Lamberti's advice from 1893, from Vocal Wisdom, trans. William Earl Brown

"There has never been so much enthusiasm for the singing art, nor have there been so many students and teachers as of late years....

Certain teachers are mainly at fault in that they take advantage of the inexperience of pupils, to the disadvantage of the art of the song....

The foundation of all vocal study lies in the control of the breath....
It is possible to end phrases and cadenzas so that there will be a residue of air in the lungs. It is a great mistake to end a phrase with collapsed lungs....

It is desirable for a student to follow certain hygienic principles."

---from "Preventing the Decadence of the Art of Singing"

Some of this is funny. I'm pulling random sentences that feel somehow connected to poetry.Is it wrong to feel godly? I'm especially interested in the physiology. It is a great mistake to end a phrase with collapsed lungs. What burns (literally, collapsed lungs do burn) us about a "killer" ending may not be the best way to preserve the energy needed for the next piece. Maybe that's why I'm so averse to endings. (Though "You must change your life" does rock pretty hard.)

Rilke: Rocks, but doesn't burn. Is the "burning" what "sentimentality" is? Is it a fire that won't go out, to use a common metaphor?

Some fires that won't go out are OK, though.... But, I think, breath is better. The religious implications here could be elaborated on for pages. And have been.

And then collapsed lungs feel flaccid. I guess the goal is to press just hard enough, without pressing at all.

I'm going to continue trying to relate singing to poetry, using Lamperti as a model. This lung thing is just beginning. Never mind word choice for now. For now.