Bel Canto - 500 Years Young: A study in the practical application of ​bel canto​ technique to twentieth-century vocal works in English

<p>As a young singer, it is inevitable that one is bombarded with the history of singing. ​Not only are we asked to listen to vocalists of previous ages, but we are also encouraged to analyse their methods and scrutinise their seminal performances in order to better identify the strengths of each singer​. Curious about the extent to which the lauded seventeenth and eighteenth-century ​bel canto vocal techniques hold relevance to contemporary classical singing and newer compositions, my research focused on whether these well-tried techniques are transferable. While the application of ​bel canto principles to the ​bel canto repertoire are clearly pertinent, my investigation concentrated on the feasibility and applicability of transferring these vocal techniques to modern repertoire, specifically songs and arias written in English, my mother tongue. This exegesis details my exploration of the application of such techniques to these two different sets of repertoire, and aims to shed light on the experience of the process of applying the ​bel canto ​principles to such works, and the potential benefits afforded by the practice of them.</p>

Verismo opera: how bel canto technique protected the voices of its singers

<p>Verismo is a style of opera composition that was influenced by a significant movement in Italian literature from the end of the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. It is characterised by the true-to-life portrayal of rural or urban poverty, often showing a robust regional lifestyle as well as serving as the introduction to the region's representative songs and dances. Historically, the singing of verismo opera posed some problems for singers in regards to their stamina and the longevity of their career. As a student, I attempted to sing this type of music, but I felt unable to sing it well; my difficulties and the problems associated with the performance of verismo, therefore, fascinated me. Rationalising that proper vocal technique was the answer to these problems, I then concentrated on long-term systematic bel canto training in China and New Zealand. In most cases, the study of bel canto technique is a fundamental part of the process of learning vocal music for classical singers. In addition to laying out the background of verismo and bel canto, my exegesis demonstrates how singers can learn to sing verismo opera well without damaging their voices, which will help them extend their stamina and the length of their career. I especially investigate the differing use of the body needed for singing each type of music. Researching bel canto, I have listened to different singers' recordings and have written short critiques of their voices, focusing on how they developed bel canto to sing verismo. I have focused on bel canto and verismo works for my repertoire and can apply the techniques safely based on bel canto training. To articulate this knowledge, I take three different arias (one bel canto aria, two verismo arias) as case studies to analyse, to demonstrate the points I want to make. In addition, as a native Mandarin Chinese speaker, I focus on how Mandarin native speakers deal with singing Italian, and I articulate techniques to help other Mandarin speakers learn bel canto. Overall, my research will have practical and artistic value for younger students in helping them to understand the challenges of singing verismo opera.</p>

Bel Canto - 500 Years Young: A study in the practical application of ​bel canto​ technique to twentieth-century vocal works in English

<p>As a young singer, it is inevitable that one is bombarded with the history of singing. ​Not only are we asked to listen to vocalists of previous ages, but we are also encouraged to analyse their methods and scrutinise their seminal performances in order to better identify the strengths of each singer​. Curious about the extent to which the lauded seventeenth and eighteenth-century ​bel canto vocal techniques hold relevance to contemporary classical singing and newer compositions, my research focused on whether these well-tried techniques are transferable. While the application of ​bel canto principles to the ​bel canto repertoire are clearly pertinent, my investigation concentrated on the feasibility and applicability of transferring these vocal techniques to modern repertoire, specifically songs and arias written in English, my mother tongue. This exegesis details my exploration of the application of such techniques to these two different sets of repertoire, and aims to shed light on the experience of the process of applying the ​bel canto ​principles to such works, and the potential benefits afforded by the practice of them.</p>

