UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA GRADUATE COLLEGE FORGOTTEN MASTER: LEONE GIRALDONI AND THE PURSUIT OF SINGING ARTISTRY A DOCUMENT SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS By LESLIE JOHN FLANAGAN Norman, Oklahoma 2011 FORGOTTEN MASTER: LEONE GIRALDONI AND THE PURSUIT OF SINGING ARTISTRY A DOCUMENT APPROVED FOR THE SCHOOL OF MUSIC BY _____________________________ Dr. Eugene Enrico, Chair _____________________________ Prof. Kim Josephson, Co-chair _____________________________ Dr. Roland Barrett _____________________________ Dr. Thomas Bandy _____________________________ Dr. Kerry Magruder © Copyright by LESLIE JOHN FLANAGAN 2011 All Rights Reserved. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The completion of the following document would not be possible without the love and unwavering support of my family, especially my wife Sarah, who makes everything possible, and my colleagues and teachers, who have over many years instilled in me a great love and passion for music and the human voice. This document is a work that reflects my intense love for the art of singing and performing. For many years I have had a great interest in the singing voice and the teaching of singing, inspired by the many great artists with whom I have had the opportunity to study and train. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to my committee: Dr. Eugene Enrico, Dr. Roland Barrett, Professor Kim Josephson, Dr. Thomas Bandy and Dr. Kerry Magruder; who have all been incredibly supportive and generous toward me during my time here at the University of Oklahoma; and to Herman Curiel, my friend and guide through the translating of the original treatise by Leone Giraldoni. I would also like to acknowledge the support of Dr. and Mrs. Hoving and Mr. and Mrs. Crawley, who funded my studies through the Hoving Fellowship for the duration of my stay at the University of Oklahoma, and to the University for awarding me the prestigious Max Weitzenhoffer Opera Fellowship. My hope is that this work will reflect the great faith that all of these people have placed in me during the course of pursuing this Doctoral Degree. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………….…………………..iv ABSTRACT…………………………………...…………………………………………vi CHAPTER ONE: Introduction…………………………………………………………………..……1 Biography of Leone Giraldoni………………………………………...…………..2 The Need and Purpose for this Study……………………………………………..5 CHAPTER TWO: Review of Related Literature…………………………………………7 CHAPTER THREE: Commentary on the Translation….………………...……………..14 CHAPTER FOUR: Conclusion………………………………………………………….71 APPENDIXES: Translation of Treatise…….……………………………………………………………..85 Copy of Original Italian Treatise….……………………………………………………134 BIBLIOGRAPHY………………………………………………………………………185 v ABSTRACT The Italian baritone Leone Giraldoni (1824-1897) was one of the most prominent operatic performers of the nineteenth century. His singing style and complete artistry made him a leading choice of the major opera composers of his day, not the least being Giuseppe Verdi, for whom he created Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera (1859) and the title role in Simon Boccanegra (1857). At the height of his talents, Giraldoni was regarded with great esteem throughout Europe and England. Toward the end of his singing career, Giraldoni also gained a reputation as a celebrated teacher throughout France, Italy, Spain and Russia, where he taught at the Moscow Conservatory. The purpose of this document is to make available in English translation for the first time one of two treatises that he wrote regarding the training of the singing artist, Guida teorico- pratica ad uso dell'artista-cantante, written in 1864 with an expanded and revised version in 1884. The document will also examine the teaching approach of the old Italian school of singing through a commentary and discussion of the content of the treatise, with reference to both old and modern works on singing and information gathered from biographical accounts of Giraldoni's contemporaries. vi CHAPTER ONE Introduction Many writings exist concerning the art of singing and the art of teaching singing. Treatises from the eighteenth century, by the eminent Tosi and others, tend to deal almost exclusively with aspects of singing style and the practical vocal application of specific stylistic features of the music itself, such as appoggiaturas, turns, trills, etc., and have little to say about actual vocal technique and voice production. Many of the principles of the old Italian school of singing were largely handed down orally from teacher to student in the course of instruction, and vocal pedagogy of the era relied heavily on the teacher‘s ―ear‖; by listening to a student‘s vocal production, or emissione, of the classic