Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy

by James Stark

In this well documented and highly readable book, James Stark provides a history of vocal pedagogy from the beginning of the bel canto tradition of solo singing in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries to the present. Using a nineteenth-century treatise by Manuel Garcia as his point of reference, Stark analyses the many sources that discuss singing techniques and selects a number of primary vocal 'problems' for detailed investigation. He also presents data from a series of laboratory experiments carried out to demonstrate the techniques of bel canto . The discussion deals extensively with such topics as the emergence of virtuoso singing, the castrato phenomenon, national differences in singing styles, controversies regarding the perennial decline in the art of singing, and the so-called secrets of bel canto . Stark offers a new definition of bel canto which reconciles historical and scientific descriptions of good singing. His is a refreshing and profound discussion of issues important to all singers and voice teachers.

Genres: Music

352 pages, Paperback

First published December 25, 1999

About the author

James Stark is a singer, vocal instructor, and musicologist with a deep interest in vocal pedagogy. He has taught for over twenty-five years at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick. His work focuses on the history and techniques of singing, particularly in relation to the bel canto tradition. His book, Bel Canto: A History of Vocal Pedagogy, is a significant study that explores historical singing methods and analyzes them using scientific research, making it a valuable resource for vocalists and scholars.