rease their range and volume, and only
succeed in depriving the voice of correct intonation, beauty
of tone, and all subtlety of _nuances_. I believe that less
exacting demands and greater perception of what is required,
skilful and judicious use of the high and low registers of
the voice, a proper understanding of _cantabile_ writing
combined with orchestration which never overpowers the vocal
part will be of greater service to the composer, from an
artistic point of view, than the more elaborate methods of
Richard Wagner.

Voices in combination.

Treating solo voices in a polyphonico-harmonic manner is the best
method of preserving their individual character in _ensembles_. A
distribution which is wholly harmonic or entirely polyphonic is seldom
found. The first plan, largely used in choral writing, simplifies the
movement of the voices too greatly, eliminating their melodic
character; the second method is wearisome and somewhat disturbing to
the ear.

As a general rule the voices are arranged according to the law of
normal register. Crossing of parts is rare and should only be done
with the intention of emphasising the melody in the ascending voices
above those adjacent in register, e.g. the tenor part above contralto,
the mezzo-soprano above the soprano, etc.

Duet.

The combinations most conducive to the proper movement of parts are
those of two voices related within an octave 8 [Sopr./Ten.,
M.-sopr./Bar., C.-alto/Bass. Movement in tenths, sixths, thirds or
octaves (the last very seldom) will always produce satisfactory
_ensemble_, and if the parts progress polyphonically, it need not
happen _frequently_ that they are separated by more than a tenth, or
that undesirable crossing of parts will result.

_Examples:_

_Sadko_ [[99-101]]--Sopr. and Tenor (cf. Ex. 289, 290).

_Servilia_ [[143]]--Sopr. and Tenor.

_Ivan the Terrible_, Act I [[48-50]]--Sopr. and Tenor.

_Kashtchei the Immortal_ [[62-64]]. Mezzo-sopr. and Baritone.

=Voices related in fifths and fourths, 5 [Sopr./C.-alto, 4
[C.-alto/Ten., 5 [Ten./Bass.= should progress nearer to one another; it
is rare for them to move in tenths, common in sixths and thirds; they
may also proceed in unison. The two voices are seldom separated at a
greater distance than an octave, and certain cases will require
crossing of parts, which, however, should only be for periods of short
duration.

_Examples:_

_Sn