ne upon the others,
without, however, affecting any of its characteristics. This means, in
reality, only the complete use of the resonance of the breath, since
the mixture of the vowels can be obtained only through the elastic
conjunction of the organs and the varying division of the stream of
breath toward the palatal resonance, or that of the cavities of the
head, or the equalization of the two.

The larynx must rise and descend unimpeded by the tongue, soft palate
and pillars of the fauces rise and sink, the soft palate always able
more or less to press close to the hard. Strong and elastic
contractions imply very pliable and circumspect relaxation of the
same.

I think that the feeling I have of the extension of my throat comes
from the very powerful yet very elastic contraction of my muscles,
which, though feeling always in a state of relaxability, appear to me
like flexible steel, of which I can demand everything,--because never
too much,--and which I exercise daily. Even in the entr'actes of grand
operas I go through with such exercises; for they refresh instead of
exhausting me.

The unconstrained cooeperation of all the organs, as well as their
individual functions, must go on elastically without any pressure or
cramped action. Their interplay must be powerful yet supple, that the
breath which produces the tone may be diffused as it flows from one to
another of the manifold and complicated organs (such as the ventricles
of Morgagni), supporting itself on others, being caught in still
others, and finding all in such a state of readiness as is required in
each range for each tone. Everything must be combined in the right way
as a matter of habit.

The voice is equalized by the proper ramification of the breath and
the proper connection of the different resonances.

The tone is colored by the proper mixture of vowels; _oo_, _o_, and
_ah_ demanding more palatal resonance and a lower position of the
larynx, _a_ and _e_ more resonance of the head cavities and a higher
position of the larynx. With _oo_, _o_, _ue_, and _ah_ the palate is
arched higher (the tongue forming a furrow) than with _[=a]_, _[=e]_,
and _ue_, where the tongue lies high and flat.

There are singers who place the larynx too low, and, arching the
palate too high, sing too much toward _oo_. Such voices sound very
dark, perhaps even hollow; they lack the interposition of the
_[=a]_,--that is, the larynx is placed too low.

On the other hand