1891.] 



on the Culture of the Singing Voice. 



333 



Tho voice is of excellent quality. The first pair was taken while 

 F sharp, treble clef, third line below staff, was being sung ; and the 

 second while she was singing E above. These are one of the lowest 

 and highest notes of her lower register. In the photograph repre- 

 senting the lowest note it can be seen that the vocal cords are (^uite 

 short and wide, and that with the exception of the anterior fourth the 

 ligamentous part of the cartilaginous glottis is open, and the slit 

 between the vocal bands is linear in shape. As the voice ascends the 

 scale the vocal cords increase in length and decrease in width, until 

 at the highest note of the register they may be seen to have become 

 considerably longer. It can also be observed that the ligamentous 

 portion of the glottis is still open to the same relative extent, and 

 that the cartilaginous portion has opened to its full extent. In the 

 photograph representing the lower note the anterior faces of the 

 arytenoid cartilages can be seen. The epiglottis, though not well 

 illuminated, seems to have risen as the voice ascended the scale ; the 

 vocal cords have increased in length at least |th of an inch in seven 

 notes. The compass of the voice of this singer is about two octaves 

 and a half, therefore at that rate of lengthening the vocal cords 

 would increase nearly half an inch if their length was progressively 

 increased while singing up the scale from the lowest to the highest 

 note. This progressive increase in length does not, however, occur, 

 and the reason will be apparent in the next pair of photographs, 

 which show the changes which take place in the larynx at the lower 

 break in the voice, which in this subject occurs at F sharp, treble 

 clef, first space." 



Fig. 2. 



E 



m 



" The changes which occur at this point are extremely interesting 

 and instructive in the transition from the lower to the middle register, 

 from E to F sharp. In the voice of. this subject the vibratory portions 

 of the vocal cords are shortened about the ^\yth of an inch. The 



Vol. XIII. (No. 85.) ' z 



