Bel Canto Quotes

“the quality of onset determines the quality of the ensuing phonation.”
― James Stark, Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy

“Bel canto is a concept that takes into account two separate but related matters. First, it is a highly refined method of using the singing voice in which the glottal source, the vocal tract, and the respiratory system interact in such a way as to create the qualities of chiaroscuro, appoggio, register equalization, malleability of pitch and intensity, and a pleasing vibrato. The idiomatic use of this voice includes various forms of vocal onset, legato, portamento, glottal articulation, crescendo, decrescendo, messa di voce, mezza voce, floridity and trills, and tempo rubato. Second, bel canto refers to any style of music that employs this kind of singing in a tasteful and expressive way.”
― James Stark, Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy

“As sung by Schipa, ‘Che farò senza Euridice’ is indeed the grief-stricken piece that Gluck intended. The true measure of its success lies in the word-note-tone relationship, where the art and idiom of the singer is added to the art of the composer in order to ensure the effective portrayal of human emotion.”
― James Stark, Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy

“In the nineteenth century, Manuel Garcia provided the clearest description of the two practices of rubato: In order to make the effect of the tempo rubato perceptible in singing, it is necessary to sustain the tempo of the accompaniment with precision. The singer, free on this condition to increase and decrease alternately the partial values, will be able to set off certain phrases in a new way. The accelerando and rallentando require that the accompaniment and the voice move together and slow down or speed up the movement as a whole. The tempo rubato, on the contrary, accords this liberty only to the voice.12”
― James Stark, Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy