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Historical Vocal Pedagogies

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Historical Vocal Pedagogies VC565 Historical Vocal Pedagogies Ian Howell [email protected] New England Conservatory of Music 23 September 2013 Monday, September 23, 13 Giulio Caccini b.1551 – d.1618 Florence, Italy Florentine Camerata – Recitative/Text Famous singer, music teacher, composer of Medici court Monday, September 23, 13 Giulio Caccini •Singers vs. instrumentalists •Voce piena, e naturale vs. voce finta •Avoid slides •Decrescendo from attack •Trillo vs. gruppo •Ornamentation for affect of text Monday, September 23, 13 Pier Francesco Tosi b.1647 – d.1742 Soprano Castrato Taught and performed across Europe, especially Vienna, London, and Bologna Monday, September 23, 13 Pier Francesco Tosi •Study solfeggio •voce di testa vs. voce di petto •Head voice soft ≠ shrieking trumpet •scales without separation of [h] or [g] •fast passages on [a], never [i] or [u] •avoid closed versions of [e] and [o] Monday, September 23, 13 Pier Francesco Tosi •Progressive exercises •expression towards a smile •Hold out the length of notes without shrillness and trembling •Messa di voce taught later •Teach on [a], [Ɛ], and [ɔ], not just on [a] •Drag voice high to low, but not low to high Monday, September 23, 13 Pier Francesco Tosi •Appoggiatura is most important grace •Trill is a necessity •No rules for teaching trill Monday, September 23, 13 Pier Francesco Tosi •Study with the mind •Listen to the best •Too much practice and vocal beauty incompatible Monday, September 23, 13 Giambattista Mancini b.1714 – d.1800 Bologna Castrato, studied with Bernacchi (also Senesino’s (Giulio Cesare) teacher) Studied with Mozart’s composition teacher “Practical Relfections on Figured Singing” (1774) Monday, September 23, 13 Giambattista Mancini •Good voice backed by musical intelligence •Elevated chest, harmonious proportions of the vocal organs, symmetry of the mouth and teeth •Physical defects are incurable •homely, inexpressive face Monday, September 23, 13 Giambattista Mancini •The voice has two registers, chest and head (or falsetto) •They should be equalized •Essential: knowing how to shape the mouth •[a, e, i, o, u] sung on each note in the position of a smile •[i] is difficult, sing in a composed smile Monday, September 23, 13 Giambattista Mancini •Head erect •The chest (air) should give the voice with naturalness and use the throat smoothly and easily. •Weak voice with extended range can be addressed •One way to place a voice = sustained tones Monday, September 23, 13 Manuel Garcia II b.1805 – d.1906 Spanish First to see vocal folds in action Laryngoscope Innovator, assimilator, controversial Monday, September 23, 13 Manuel Garcia II and those that followed 1. Sostenudo (sustained tones) Monday, September 23, 13 Examples of sostenudo from Mathilde Marchesi’s Theoretical & Practical Vocal Method Monday, September 23, 13 Monday, September 23, 13 Manuel Garcia II and those that followed 1. Sostenudo (sustained tones) 2. Portamento (dragging) Monday, September 23, 13 Source: Garcia II A Complete Treatise on the Art of Singing Monday, September 23, 13 Examples of portamento from Mathilde Marchesi’s Theoretical & Practical Vocal Method Monday, September 23, 13 Manuel Garcia II and those that followed 1. Sostenudo (sustained tones) 2. Portamento (dragging) 3. Legato (connected tones) Monday, September 23, 13 Monday, September 23, 13 Manuel Garcia II and those that followed 1. Sostenudo (sustained tones) 2. Portamento (dragging) 3. Legato (connected tones) – Scales too! Monday, September 23, 13 Source: Garcia II A Complete Treatise on the Art of Singing Monday, September 23, 13 Manuel Garcia II and those that followed 1. Sostenudo (sustained tones) 2. Portamento (dragging) 3. Legato (connected tones) – Scales too! 4. Onset Monday, September 23, 13 Examples for the “right action” of the glottis from Carlo Bassini, Art of Singing (1884) Monday, September 23, 13 Manuel Garcia II and those that followed 1. Sostenudo (sustained tones) 2. Portamento (dragging) 3. Legato (connected tones) – Scales too! 4. Onset 5. Registration Monday, September 23, 13 Monday, September 23, 13 Manuel Garcia II and those that followed 1. Sostenudo (sustained tones) 2. Portamento (dragging) 3. Legato (connected tones) – Scales too! 4. Onset 5. Registration 6. Laryngeal stability – Clear and Somber Tone!! Monday, September 23, 13 Sources available online in course Bibliography Monday, September 23, 13.
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