failure to accomplish this
which has produced so many soulless artists--singers endowed with
magnificent voices, capable of surmounting every technical difficulty,
but devoid of that charm of intonation which is so vital to success on
the operatic stage.

Faults to be Corrected

I have previously mentioned mezza voce and will now say a word on this
subject, for the artistic use of the "half voice" is a very valuable
adjunct in all singing. It may be defined simply as the natural voice
produced softly, but with an extra strength of breath. It is this
breathy quality, however--which one must be careful never to exaggerate
or the tone will not carry--that gives that velvety effect to the tone
that is so delightful.

Mezza voce is just a concentration of the full voice, and it requires,
after all, as much breath support. A soft note which is taken with the
"head voice" without being supported by a breath taken from the
diaphragm is a helpless sort of thing. It does not carry and is
inaudible at any distance, whereas the soft note which does possess the
deep breath support is penetrating, concentrated and most expressive.

Another important point is that, with a "piano" note properly taken in
the register which is proper to it, there is no danger of having to
change the position of the throat and consequently the real character of
the note when making a crescendo and again diminishing it. It will be
the same note continuing to sound.

On the other hand, with a soft note taken in a register foreign to it,
as soon as its strength is augmented the register must suddenly be
changed and the result is like a Tyrolean yodel.

So remember in a mezza voce to see that the register is right and to use
a double breath strength. I speak of the matter of register here for the
benefit of those who must keep this constantly in mind. I myself have
been blessed with what is called a naturally placed voice, and never
had trouble with the mezza voce. The majority of Italian singers come to
it easily.

There are a number of wrong sorts of voices which should be mentioned to
be shunned--the "white" voice, the "throaty" voice, the "nasal" voice,
and the "bleat." The nasal quality is the most difficult to correct.
Many teachers, especially the French, make a point of placing the voice
in the nasal cavity on the pretext of strengthening it, and this nasal
quality, partly on account of the sound of many of the French words, is
only