he was at once put on the defensive. No champion of the imitative
faculty could be found. This lack of understanding of the basis of the
empirical method, on the part of its most intelligent and successful
exponents, was the first cause of the weakness of this method against
attack.

Another source of weakness in the hold of empirical systems on the vocal
profession was seen in the generally high intellectual standard of the
more prominent teachers. These masters gladly accepted the new knowledge
of the basis of their art, offered them in the description of the vocal
organs. Thoroughly conversant with every detail of the empirical
knowledge of the voice, the masters of the transition period were well
prepared to understand something of the mechanical features of
tone-production. By their auditory and muscular sensations of vocal tone
they were able, to their own satisfaction at least, to verify the
statements of the anatomists.

It is not easy for us to put ourselves mentally in the position of a
vocalist, thoroughly familiar with the empirical knowledge of the voice,
and yet ignorant of the first principles of vocal mechanics. In all
probability the early masters were not even aware that tone is produced
by the action of the breath on the larynx. They did not know that
different qualities and pitches result from special adjustments and
contractions of the throat muscles. Yet they were keenly aware of all
the muscular sensations resulting from these contractions. We can well
imagine how interesting these vocalists of the early transition period
must have found the description of the cartilages and muscles of the
throat.

It seems to us but a short step from the study of vocal mechanics to the
application of the results of this study in the formulating of a
practical system of vocal instruction. Yet it required more than sixty
years for the vocal profession to travel so far. Even then the true
bearing of this development of Voice Culture was but dimly realized. In
1800 the mechanical management of the voice was not even thought of.
This is conclusively proved by a most important work, the _Methode de
Chant du Conservatoire de Musique_, published in Paris in 1803.

There can be no question that this Methode represents the most
enlightened and advanced thought of the vocal profession of that day.
Not only does it contain everything then known about the training of the
voice; it was drawn up with the same exhaustive c