Verismo opera: how bel canto technique protected the voices of its singers

<p>Verismo is a style of opera composition that was influenced by a significant movement in Italian literature from the end of the nineteenth century to the beginning of the twentieth century. It is characterised by the true-to-life portrayal of rural or urban poverty, often showing a robust regional lifestyle as well as serving as the introduction to the region's representative songs and dances. Historically, the singing of verismo opera posed some problems for singers in regards to their stamina and the longevity of their career. As a student, I attempted to sing this type of music, but I felt unable to sing it well; my difficulties and the problems associated with the performance of verismo, therefore, fascinated me. Rationalising that proper vocal technique was the answer to these problems, I then concentrated on long-term systematic bel canto training in China and New Zealand. In most cases, the study of bel canto technique is a fundamental part of the process of learning vocal music for classical singers. In addition to laying out the background of verismo and bel canto, my exegesis demonstrates how singers can learn to sing verismo opera well without damaging their voices, which will help them extend their stamina and the length of their career. I especially investigate the differing use of the body needed for singing each type of music. Researching bel canto, I have listened to different singers' recordings and have written short critiques of their voices, focusing on how they developed bel canto to sing verismo. I have focused on bel canto and verismo works for my repertoire and can apply the techniques safely based on bel canto training. To articulate this knowledge, I take three different arias (one bel canto aria, two verismo arias) as case studies to analyse, to demonstrate the points I want to make. In addition, as a native Mandarin Chinese speaker, I focus on how Mandarin native speakers deal with singing Italian, and I articulate techniques to help other Mandarin speakers learn bel canto. Overall, my research will have practical and artistic value for younger students in helping them to understand the challenges of singing verismo opera.</p>

Creative principles of Mykola Manoilo’s vocal pedagogy

Statement of the problem. The article is devoted to the outstanding figure of vocal art of Slobozhanshchyna Mykola Fedorovych Manoilo (1927–1998), the opera singer, who was awarded the title of “People’s Artist of the USSR” (1976) for impeccable performance of baritone parts of the classical repertoire on the stage of Kharkiv Theatre of Opera and Ballet, as well as of the chamber repertoire compiled of Ukrainian folk songs and works by Ukrainian composers. Based on his own experience of studying in the class of solo singing of M. Manoilo (1988), the author of the article offers the experience of scientific and methodological generalization of creative principles of vocal pedagogy of the teacher, while emphasizing the role of Manoilo as a unique singer. The relevance of the topic and its practical significance are stipulated by the urgent need of vocal pedagogy to form a tradition of scientific reflection on the specialization of the vocalist, the representation of classical guidelines and methods in the modern dimension, establishing creative contacts of different generations. The purpose of the article is to reveal the pedagogical principles by M. Manoilo as an outstanding representative of the Kharkiv vocal school, genealogy and dominant features of his performing creative work. Analysis of recent research and publications. The creative figure of M. Manoilo has not yet received serious coverage in the domestic musicology yet. Existing sources are brief biographic descriptions in reference books and encyclopaedias, the anthology “Ukrainian singers in the memoirs of contemporaries, compiler I. Lysenko (2003), or mentions of his name in books on the artistic life of Kharkiv (O. Chepalov, 2012; Tsurkan, 2013). The methodology contains a number of interrelated approaches to the study of the phenomenon of the singer’s artistic personality: historiographical, biographical, performing, and phenomenological. Presentation of basic research material. M. Manoilo inherited the principles of vocal pedagogy from P. Golubev, who taught at the Kharkiv Conservatory (1930–1953) and was the successor of the classical school of Italian bel canto singing, as a student of F. Bugamelli, which was involved by I. Slatin in teaching vocals at the Kharkiv Music College (1901–1918). The creative principles of the artist-interpreter M. Manoilo are a compendium of his mastery: &#9679; orientation on the generally accepted standard of sounding of a voice (bel canto); &#9679; persistent search for individual reading of the role on the path of constant musical and intellectual self-growth; &#9679; word culture; &#9679; unity of sound-forming technology and artistic and aesthetic principles of a musical work, due to its genre and stylistic nature; &#9679; psychological authenticity (own experience of “entering” the image and its “living-through”) and the singer’s ability for self-analysis; &#9679; mental and psychological signs of artistic personality – great persistence and strength of character, the desire to reach the highest point (acme) of creative self-representation. The “denominator” of M. Manoilo’s performing skills is the style – the performer’s orientation for the accuracy of the composer’s text. The results obtained. The principles of M. Manoilo’s vocal pedagogy were based on the basis of generalization of own scenic experience as a system of generally acquired and personality-oriented principles: – sound culture (uniformity of construction of the singing range; flexibility, strength, flight of voice, use of mixed register, rounding, covering); sound word culture; attention to diction; – author-centrism of the singer’s interpretation of the vocal-stage image; – high artistic taste, which is formed through the education of musicality, diverse repertoire, and a sense of performance drama; – high artistic taste, which is formed through the education of musicality, diverse repertoire, and a sense of performance drama; – trust in intuition, which the singer should constantly “check” with his/her own intellect according to the composer’s text. Conclusions. As the heir of the Italian tradition of singing, in all genres of performance M. Manoilo represented such qualities as: proper breathing (free passage of all resonator zones), beautifully designed, high-quality singing tone, theatrical voice, which was overlapping the sound of the orchestra, sonority, flight, equality of the whole range. From the domestic singing paradigm one should add to Manoilo’s artistic portfolio the following: &#9679; recitative-speech cut of vocal intonation (melodic nature of singing is enriched by the relief of declamatory vocalization); &#9679; clear diction of the word being sung to reach the minds and hearts of listeners and establish a dialogue with the author; &#9679; cordocentrism – a particularly intense intra-emotional tone of performance as a personification of the Ukrainian “philosophy of the heart” (Н. Skovoroda); &#9679; integrative type of performing thinking – the unity of poetic-intonation and stage-artistic image of the singer. If a super-goal of music is, according to Aristotle, the entelechy, then singing technique is a way to achieve it. Such was the universal basis of M. Manoilo’s requirements of to himself, as well as to the students of his solo singing class

