Belcanto (Bel Canto, bel canto) (Italian, beautiful singing) is an Italian musical term. It refers to the art and science of vocal technique which originated in Italy during the late sixteenth century and reached its pinnacle in the early part of the nineteenth century during the Bel Canto opera era. Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti are the best-known exponents of this style, which flourished from approximately 1810 to 1830. Jump to: navigation, search The foyer of Charles Garniers Opéra, Paris, opened 1875 Opera refers to an European art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music. ... Portrait Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 — November 13, 1868) was an Italian musical composer who wrote more than 30 operas as well as sacred music and chamber music. ... Vincenzo Bellini Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini (November 3, 1801 – September 23, 1835) was an Italian opera composer. ... Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797–8 April 1848) was a famous Italian opera composer. ...

Bel canto singing is characterized by a focus on perfect evenness throughout the voice, skillful legato, a light upper register, tremendous agility and flexibility, and a certain lyric, "sweet" timbre. Operas of the style featured extensive and florid ornamentation, requiring much in the way of fast scales and cadenzas. Emphasizing technique over volume, bel canto style has famously been linked to an exercise said to demonstrate its epitome, where a singer holds a lit candle to her mouth and sings without causing the flame to flicker.

While the bel canto period is typically dated to the early 19th century, the term itself did not come to be commonly used in its current sense until the middle of the 19th century. It was at this time that composers such as Wagner began to call for larger, more dramatic voices; opponents of this trend complained, with Rossini, "Alas for us, we have lost our bel canto." Jump to: navigation, search Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813 in Leipzig – February 13, 1883 in Venice) was an influential German composer, conductor, music theorist, and essayist, primarily known for his groundbreaking symphonic-operas (or music dramas). His compositions are notable for their continuous contrapuntal texture, rich harmonies... Portrait Gioacchino Antonio Rossini (February 29, 1792 — November 13, 1868) was an Italian musical composer who wrote more than 30 operas as well as sacred music and chamber music. ...

The sopranos Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland were probably the best-known bel canto singers of the postwar period. (Virginia Zeani and Leyla Gencer were both bel canto soprani of equal abilities, but they made fewer recordings and, thus, were less famous in America.) For many years, the bel canto tenor was a rarity; however, since the appearance of Chris Merritt and Rockwell Blake they have been making a comeback. Skilled bel canto tenors of today include Juan Diego Florez and William Matteuzzi. Maria Callas on book cover Maria Callas (Greek name: Μαρία Καλογεροπούλου; December 2, 1923 – September 16, 1977) was a Greek-American soprano and perhaps the best-known opera singer of the post-World War II period. ... Jump to: navigation, search Dame Joan Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE is a great Australian opera singer noted for her contribution to the bel canto revival of the 1950s and 1960s. ... Virginia Zeani (born Virginia Zehan, October 25, 1925, in Transylvania, Romania) was one of the greatest operatic sopranos of the 1950s and 60s. ... Leyla Gencer The opera singer Leyla Gencer, (born October 10, 1928) in Istanbul, Turkey, is a famous soprano. ... In music, a tenor is a male singer with a high voice (although not as high as a countertenor). ... Juan Diego Flórez was born in 1973 in Lima, Peru. ...

References

"Bel Canto: A Theoretical and Practical Vocal Method". Mathilde Marchesi. Dover (1970) ISBN 0486223159 Jump to: navigation, search Mathilde Marchesi (born: Mathilde Graumann; March 24, 1821 – November 17, 1913) was a mezzo-soprano, teacher of singing, and exponent of the bel canto technique. ...

"Bel Canto". James A. Stark. University of Toronto Press (2003) ISBN 0802086144

The Twilight of Belcanto. Leonardo Ciampa. AuthorHouse; 2nd edition (2005) ISBN 1418459569 Leonardo Ciampa (born Orient Heights (East Boston), January 17, 1971), is a composer, organist, pianist, and author. ...

"Bel Canto: Principles and Practices". Cornelius L. Reid. Joseph Patelson Music House (1950) ISBN 0915282011

See also

• Castrato
• Recitative