vowel series, and by compelling the student to breathe correctly, the teacher guided the student to the correct, balanced tone, or chiaroscuro. Little was known about the exact functioning of the vocal cords and the larynx itself. The development of tools to view the functioning larynx in the early to mid nineteenth century heralded an explosion of interest in vocal science, mechanics, and vocal production.1 The writings of Manuel Garcia (1805-1906), a Spanish voice teacher-scientist, who in 1841 ―invented the laryngoscope to observe the vocal cords in vibration,‖ was instrumental in marrying vocal style and practice with technique and science, forging a new path in vocal pedagogy which continued into the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, as demonstrated in the teachings of, among others, Bernard Coffin, William Vennard, and Richard Miller.2 1 James Stark, Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, Inc., 2003), 5. 2 William Vennard, Singing: The Mechanism and the Technique. 4th ed. (New York: Carl Fischer, 1967), 58. 1 Other vocal treatises worthy of examination are those by great performers of the era, such as Marchesi, Lilli Lehmann, Lillian Nordica, Tettrazini, and Caruso. The works in this category include collections of progressive vocalises (Marchesi), compilations of vocal hints and performance tips (Nordica, Caruso and Tetrazzini), as well as comprehensive explorations of vocal technique (Lilli Lehmann). The writings of Italian baritone Leone Giraldoni (1824-1897) fall into this latter category. Biography of Leone Giraldoni Giraldoni, considered one of the finest baritones of his generation, created two of Verdi’s greatest baritone roles, Renato in Un ballo in Maschera (1859) and the title role in Simon Boccanegra (1857), and took the title role in first performance of Donizetti’s Il Duca d’alba in 1884. After a distinguished performing career, Giraldoni gained great admiration as a teacher and became professor of voice at the Moscow Conservatory, where he taught until his death. The teaching approach of this great artist, as laid out in his treatise Guida teorico-pratica ad uso dell'artista-cantante, is the primary concern of this document. By examining Giraldoni’s Guida teorico-pratica ad uso dell'artista- cantante and relevant works which delve into the teaching philosophies of the Italian school of singing, a more rounded and complete understanding the some of the vocal pedagogy of the era may become apparent. 2 Italian baritone and pedagogue Leone Giraldoni was born in Paris in 1824 and died in Moscow, Russia 19 Sep/1st Oct 1897.3 Giraldoni ―studied singing in Florence with the maestro Luigi Ronzi, one of Italy‘s most famous teachers‖, and later made his debut at Lodi as the High Priest in Saffo.4 He performed in cities throughout Italy and Europe including Oporto, Firenze, Paris, and Bucharest, and made his debut at La Scala, Milan in 1855. At La Scala, he was heard as Di Luna in Trovatore and Rossini‘s Figaro in a notable performance in 1877. Giraldoni was one of Giuseppe Verdi‘s favorite baritones and was chosen by the composer to create ―the title role in Simon Boccanegra, Venice, 1857, and the role of Renato in Un ballo in Maschera, Teatro Apollo, Rome, 1859.‖5 Other operas that formed a major part of his repertoire were La Traviata, L’Africain, Faust, Don Sebastiano and Gomes‘ opera Guarany. Giraldoni performed in many operas by composers that were overshadowed by the towering figure of Giuseppe Verdi. He took part in Achille Peri‘s opera Vittor Pasani at the opening of the Comunale di Reggio Emilia, 1857, Pedrotti‘s Mazeppa, Marchetti‘s Romeo e Giulietta and Gomes‘ Salvator Rosa. Many other composers also found him to be an artist who contributed most effectively to their works. In the latter part of his career, Giraldoni ―created the title role of Donizetti‘s posthumously produced Il duca d’Alba at the Teatro Apollo, Rome (1882).‖ 6 He married soprano and virtuoso violinist Carolina Ferni, with whom he had a son, Eugenio 3 Elizabeth Forbes. The Grove Book of Opera Singers, edited by Laura Macy. (Oxford, UK: Oxford Press]), 192. 4 Gaspare Nello Vetro, “Istituzione Casa della Musica Parma: Dizionario biografico, dei personaggi citati a cura di Gaspare Nello Vetro,” Istituzione Casa della Musica, http://www.lacasadellamusica.it/ferrarini/biografie1.htm#g (accessed September 30, 2010). 5 Forbes. The Grove Book of Opera Singers, 192. 6 Ibid. 3 Giraldoni, a baritone who, like his father, took part in many world premieres and was ―given the role of Scarpia in the world premier of Tosca at the Costanzi in Rome in 1900.‖ 7Alongside his wife, Leone Giraldoni premiered Agostino Mecuri‘s Il Violino del Diavolo at Cagli in 1878. He brought his ―career to an end with a performance of Filippo