimilate those two voices in the notes where they join; but complete success in this is very rarely, if ever, attained. When the voce di testa is pure, brilliant, and sweet, divested of every nasal character, and powerful in volume, it is the finest quality the male voice can possess; and it was this which led to the employment of eunuchs as singers,—a practice which for a time was so disgraceful to the Italian opera. Braham has more natural character in his voce di testa than perhaps any of our present singers; but even in him, the deception of sameness does not accom

under the two great divisions of grave and acute, in general having a difference of about one octave. Men have commonly grave voices; but those whose voice is the most grave may form acute sounds, by taking what is called the falsetto. By adding all the notes of an acute to those of a grave voice, the extent will be nearly three octaves; but it does not appear that any singer has ever possessed a voice of this compass in which the sounds were clear and agreeable. The differences which exist between different voices do not altogether regard their compass. There are strong voices, the sounds of which are loud and noisy; soft voices, with sweet mellow notes like those of a flute; fine voices, the sounds of which are full and harmonious; and just, false, flexible, light, hard, and heavy voices. Many singers have their good sounds irregularly distributed,-some in their bass, some in their treble, and others between. In a common voice there are about nine notes between its highest and its lowest tones; the most extensive voice does not much exceed two octaves in full and well-formed sounds.

The Italians, who are great masters of singing, distinguish two principal qualities of the voice: the voce di petto, or natural voice, formed as the term implies in the breast, and terminating generally in a male soprano, at D or E, in a contralto at G, A

or and the voce di testa, or artificial voice, mo

B;

dified by the head, and going up to the highest compass of the voice. The latter is usually termed the falsetto, and is employed to continue the higher notes of the scale where the natural voice ceases. It is common with all singers, but of course its powers and qualities are infinitely varied in different individuals.

In male singers, its tone and character are unfortunately for the most part so distinct from those of their voce di petto, that they cannot make the one flow harmoniously into union with the other; and on this account the equality of the voice is much injured, from the falsetto appearing, as it were, to be the voice of another individual. It hence becomes one of the great triumphs of art, particularly in tenors, to unite and assimilate those two voices in the notes where they join; but complete success in this is very rarely, if ever, attained. When the voce di testa is pure, brilliant, and sweet, divested of every nasal character, and powerful in volume, it is the finest quality the male voice can possess; and it was this which led to the employment of eunuchs as singers,-a practice which for a time was so disgraceful to the Italian opera. Braham has more natural character in his voce di testa than perhaps any of our present singers; but even in him, the deception of sameness does not accom

pany him through any considerable compass, and, by a practiced ear, is soon recognised. We should say, that in all these varieties it is the brilliancy of the tone which is most certainly productive of the greatest effect, and, to arrive at the ready execution of this, ought to be the chief aim of every singer. The heavy tones of the bass, it has been justly remarked, are for the most part very dead, and produce less musical pleasure than any other; and hence Bartleman seems to have owed his reputation to the brilliancy he threw into such notes, by lightening the tone of his voice, and by assuming an energetic manner. The scale of pleasure may be said to increase with the altitude of the tone from the bass to the tenor, the counter-tenor, and the treble or female voice, which, when it is of a fine rich tone, and of a sufficient volume, has decidedly more power over the feelings than any other character of voice.

With respect to volume, or force of the voice, the Italians distinguish three gradations, the piano, messa di voce, and forte; the management of which is of great importance, as we shall afterwards show in our practical instructions.

THE AIR, OR STYLE OF SINGING. We should consider our remarks on the varieties of the voice to be very incomplete, were we to omit the division which the Italian singers have made of their different airs employed in opera singing: such as the Aria Cantabile, Parlante, di Bravura, &c., which we shall now characterise in their order, from the able work of Mr. Brown on the structure of the Italian Opera.

ARIA CANTABILE.

The Aria Cantabile, is by pre-eminence so called, as if it alone were song; and indeed, it is the only sort of song which gives the singer an opportunity of displaying at once, and in the highest degree, all his powers, of whatever description they be. The proper objects for this air are sentiments of tenderness. Though this be an expression which always leads the mind to sadness, yet the sadness is of that pleasing kind which the mind loves to indulge. Hence it arises, that the Aria Cantabile, whilst it is susceptible of great pathos, admits, without prejudice to the expression, of being highly ornamented, for this plain reason,-that though the sentiments it expresses are affecting, they are at the same time such as the mind dwells on with pleasure; and, it is likewise for this reason, that the subject of the