influence I have watched for twenty years past.

The so-called singing-teachers whom we usually find, even in large
cities and in musical institutions, I exempt from any special criticism,
for they would not be able to understand my views. They permit soprano
voices to sing scales in all the five vowels at once; begin with _c_
instead of _f_; allow a long holding of the notes, "in order to bring
out the voice," until the poor victim rolls her eyes and grows dizzy.
They talk only of the fine chest-tones which must be elicited, will have
nothing to do with the head-tones, will not even listen to them,
recognize them, or learn to distinguish them. Their highest principle
is: "Fudge! we don't want any rubbish of Teschner, Miksch, and Wieck.
Sing in your own plain way: what is the use of this murmuring without
taking breath? For what do you have lungs if you are not to use them?
Come, try this aria: 'Grâce,' 'grâce!' Produce an effect! Down on your
knees!"

There are again others who allow screaming,--"the more the better,"--in
order to produce power and expression in the voice, and to make it
serviceable for public performances. They may, indeed, require the
singing of _solfeggio_, and prattle about the requisite equality of the
tones; and they consequently make the pupil practise diligently and
strongly on the two-lined _a_, _b_ flat, _b_, where kind Nature does not
at first place the voice, because she has reserved for herself the slow
and careful development of it. As for the unfortunate gasping medium
voices, which are still less docile, and which sigh in the throat, and
after all can only speak, such teachers postpone the cultivation of
these to the future, or else they exclaim in a satisfied way, "Now we
will sing at sight! Hit the notes! Let us have classical music!" Of
these, also, I forbear to speak.