282, 
lungs, fmooth the paffages of found, and 
give that fuperiority of effect only pre- 
duced by the natives of Italy, or thofe 
who by a long refidence in that country 
have acquired its language and its taite. 
he Italians, I would with to notice, 
have within thefe few years acquired a 
manner or ftyle of finging, called by them 
tempo-rubato, or a ftealing, or taking a- 
way the time from fome notes, and giv- 
ing it to others; which contrivance, in the 
hands of a proficient, is capable of adding 
much beauty to the general effect: but 
_nothing is more dangerous than this prac- 
tice, when not controuled by the moft cor- 
rect judgment ; it then tempts the perfor- 
mer into all thevariety of falfe ornament, 
and betrays the juvenile practitioner into 
the werft errors of inverted tafte. 
Indeed, neither. this nor any other ex- 
temporary embellifhment fhould be haftily 
attempted; progreflive advances in this, 
as in every other refined art will ever 
prove the fhorteft road to fuccefs ;—a 
maxim, of thg verity of which the prac- 
tice of every great finger is a proof: the 
march of excellence is {ifre, but it is alfo 
flow; and the rare and fuperior beauties 
ot performance fhould by no means be the 
immediate object of early praétice. 
From what has already been faid, it will 
then appear that genius, tafte, a difcri- 
minating ear, good voice, and confiderable 
perfeverance, with gradual advances in 
practice, are requifites, without which the. 
fing.and accomplifhed finger can never be 
formed: I might alfo add, that itis equal- 
ly indifpenfable that this practice ihould 
commence early in life; nature is then un- 
fixed, and the glottis, larynx, and other fine 
parts, on the perfecticn and flexibility of 
which the tones and volatility of the voice fo 
greatly depend, will gradually form them- 
felves to the neceflary movements and vi- 
brations. , 
It is, however, fiill proper to obferve 
that the practitioner, in the earlier fages 
of life, fhould be particularly guarded, 
sagainft all ftraining, or violent efforts, 
fince the very circuamftances which render 
juvenile practice fo neceflary, expofe the 
voice, weak and unconfirmed as it yet is, 
to future coarfenefs, debility, and confine- 
nent of compafs.- To this particular the’ 
Italians areuniformly attentive. The voice 
is nurfed by them with the niceft care and 
moit’ folicitous tendernefs: the mafter, 
leading it gently on trom ftage to flage, 
‘juft gives it the exercife fuited to its grow- 
ing flrength, and conftantly aims at im- 
proving its power and yolubility, without 
F 
Dr. Bufby on Vocal Mufic. 
[Nov i; 
‘endangering. its future fweetnefs and ex- 
tent. : 
While the judgment is ftrengthen- 
ing, and the tafte improving, the young 
pupils are initiated in /ght-/izging, abd _ 
mace acquainted with all the firft elements 
of their icience; the progrefs of their infor- 
mation keeps pace with that of their prac- 
tice, and every exercife is- read before 
it is fung. It is only when pupils 
are inftruéted on this regular and {yfte- 
matic plan that they arrive at that profi- 
ciency which they ought always to have 
in view, and which, indeed, can alone 
qualify them for teichers. It is only te 
the vocal artifts thus trained that the va- 
rious and fecret tracks of certain improve- 
ments are developed ; and only thefe ever 
acquire in perfection that firft of all mufical 
rejuifites, exprefion; a qualification that 
forms the very foul of niufic, as well as of | 
the other arts: indeed, of fo much confe- | 
quence to good finging is a ju and power- 
ful expreffion, that no other excellencies 
can compenfate forts abfence, or produce 
ih any degree that refined pleature and 
intelle€&tual gratification which a polifhed | 
audience chiefly expects and values. 
With refpect to the various ftyles of 
vocal performance, nature has both. point- 
ed.ouc and provided for them, by the di- 
verfity fhe has exhibited in the different 
tonesand fcales of the human voice. The 
tones are indefinite, but the feales are reck- . 
oned by muficians to be fix in number, the 
bafs, the baritone, the texor, the counter-te- 
zor, the counter alto, or mezxo foprano, and 
the foprana, or treble. To {ome of thefe 
maybe added the feigned voice, the con- 
ftant refource of ordinary natural voices, 
and very rarely managed with that fkill 
by which alone it can be rendered agree- 
able. The tranfition from the yaiural to 
the feigned voice, and vice verfa, is fel-, 
dom conduéted with that eafe and fmooth- 
nefs which fheuld render it imperceptible: 
the laft note of the one and the firft of 
the other fhould fo far confift of a fimila- 
rity of tone as perfe€tly to conceal the ~ 
change. By the aid of. feigned notes, 
judicioufly employed, it often happens, 
that a voice ct confined compalfs affumes 
many of the advantages of a more ex- 
tended fcale: but I muft alfo ob/erve that — 
feigned notes are only properly admifhible 
under the management of thorough and 
accomplifhed pertormers,and that only fuch 
performers fhould venture on its adoption. 
To theie remarks, fir, many more of 
equal importance to thofe. who are in @ 
courle of vocal fludy and praétice might 
yi rere i be a 
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