Bel canto sangonderrigbeginsels met spesiale verwysing na die begrip appoggio – ʼn tweedelige ondersoek in die pedagogiek van Werner Nel (Artikel 1)

Opsomming Gedurende sy vaste ampstermyn (1974–2010) as sangdosent by die Skool vir Musiek van die Potchefstroomse Universiteit vir Christelike Hoër Onderwys – sedert 2004 bekend as die Noordwes-Universiteit (Potchefstroomkampus) – is Werner Nel verantwoordelik vir die tegniese ontwikkeling wat sangstudente sou benodig om vokale kunsmusiek in die Europese tradisie uit te voer. Hierdie artikel ondersoek die stemtegniese beginsels wat Nel gebruik het om sy studente op te lei, met spesiale verwysing na die sentrale en kennelik moeilike begrip appoggio. Laasgenoemde is ʼn kernbelangrike stemtegniese en -estetiese ideaal van die bel canto sangtegniek en dit word gevolglik in hierdie artikel as vertrekpunt gebruik om Nel se onderrigmetodes, onderrigbeginsels of opvoedkundige benadering rakende effektiewe asemhaling vir esteties bevredigende klankproduksie in oënskou te neem. Die metodes van data-insameling vir hierdie enkele, beskrywende gevallestudie sluit beide ʼn tradisionele en sistematiese literatuuroorsig van die bel canto sangtegniek in, sommige van Nel se handgeskrewe en getikte dokumente, asook semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met Nel en geselekteerde deelnemers wat by hom gestudeer het en wat huidig professioneel werk as sangers en pedagoë. Abstract During his fixed tenure (1974–2010) as singing lecturer at the School for Music of the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education – known as the North-West University (Potchefstroom campus) since 2004 – Werner Nel was responsible for the technical development that singing students would need to perform vocal art music in the European tradition. This article investigates the voice-technical principles that Nel used to teach his students, with special reference to the fundamental and admittedly difficult concept appoggio. The latter is a voice-technical and aesthetic ideal of core importance for the bel canto singing technique and accordingly it is used in this article as a point of departure to examine Nel’s teaching methods, teaching principles or educational approach concerning effective breathing for aesthetically pleasing sound production. The methods of data collection for this single, descriptive case study includes both a traditional and systematic literature overview of the bel canto singing technique, some of Nel’s handwritten and typed documents, as well as semi-structured interviews with Nel and selected participants who studied with him and who currently work professionally as singers and pedagogues.

