ABSTRACT

PEDAGOGICAL AND PERFORMANCE APPROACH TO SELECTED

BEL CANTO SONGS AND ARIAS OF BELLINI AND DONIZETTI

By

Florentino Zarate Ramirez

August 2012

This project report discusses how young tenors can use vocal exercises by

Giuseppe Concone (1801-1861) as a means to develop technique and a sense of the bel

canto style for the songs and arias of Bellini and Donizetti. This approach compares

similar musical passages between the exercises and songs and includes specific exercises

needed to address various technical aspects of the songs and arias. Apart from the

Concone exercises, there is an attempt to extract some of the musical passages from the

songs and arias to use themselves as vocal exercises. The selected songs of Bellini

considered here are "Ma rendi pur contento," and "Malinconia, Ninfa gentile," and the

aria is "E serbata a questo acciaro" from I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Those of Donizetti

under consideration are "Amore e morte" and "II Barcaiolo," and the aria is "Una furtiva

lagrima," from L 'elisir d'amore.

PEDAGOGICAL AND PERFORMANCE APPROACH TO SELECTED

BEL CANTO SONGS AND ARIAS OF BELLINI AND DONIZETTI

A PROJECT REPORT

Presented to the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music

California State University, Long Beach

In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the Degree

Master of Music

Committee Members:

David Anglin, D.M.A. (Chair)

Jonathan Talberg, D.M.A.
Katharin Rundus, D.M.A.

College Designee:

Carolyn Bremer, Ph.D.

By Florentino Zarate Ramirez

BM, 2010, California State University Long Beach

August 2012
 UMI Number: 1521608

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to acknowledge my committee members for their patient guidance,

enthusiastic encouragement and useful critiques of this research work. Thank you to my

professors Dr. David Anglin, Dr. Jonathan Talberg, Dr. Alicia Doyle, and Dr. Kristine

Forney who have guided my scholastic education and shared their great knowledge in the

art of music. A special thanks to my voice teacher Dr. Katharin Rundus, who built my

voice and taught me to be a patient, dedicated, and complete musician. Finally I would

like to thank my family for all the love and support in accomplishing this chapter of my

life.

iii
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

CHAPTER

1. INTRODUCTION 1

2. BEL CANTO 4

3. INTRODUCTION TO GIUSEPPE CONCONE 9

4. BELLINI AND DONIZETTI ART SONGS AND ARIAS 14

Bellini's "Ma rendi pur contento" 14
Bellini's "Malinconia, Ninfa gentile" 16
Bellini's "E serbata a questo acciaro" 19
Donizetti's "Amore e morte" 20
Donizetti' s "II barcaiolo" 21
Donizetti's "Una furtiva lagrima" 23

5. CONCLUSION 26

APPENDIX: RECITAL PROGRAM 28

BIBLIOGRAPHY 31

iv
 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE Page

1. Exercises and Application 12

V
 LIST OF FIGURES

FIGURES Page

1. Concone, Exercise 5 starting on G 15

2. Concone, Exercise 7 starting on E Flat 15

3. Bellini, "Ma rendi pur contento," mm. 9-10 16

4. Concone, Exercise 5 starting on F 17

5. Bellini, "Malinconia, Ninfa gentile," mm. 12-15 18

6. Concone, Exercise 8 19

7. Concone, Exercise 10 21

8. Donizetti, "II barcaiolo," mm. 17-18 22

9. Donizetti, "II barcaiolo," mm. 23-25 22

10. Donizetti, "Una furtiva lagrima," mm. 44-45 24

11. Donizetti, "Una furtiva lagrima," mm. 38-39 25

vi
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

As it is understood today, bel canto is a term used to describe both the Italian

vocal style and a genre of Italian opera. The style of this music requires the following

elements from the singer: an impeccable legato production throughout the vocal range;

the use of light vocal quality in the higher registers; an agile, flexible technique capable

of producing embellishments; the ability to execute fast, accurate divisions; the avoidance

of aspirates; a loose vibrato; a well-focused timbre; clear diction; and graceful phrasing

rooted in a complete mastery of breath control. Bel canto is said to have begun its

decline with composers such as Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Pietro Mascagni, and

Umberto Giordano, whose operas demanded that the voice become heavier and more

ardent, which in turn required a less flexible approach to singing.

Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini are regarded as three

great exponents of bel canto singing. Their legacies are defined by their high quality of

songs and operas in the nineteenth century. However, this era of singing "beautifully"

began in the seventeenth century with Monteverdi, and continued to be developed by

Handel through his operas and oratorios. Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini provided the

expansion of this style by writing arias that allowed the singers to exhibit their technical

abilities as well as their ability to improvise beautiful embellishments of the melody.

