Part 9

§ 7. With the Study of Musick, let him learn also at least the Grammar, to understand the Words he is to sing in Churches, and to give the proper Force to the Expression in both Languages. I believe I may be so bold to say, that divers Professors do not even understand their own Tongue, much less the Latin.

§ 8. Let him continually, by himself, use his Voice to a Velocity of Motion, if he thinks to have a Command over it, and that he may not go by the Name of a pathetick Singer.

§ 9. Let him not omit frequently to put forth, and to stop, the Voice, that it may always be at his Command.

§ 10. Let him repeat his Lesson at Home, till he knows it perfectly; and with a local Memory let him retain it, to save his Master the Trouble of Teaching, and himself of studying it over again.

§ 11. Singing requires so strict an Application, that one must study with the Mind, when one cannot with the Voice.

§ 12. The unwearied Study of Youth is sure to overcome all Obstacles that oppose, though Defects were suck'd in with our Mother's Milk. This Opinion of mine is subject to strong Objections; however, Experience will defend it, provided he corrects himself in time. But if he delays it, the older he grows the more his Faults will increase.

§ 13. Let him hear as much as he can the most celebrated Singers, and likewise the most excellent instrumental Performers; because, from the Attention in hearing them, one reaps more Advantage than from any Instruction whatsoever.

§ 14. Let him endeavour to copy from Both, that he may insensibly, by the Study of others, get a good Taste. This advice, though extremely useful to a Student, is notwithstanding infinitely prejudicial to a Singer, as I shall shew in its proper Place.

§ 15. Let him often sing the most agreable Compositions of the best Authors, and accustom the Ear to that which pleases. I'd have a Student know, that by the abovementioned Imitations, and by the Idea of good Compositions, the Taste in Time becomes Art, and Art Nature.

§ 16. Let him learn to accompany himself, if he is ambitious of singing well. The Harpsichord is a great Incitement to Study, and by it we continually improve in our Knowledge. The evident Advantage arising to the Singer from that lovely Instrument, makes it superfluous to say more on that Head. Moreover, it often happens to one who cannot play, that without the Help of another he cannot be heard, and is thereby to his Shame obliged to deny the Commands of those whom it would be to his Advantage to obey.

§ 17. Till a Singer pleases himself, it is certain he cannot please others. Therefore consider, if some Professors of no small Skill have not this Pleasure for want of sufficient Application, what must the Scholar do? Study,--and study again, and not be satisfied.

§ 18. I am almost of Opinion, that all Study and Endeavours to sing are infallibly vain, if not accompanied with some little Knowledge of Counterpoint. One, who knows how to compose, can account for what he does, and he, who has not the same Light, works in the Dark, not knowing how to sing without committing Errors. The most famous Ancients know the intrinsick Value of this Precept from the Effects. And a good Scholar ought to imitate them, without considering whether this Lesson be according to the Mode or not For though, in these Days, one now and then hears admirable Performances, proceeding from a natural Taste, yet they are all done by Chance; but where that Taste is wanting, if they are not execrable, at least they will be very bad: For Fortune not being always at their Command, they cannot be sure to agree, neither with Time nor Harmony. This Knowledge, although requisite, I would not however advise a Scholar to give himself up to an intense Application, it being certain, I should teach him the readiest way to lose his Voice, but I exhort him only to learn the principal Rules, that he may not be quite in the Dark.

§ 19. To study much, and preserve a Voice in its full Beauty, are two Things almost incompatible; there is between them such a sort of Amity, as cannot last without being prejudicial to the one or the other. However, if one reflects, that Perfection in a Voice is a Gift of Nature, and in Art a painful Acquisition, it will indeed be allowed, that this latter excels in Merit, and more deserves our Praise.

§ 20. Whoever studies, let him look for what is most excellent, and let him look for it wherever it is, without troubling himself whether it be in the Stile of fifteen or twenty Years ago, or in that of these Days; for all Ages have their good and bad Productions. It is enough to find out the best, and profit by them.

