And this reminds us of how the teacher, Pistocchi, who, in teaching
the voice, kept in mind a pure tone, a quiet manner of singing, and
the true artistic way of doing. Among his pupils was a certain Antonio
Bernacchi, who, after leaving his master, began to display his voice
by runs and trills and meaningless tones. And this he did, not because
of true art, for that was not it, but because it brought him the
applause of unthinking people.

Once, when the master, Pistocchi, heard him do this he is said to have
exclaimed: "Ah, I taught thee how to _sing_, and now thou wilt
_play_;" meaning that the true song was gone and the pupil no longer
sang out of the heart, but merely out of the throat. Pistocchi kept
his ideal pure.

We have then among our ideals two of first importance. The ideal
perception of music, as being the true heart-expression of great men;
and the ideal of our doings, which is the true heart-expression of
ourselves. And to keep these ideals is difficult in two ways: The
difficulty of keeping the pure intention of great men ever before us,
and the difficulty of keeping close and faithful to the tasks assigned
us. Then we can say with the little child:

"Master, I do not understand what thou hast said, yet I believe thee."




CHAPTER XX.

THE ONE TALENT.