1
 Several great teachers of bel canto were born during the eighteenth and nineteenth

century and included Giuseppe Concone (1801-1861) from Turin, Manuel Garcia from

Spain (1775-1832) and his son Manuel Garcia II (1805-1906). Their teachings, recorded

in books and journals by their students, include vocal exercises designed to be studied

daily for all voice types. This paper demonstrates how contemporary young tenors can

use vocal exercises by Giuseppe Concone as a means to develop technique and a sense of

the bel canto style for the songs and arias of Bellini and Donizetti.

The main focus in this paper is on how specific exercises can be applied to

selected songs and arias of Bellini and Donizetti to further understand the style and

demands of bel canto. This approach demonstrates similar musical passages between the

exercises and songs. It also includes specific exercises needed to address various

technical aspects. Apart from the Concone exercises, there is an attempt to extract some

of the musical passages from the songs and arias themselves to use as vocal exercises.

Specific songs are selected that demonstrate a solid pedagogical and musical approach to

developing the young voice.

Learning and performing bel canto is important for today's opera singers because

it is a technique that allows the voice to have a longer life-span. Too many teachers lack

knowledge of healthy singing and developmental processes; they too can benefit from

learning how to train the voice with the bel canto technique. Young singers should not

focus on heavy repertoire that could potentially damage the voice; rather, they should

focus on the bel canto repertory. It is primarily the responsibility of the teacher to lead

their students patiently through repetitive (and sometimes tedious) work to acquire a

technique that will provide the performer with a long and stable career.

2
 Bellini, Donizetti, and Rossini wrote many operas and songs that have entertained

opera audiences for decades. The Garcia family, Concone, and many other bel canto

singing teachers left great legacies of teachings, exercises, and journals to provide singers

with the opportunity to learn specific skills and to have a long, healthy career. Bel canto

is a musical and singing style that has a long history and must be kept alive for the

continuing success of the classical singing voice. This paper is meant to be a resource on

how to approach songs by Bellini and Donizetti to help maintain an interest in the study

of bel canto.

3
 CHAPTER 2

BEL CANTO

This chapter provides a short overview of the bel canto era, its history, and its

style of singing. This includes the definition of this term as well as a general explanation

of how the style was approached by teachers of the eighteenth and nineteenth century

from a singing perspective and the qualities a singer of that era exhibited. The history

credits composers whose operas are classified as the peak of bel canto opera and the end

of it.

The Italian term bel canto, or "beautiful singing," did not acquire a specific

meaning until the mid-nineteenth century.1 In a more general sense, the term is used to

describe the Italian singing style of the eighteenth and early nineteenth century.

Therefore bel canto style spans in excess of two hundred years, beginning in the mid-

seventeenth century and ending in the mid-nineteenth century. The term is specifically

applied to Italian operas of Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini and their contemporaries. The

Italian singing style had its roots in Monteverdi, and continued to be developed by

Handel in his operas and oratorios.

During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, students of bel canto singing

style were mainly taught through imitation. Although some teachers and singers left

documents concerning this style, many pedagogical techniques were transmitted orally.

1
Owen Jander, "Bel canto," in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians, 2nd ed. (London: Macmillan, 2001), 3: 161.

4
Fortunately some students became notable singers and teachers who continued the

tradition through books and manuals that provided insight into their techniques from

individual experiences. Some of the more familiar of these teachers during the bel canto

era included Francesco Lamperti (father), Giovanni Battista Lamperti (son), Giuseppe

Concone, Manuel Garcia I (father), and Manuel Garcia II (son). From their books and

manuals comes much of our knowledge of the bel canto technique. In the present day,

there are only a few singers who have mastered the qualities and high level from the

singers of the past. Tenor Juan Diego Florez is among the few who are distinguished

singers of bel canto repertoire. The obvious question asked by many performers,

teachers, and audiences of today is "what happened to this tradition?" Cornelius Reid

believes that the principles of bel canto have, over the years, been gradually

misinterpreted and misapplied, and that the newer scientific approach has added

confusion, so only shreds of the great tradition survive. Reid then says that the scientific

methods, "seek to establish direct control over all phases of vocal technique, including

those functions not susceptible to direct control."4

From a pedagogical and technical approach, the goals of the bel canto training

procedure include a perfect legato production throughout the vocal range, the use of a

light tone with resonance in the higher registers, purity of intonation, and flexibility. The

2 PortiaVanessa Harper, "Comparative Study of the Bel Canto Teaching Styles

and Their Effects on Vocal Agility" (Master's thesis, University of North Texas, 1996),
2.