§ 21. To my irreparable Misfortune, I am old; but were I young, I would imitate as much as possibly I could the Cantabile of those who are branded with the opprobrious Name of Ancients; and the Allegro of those who enjoy the delightful Appellation of Moderns. Though my Wish is vain as to myself, it will be of Use to a prudent Scholar, who is desirous to be expert in both Manners, which is the only way to arrive at Perfection; but if one was to chuse, I should freely, without Fear of being tax'd with Partiality, advise him to attach himself to the Taste of the first.

§ 22. Each Manner of Singing hath a different Degree of Eminence; the Nervous and Strong is distinguished from the Puerile and Weak, as is the Noble from the Vulgar.

§ 23. A Student must not hope for Applause, if he has not an utter Abhorrence of Ignorance.

§ 24. Whoever does not aspire to the first Rank, begins already to give up the second, and by little and little will rest contented with the lowest.

§ 25. If, out of a particular Indulgence to the sex, so many female Singers have the Graces set down in Writing, one that studies to become a good Singer should not follow the Example; whoever accustoms himself to have Things put in his Mouth, will have no Invention, and becomes a Slave to his Memory.

§ 26. If the Scholar should have any Defects, of the Nose, the Throat, or of the Ear, let him never sing but when the Master is by, or somebody that understands the Profession, in order to correct him, otherwise he will get an ill Habit, past all Remedy.

§ 27. When he studies his Lesson at Home, let him sometimes sing before a Looking-glass, not to be enamoured with his own Person, but to avoid those convulsive Motions of the Body, or of the Face (for so I call the Grimaces of an affected Singer) which, when once they have took Footing, never leave him.

§ 28. The best Time for Study is with the rising of the Sun; but those, who are obliged to study, must employ all their Time which can be spared from their other necessary Affairs.

§ 29. After a long Exercise, and the Attainment of a true Intonation, of a Messa di Voce, of Shakes, of Divisions, and Recitative well expressed, if the Scholar perceives that his Master cannot teach him all the Perfection of Execution required in the more refined Art of singing the Airs, or if he cannot always be by his Side, then will he begin to be sensible of the Need he has of that Study, in which the best Singer in the World is still a Learner, and must be his own Master. Supposing this Reflection just, I advise him for his first Insight, to read the following Chapter, in order thereby to reap greater Advantage from those that can sing the Airs, and teach to sing them.

CHAP. VII.

Of Airs.

If whoever introduced the Custom of repeating the first Part of the Air (which is called Da Capo) did it out of a Motive to show the Capacity of the Singer, in varying the Repetition, the Invention cannot be blam'd by Lovers of Musick; though in respect of the Words it is sometimes an Impropriety.

§ 2. By the Ancients beforementioned, Airs were sung in three different Manners; for the Theatre, the Stile was lively and various; for the Chamber, delicate and finish'd; and for the Church, moving and grave. This Difference, to very many Moderns, is quite unknown.

§ 3. A Singer is under the greatest Obligation to the Study of the Airs; for by them he gains or loses his Reputation. To the acquiring this valuable, Art, a few verbal Lessons cannot suffice; nor would it be of any great Profit to the Scholar, to have a great Number of Airs, in which a Thousand of the most exquisite Passages of different Sorts were written down: For they would not serve for all Purposes, and there would always be wanting that Spirit which accompanies extempore Performances, and is preferable to all servile Imitations. All (I think) that can be said, is to recommend to him an attentive Observation of the Art, with which the best Singers regulate themselves to the Bass, whereby he will become acquainted with their Perfections, and improve by them. In order to make his Observations with the greater Exactness, let him follow the Example of a Friend of mine, who never went to an Opera without a Copy of all the Songs, and, observing the finest Graces, confin'd to the most exact Time of the Movement of the Bass, he made thereby a great Progress.