Part 5

§ 25. Let him take care, whilst he sings, that he get a graceful Posture, and make an agreeable Appearance.

§ 26. Let him rigorously correct all Grimaces and Tricks of the Head, of the Body, and particularly of the Mouth; which ought to be composed in a Manner (if the Sense of the Words permit it) rather inclined to a Smile, than too much Gravity.

§ 27. Let him always use the Scholar to the Pitch of Lombardy, and not that of Rome; not only to make him acquire and preserve the high Notes, but also that he may not find it troublesome when he meets with Instruments that are tun'd high; the Pain of reaching them not only affecting the Hearer, but the Singer. Let the Master be mindful of this; for as Age advances, so the Voice declines; and, in Progress of Time, he will either sing a Contr'Alto, or pretending still, out of a foolish Vanity, to the Name of a Soprano, he will be obliged to make Application to every Composer, that the Notes may not exceed the fourth Space (viz., C) nor the Voice hold out on them. If all those, who teach the first Rudiments, knew how to make use of this Rule, and to unite the feigned to the natural Voice, there would not be now so great a scarcity of Soprano's.

§ 28. Let him learn to hold out the Notes without a Shrillness like a Trumpet, or trembling; and if at the Beginning he made him hold out every Note the length of two Bars, the Improvement would be the greater; otherwise from the natural Inclination that the Beginners have to keep the Voice in Motion, and the Trouble in holding it out, he will get a habit, and not be able to fix it, and will become subject to a Flutt'ring in the Manner of all those that sing in a very bad Taste.

§ 29. In the same Lessons, let him teach the Art to put forth the Voice, which consists in letting it swell by Degrees from the softest Piano to the loudest Forte, and from thence with the same Art return from the Forte to the Piano. A beautiful Messa di Voce, from a Singer that uses it sparingly, and only on the open Vowels, can never fail of having an exquisite Effect. Very few of the present Singers find it to their Taste, either from the Instability of their Voice, or in order to avoid all Manner of Resemblance of the odious Ancients. It is, however, a manifest Injury they do to the Nightingale, who was the Origin of it, and the only thing which the Voice can well imitate. But perhaps they have found some other of the feathered Kind worthy their Imitation, that sings quite after the New Mode.

§ 30. Let the Master never be tired in making the Scholar Sol-Fa, as long as he finds it necessary; for if he should let him sing upon the Vowels too soon, he knows not how to instruct.

§ 31. Next, let him study on the three open Vowels, particularly on the first, but not always upon the same, as is practised now-a-days; in order, that from this frequent Exercise he may not confound one with the other, and that from hence he may the easier come to the use of the Words.

§ 32. The Scholar having now made some remarkable Progress, the Instructor may acquaint him with the first Embellishments of the Art, which are the Appoggiatura's (to be spoke of next) and apply them to the Vowels.

§ 33. Let him learn the Manner to glide with the Vowels, and to drag the Voice gently from the high to the lower Notes, which, thro' Qualifications necessary for singing well, cannot possibly be learn'd from Sol-fa-ing only, and are overlooked by the Unskilful.

§ 34. But if he should let him sing the Words, and apply the Appoggiatura to the Vowels before he is perfect in Sol-fa-ing, he ruins the Scholar.

CHAP. II.

Of the Appoggiatura.

Among all the Embellishments in the Art of Singing, there is none so easy for the Master to teach, or less difficult for the Scholar to learn, than the Appoggiatura. This, besides its Beauty, has obtained the sole Privilege of being heard often without tiring, provided it does not go beyond the Limits prescrib'd by Professors of good Taste.

§ 2. From the Time that the Appoggiatura has been invented to adorn the Art of Singing, the true Reason, why it cannot be used in all Places, remains yet a Secret. After having searched for it among Singers of the first Rank in vain, I considered that Musick, as a Science, ought to have its Rules, and that all Manner of Ways should be tried to discover them. I do not flatter myself that I am arrived at it; but the Judicious will see, at least that I am come near it. However, treating of a Matter wholly produced from my Observations, I should hope for more Indulgence in this Chapter than in any other.