Michel F. Muriel, review of Bel Canto, Principles and Practices, by Cornelius

L. Reid, Notes, 2nd Ser., 8, no. 2 (March 1951): 335.

4 Ibid., 336.

5
necessary technique also demands purity of vowels, which automatically sets the vocal

mechanism in a favorable adjustment and correct registration. Two registers, chest and

head, are recognized in all vocal types, and only imply separate mechanical actions rather

than pitch ranges. The registers are developed individually and then unified, so that each

partakes of the characteristic quality of the other and there is no apparent break between

them.

The teachers of the bel canto period used a psychological approach that involved

sensation of the vibrations and use of full body and mind as the whole instrument. There

is also the notion that muscular action for singing is involuntary and not subject to direct

control; modern singers' and teachers' notions of singing may be misinterpreting the

direct manipulation of those muscular actions. Bel canto-era teachers were great

believers in the benefits of vocalizations and solfeggio, and they strove to strengthen the

respiratory muscles of their pupils to equip them with the technique that will allow for

such time-honored vocal attributes as "purity of tone, perfection of legato, phrasing

informed by eloquent portamento, and exquisitely turned ornaments."5 This process

required sufficient time for the voice to mature and be adequately prepared to move onto

songs and later opera.

The bel canto technique is said to have been lost after the arrival of composers

like Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Pietro Mascagni, Ruggero Leoncavallo,

Francesco Cilea, and Umberto Giordano.6 These composers marked the beginning of

verismo opera, whose plots consisted of real, every-day conflicts and drama. These

5 Michael Scott, The Record of Singing (London: Duckworth, 1977), 20.

6 Rodolfo Celletti, History of Bel Canto (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991), 198.

6
operas not only required larger voices but realistic expression of emotions that at times

conflicted with the health of the voice. The most extreme exponents of verismo vocalism

sang habitually in a forceful and anti-legato style. They would "beef up" the tone of their

voices and force their top notes in order to accentuate the emotionalism of their ardent

and heightened interpretations. This is what Rodolfo Celletti, an Italian music critic with

vast knowledge on vocal styles, techniques, and interpretation of Italian operatic vocal

music, thought in regard to veristic singing:

Veristic interpreters were prompted to thicken and darken the middle voice so as
to achieve a sensuous sound more easily. This device, however, hardens the voice
for modulation purposes and makes the high notes sound strained, hard, or
strident. Thirdly, the desire to achieve realistic effects through the adoption of
"spoken" or "shouted" inflections led singers to ignore, if not actually to
repudiate, the search for rounded, full, and soft edged tone... In short, the habit of
singing with 'open' tone which in practice is what most easily distinguishes the
amateur from the professional, spread with verismo.7

The results could be exciting in the theater but this type of singing is not a strategy for

vocal longevity. Due to the demands of the music, the move to heavier repertoire was

rapid but unhealthy, thus making it a factor in the decline in popularity of the verismo

style in the twentieth century.

The rebirth of bel canto after verismo was not through musicologists, opera
O
historians, critics, or orchestra conductors, but largely through Maria Callas. She is

known for singing a wide range of repertoire from the bel canto style to the verismo style.

Following in Callas's footsteps in the revival of great singing were Renata Tebaldi and

Magda Olivero, and later Marilyn Home and Joan Sutherland. Male singers include

7 Ibid., 200.
8 Ibid., 205.

7
Franco Corelli, Carlo Bergonzi, Alfredo Kraus, Luciano Pavarotti, and Renato Bruson.

Unfortunately, today there are few who match the level of these great bel canto singers.

Some factors that may have impact on accomplishing such a level are impatience and

misguided repertoire choices. On the business side, the demands to sing more often and

in bigger opera houses can lead to deterioration and/or damage to the voice, thus ending a

career too soon. These are only some possible factors and it is the teachers' and singers'

joint responsibility to address them before taking the wrong path.

8
 CHAPTER 3

INTRODUCTION TO GIUSEPPE CONCONE

Giuseppe Concone (1810-1861) created invaluable vocal exercises and lesson

books that further his teachings. This chapter presents a short description of the thirty

vocal exercises and fifty lessons as well as analysis of their use for specific gain of

singing knowledge. Examples of these exercises appear in the next chapter to further

support their use in studying bel canto repertoire. The Thirty Daily Exercises for High

Voice, Op. 11, can be easily accessed as they are public domain and therefore should not

be difficult to locate through the internet site imslp.org or at your local school or public

library.9

Giuseppe Concone was born in Turin, Italy in September 1801, and died in June

1861. He had a short singing career before becoming a teacher and composer, teaching

in Paris from 1837 to 1848, where he published many books of vocal exercises.10 While

in Paris, Concone became popular as a composer of romanzas, arias, and duets, but his

fame rests on a series of solfeggi that have a world-wide reputation.11 The solfeggi

9 Giussepe Concone, Thirty Daily Exercises for High Voice (New York: G.
Schirmer, 1898).
10 ElizabethForbes, "Concone Giuseppe," in The New Grove Dictionary of Music
and Musicians, 2nd ed. (London: Macmillan, 2001), vi: 260.
11 Giuseppe Concone, Fifty Lessons for High Voice (New York: G. Schirmer,
1898), 1.

