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.
#2176660 in eBooks 2011-06-09 2011-06-09File Name: B005CHVLF4
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