§ 3. From Practice, I perceive, that from C to C by B Quadro, a Voice can ascend and descend gradually with the Appoggiatura, passing without any the least Obstacle thro' all the five Tones, and the two Semitones, that make an Octave.

§ 4. That from every accidental Diezis, or Sharp, that may be found in the Scale, one can gradually rise a Semitone to the nearest Note with an Appoggiatura, and return in the same Manner.

§ 5. That from every Note that has a B Quadro, or Natural, one can ascend by Semitones to every one that has a B Molle, or Flat, with an Appoggiatura.

§ 6. But, contrarywise, my Ear tells me, that from F, G, A, C, and D, one cannot rise gradually with an Appoggiatura by Semitones, when any of these five Tones have a Sharp annex'd to them.

§ 7. That one cannot pass with an Appoggiatura gradually from a third Minor to the Bass, to a third Major, nor from the third Major to the third Minor.

§ 8. That two consequent Appoggiatura's cannot pass gradually by Semitones from one Tone to another.

§ 9. That one cannot rise by Semitone, with an Appoggiatura, from any Note with a Flat.

§ 10. And, finally, where the Appoggiatura cannot ascend, it cannot descend.

§ 11. Practice giving us no Insight into the Reason of all these Rules, let us see if it can be found out by those who ought to account for it.

§ 12. Theory teaches us, that the abovementioned Octave consisting of twelve unequal Semitones, it is necessary to distinguish the Major from the Minor, and it sends the Student to consult the Tetrachords. The most conspicuous Authors, that treat of them, are not all of the same Opinion: For we find some who maintain, that from C to D, as well as from F to G, the Semitones are equal; and mean while we are left in Suspense.

§ 13. The Ear, however, which is the supreme Umpire in this Art, does in the Appoggiatura so nicely discern the Quality of the Semitones, that it sufficiently distinguishes the Semitone Major. Therefore going so agreeably from Mi to Fa (that is) from B Quadro to C, or from E to F, one ought to conclude That to be a Semitone Major, as it undeniably is. But whence does it proceed, that from this very Fa, (that is from F or C) I cannot rise to the next Sharp, which is also a Semitone? It is Minor, says the Ear. Therefore I take it for granted, that the Reason why the Appoggiatura has not a full Liberty, is, that it cannot pass gradually to a Semitone Minor; submitting myself, however, to better Judgment.

§ 14. The Appoggiatura may likewise pass from one distant Note to another, provided the Skip or Interval be not deceitful; for, in that Case, whoever does not hit it sure, will show they know not how to sing.

§ 15. Since, as I have said, it is not possible for a Singer to rise gradually with an Appoggiatura to a Semitone Minor, Nature will teach him to rise a Tone, that from thence he may descend with an Appoggiatura to that Semitone; or if he has a Mind to come to it without the Appoggiatura, to raise the Voice with a Messa di Voce, the Voice always rising till he reaches it.

§ 16. If the Scholar be well instructed in this, the Appoggiatura's will become so familiar to him by continual Practice, that by the Time he is come out of his first Lessons, he will laugh at those Composers that mark them, with a Design either to be thought Modern, or to shew that they understand the Art of Singing better than the Singers. If they have this Superiority over them, why do they not write down even the Graces, which are more difficult, and more essential than the Appoggiatura's? But if they mark them that they may acquire the glorious Name of a Virtuoso alla Moda, or a Composer in the new Stile, they ought at least to know, that the Addition of one Note costs little Trouble, and less Study. Poor Italy! pray tell me; do not the Singers now-a-days know where the Appoggiatura's are to be made, unless they are pointed at with a Finger? In my Time their own Knowledge shewed it them. Eternal Shame to him who first introduced these foreign Puerilities into our Nation, renowned for teaching others the greater part of the polite Arts; particularly, that of Singing! Oh, how great a Weakness in those that follow the Example! Oh, injurious Insult to your Modern Singers, who submit to Instructions fit for Children! Let us imitate the Foreigners in those Things only, wherein they excel.