9
exercises are practical and melodious, with a flowing accompaniment. Today, they are

available as published exercises for the following instruments: fifty voice lessons for

high, medium, and low voice; studies in style for piano; legato/lyrical studies for

trumpet/tuba; and lyrical studies for horn. Although Concone struggled to become

known as a great singer, he achieved fame as a teacher of the piano, singing, music

theory, and composition. After teaching in Paris for eleven years, he returned to Turin

where he was organist and maestro di capella at the Sardinian court. Unfortunately this

is the extent of the known information of Concone's life.

Concone's Thirty Daily Exercises for High Voice, Op. 11, provides the beginner

to moderate singer with various exercises to shape the voice. Concone's notes in the

preface are as follows:

In practicing the following exercises, always endeavor to produce each tone with
correct and pure intonation and uniform power. To this end, the exercises must be
executed slowly at first, gradually accelerating the movement at each repetition, at
the same time progressively augmenting the power of the tone. Practice conducted
in this manner will infallibly lead to good vocalization.12

Exercises 1 to 4 are all to be practiced in a major key, the first and second with

ascending and descending single octaves on an eighth-note pattern, and the third and

fourth adding a repetition of the same octave in a sixteenth-note pattern. Exercises 5 to

12 consist of singing within an interval of a ninth, first stepwise ascending and

descending, then repeating the exercises with chromatic tones and variations of leaps and

arpeggios. These seven exercises help, as Concone's notes say, to acquire perfect

evenness of the registers.13 Exercises 13 to 22 are variations of triplets to further the

19
Concone, Thirty Daily Exercises, 3.
13 Ibid., 6.

10
evenness of registers. Exercise number 23 is to be practiced mezza voce, with medium to

half volume of voice. This exercise consists of staccato eighth notes ascending and

descending which trains the voice to be accurate on pitch and vocal onsets. While

practicing this particular exercise, it is crucial that the right amount of breath support is

used to produce a half voice tone, in tune.

The book continues with exercise 24, which is a preparatory drill for the trill.

This exercise will ensure that the voice is free of tension because a true trill can only be

attained without tension. Exercises 25 to 29 concentrate on the most common ornament,

called a gruppeto known as a turn and implying a four-note figure. These ornaments are

an important element in many (if not all) bel canto operas, and require accuracy of

intonation combined with lightness.

Exercise 30 centers on the chromatic scale. Concone clearly states that this

exercise should be approached with careful and considerable study.14 Conquering the

major and minor scale is one of the first steps to develop a beginner's voice but it is the

chromatic scale that completes and polishes the voice, giving the singer the ability to

develop the hearing and singing of semitones. This provides the singer with a sense of

true evenness and the knowledge and technique of singing through every semitone with

tone accuracy, beauty, and vocal power. To further assist the student, Cocone uses a

rinforzando of the voice first at every major beat and later only at the strong beats to

allow room for phrasing within the scale. Table 1 summarizes the purpose of all these

exercises.

14 Ibid., 26.

11
TABLE 1. Exercises and Application

Exercises Purpose

1-4 Tone, Intonation

5-12 Evenness in registers

13-22 Triplets, Phrasing

23 Detached notes, Onsets

24 Trill

25-29 Grupetto/Turn

30 Chromatic scale

Concone's The Fifty Lessons for High Voice, Op. 9, presents accompanied

exercises that are to be sung on solfeggi with a broad and open sound of the Italian vowel

"A" as in the word "father." He states that the first twenty-five lessons are only intended

to be sung in solfeggi with equality, purity, intensity of voice, and preciseness of

intonation, "to place and fix the voice accurately [and] to develop taste while singing

broad, elegant, and rhythmical melodies."15 These lessons are an expansion of the thirty

vocal exercises. The singer must first learn and perfect the thirty exercises before

continuing to the fifty lessons.

