"I have just spoken of a beautiful tone. The old Italian operas
cultivate the _bel canto_, that is--beautiful singing. Of course it is
well for the singer to cultivate this first of all, for it is excellent,
and necessary for the voice. But modern Italian opera portrays the real
men and women of to-day, who live, enjoy, suffer, are angry and
repentant. _Bel canto_ will not express these emotions. When a man is
jealous or in a rage, he will not stand quietly in the middle of the
stage and sing beautiful tones. He does not think of beautiful tones at
all. Hatred and jealousy should be expressed in the voice as well as in
action and gesture; they are far from lovely in themselves, and to be
natural and true to life, they will not make lovely tones in the voice.
We want singing actors to-day, men and women who can adequately portray
the characters they impersonate through both voice and action.