“Dit is meer ʼn ge-juggle met jou spiere”: Insigte oor die begrip appoggio vanuit kwalitatiewe onderhoude met Werner Nel en sy voormalige studente (artikel 2)

Opsomming Die vorige artikel in hierdie tweedelige bespreking van Werner Nel se pedagogiek as sangonderwyser het daarop gefokus om ʼn agtergrond en oorsig van die bel canto sangtegniek te bied, spesifiek soos dit te make het met die begrip appoggio. Die eerste artikel het hoofsaaklik metodologiese kwessies van die huidige studie uiteengesit en en ʼn oorsig van internasionaal-gepubliseerde literatuur oor bel canto en appoggio saamgevat. Hierdie tweede artikel lewer verslag oor en bespreek die kwalitatiewe onderhoude wat met Werner Nel en sy studente gevoer is oor bel canto en appoggio. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie dui daarop dat Nel se benadering tot appoggio (en die bedoelde asemhalingstegnieke vir esteties bevredigende klankproduksie) grootliks ooreengestem het met besprekings daarvan in die relevante vakliteratuur. Die artikel sluit af met enkele gedagtes rondom die sosiokulturele belang en betekenis van hierdie ooreenstemming tussen Nel se sangonderrigbeginsels, sy studente se metode van opera sing en die tersaaklike vakliteratuur. “It is more about the juggling of your muscles”: Insights regarding the concept of appoggio as derived from qualitative interviews with Werner Nel and his former students (Article 2) Abstract The previous article in this two-part discussion of Werner Nel’s pedagogy as a singing teacher focused on presenting background and an overview of the bel canto singing technique, specifically as relates to the concept of appoggio. Its main ambit was to outline the methodology used for this study and to give an overview of the literature published internationally on bel canto and appoggio. This second article reports on and discusses the qualitative interviews conducted with Werner Nel and his students concerning bel canto and appoggio. The findings of this study indicate that Nel’s approach to appoggio (and the intended breathing techniques for aesthetically pleasing sound production) largely correlated with discussions of appoggio in the relevant subject literature. The article concludes with some thoughts concerning the sociocultural importance and meaning of this correlation between Nel’s principles for teaching singing, his students’ method for singing opera and the relevant subject literature.

Bel Canto's Influence on the Development of Modern Chinese Opera Singing

Since the emergence of bel canto in China, traditional Chinese singing has been greatly influenced. Modern Chinese opera not only inherits the essence of Chinese national music, but also includes the unique vocal abilities of bel canto. It is thanks to Chinese national music and bel canto, which give Chinese opera singing in modern opera a whole new artistic experience that makes contemporary Chinese opera singing aimed at diversified development. The article analyzes the direction of development of bel canto in the field of Chinese art and the influence of bel canto on the direction of development of Chinese opera singing. Clarify the direction of development of the Chinese operatic art.

The Birth of ‘Modern’ Vocalism: The Paradigmatic Case of Enrico Caruso

In the decades spanning the turn of the twentieth century Italian opera singing underwent a profound transformation and became ‘modern’. I explore the formative elements of this modernity and its long-term effects on the way we sing today through the paradigmatic case of the tenor Enrico Caruso. I frame Caruso’s vocal evolution within the rise of verismo opera, comparing selected recordings, reviews and the rules and aesthetic prescriptions contained in vocal treatises to show how his new vocalism differed from that of the old bel canto. To set Caruso’s achievement in context I also analyse recordings of two other tenors of the era: Giovanni Zenatello and Alessandro Bonci.

ПРОБЛЕМНІ АСПЕКТИ ОПАНУВАННЯ СУЧАСНИМИ АКТОРАМИ ТВОРІВ МАСОВОЇ МУЗИКИ ІНОЗЕМНИМИ МОВАМИ

У зв’язку з перманентною музично-драматичною природою національного театру, активізацією сучасного культурного полілогу та тенденцією універсалізації актора акцентується значимість опанування акторами творів масової музики іноземними мовами. Підкреслено важливість опанування такого репертуару як чинників розширення компетентнісного кола та процесу творчої самоідентифікації та самореалізації актора. Висвітлено особливості таких етапів опанування акторами творів масової музики іноземними мовами, як: когнітивний; фонетичний, артикуляційний; оволодіння інтонаціями мови; оволодіння стилістичними особливостями масової музики; оволодіння вокально-виконавською специфікою естрадного співу при збереженні настанов bel canto; семантико-змістовне опанування вербального тексту; корегування «вокального образу» твору з режисерським задумом, тембровою фарбою ролі, сценічним завданням.