Upon learning and studying these exercises by Concone, the singer advances both

technically and stylistically. These exercises strengthen and develop the musicality of a

young singer, but it is very important that a voice teacher with knowledge of the bel canto

15 Concone. Fifty Lessons, 2.

12
style be present when studying the exercises so the student can get the best practice and

learning. Concone is only one of the great teachers of bel canto who provided

pedagogical exercises for the singer. There are other great teachers whose practice

techniques can also assist the student in learning this style of singing that can be

researched so that each individual may gain the best information to learn bel canto

singing technique.

13
 CHAPTER 4

BELLINI AND DONIZETTI ART SONGS AND ARIAS

The great lack of good voices now generally complained of, is no doubt
principally due to the feverish hurry and impatience of modern life
which makes pupils and teachers alike more anxious for immediate
success, however ephemeral.
- Francesco Lamperti16

This chapter focuses on the use of Concone's thirty daily vocal exercises as a

bridge to develop the style of bel canto to conquer the technical issues found in selected

songs arias of Bellini and Donizetti. The suggestions in this chapter pertain mostly to

tenors, although some may be useful for other voice types. The Bellini songs considered

here are "Ma rendi pur contento," and "Malinconia, Ninfa gentile," and the aria is "E

serbata a questo acciaro" from I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Those of Donizetti under

consideration are "Amore e morte" and "II Barcaiolo," and the aria is "Una furtiva

lagrima," from L 'elisir d'amore.

Bellini's "Ma rendi pur contento"

The main challenge of "Ma rendi pur contento" is acquiring a smooth legato

through the leaps and passaggio between the pitches D-flat and G-flat. Some leaps

present a particular challenge for pitch accuracy (mm. 9-10, 17-18, 24). For these

challenges, exercise 5, starting on G ascending and descending, provides a sense of how

the voice should transition. The same exercise in the chromatic version allows the singer

16Francesco Lamperti, cited in Brent Jeffrey Monahan, The Art of Singing: A

Compendium of Thoughts on Singing Published between 1777 and 1927 (Metuchen, N.J.:
Scarecrow Press, 1978), 22.

14
to sing over, under, and through the entire phrase, thus fixing any pitch inaccuracy. After

the singer is able to sing this scale with ease, exercise 7, starting on E-flat helps to

develop the singing of leaps. Figures 1 and 2 demonstrate Exercises 5 and 7.17

FIGURE 1. Concone, Exercise 5 starting on G.

FIGURE 2. Concone, Exercise 7 starting on E-flat.

Both exercise 5 and 7 should be sung first with the most comfortable vowel for the singer

and moving on to the next comfortable vowel to allow the voice to recognize the space

and modification needed for each. Also Figure 3 is an extract from the song which can

be used as an ear training exercise for pitch accuracy and legato through leaps.
17 Concone, Thirty Daily Exercises, 7.

15
 g£y r - J, p 11 - "i - 7 *PP p I
E ti pcrdo.no^ajno _ re, So lieto il

FIGURE 3. Bellini, "Ma rendi pur contento," mm. 9-10.18

It is up to the student to repeat these exercises before continuing to the song, hoping to

achieve a confidence in legato, pitch accuracy, and singing of leaps within the work.

This song is beneficial for tenors because it lies within a comfortable range, with

the exception of the challenges mentioned. This piece also allows the development of

vocal onsets in a comfortable area of the voice and the ear in descending short, chromatic

spurs. The song is short but full and rich in bel canto style. If musical and technical

challenges are not met, even this simple song cannot be performed to a high standard.

Bellini's "Malinconia. Ninfa gentile"

The main challenges of "Malinconia, Ninfa gentile" are intonation and legato

singing. One of the markings in this piece is sempre legato. For the development of

smooth legato singing and intonation within the range of the song, exercise 5, which

starts on F below middle C, should be practiced with all vowels. Once the singer is

18 .
Vincenzo Bellini, 15 Composizioni da camera: per canto e pianoforte (Milan:
Ricordi, 2004), 68.

16
comfortable with these exercises, the chromatic version starting on the same pitch should

be practiced. Figure 4 demonstrates this exercise.19

FIGURE 4. Concone, Exercise 5 starting on F.

The singer should also do this exercise a whole-step above and below the beginning pitch

of F so that the voice feels secure singing below and above the required tessitura. The

leaps in various places of the song can cause muscular tension, which inhibits legato

singing (mm. 13-14, 17-18, 21-22, 30-31, 45, 53, 55). The muscular tension and

breaking of legato is due to rests between the leaps that break up the natural legato line

and the breath control before singing in the passaggio; therefore it is advised to sing
90
through the rests. Figure 5 shows this passage.

19 Concone, Thirty Daily Exercises, 7.

20 Bellini, 52.

17
 CANTO le^afo

Ma-Ik.co - ni Niii-fa grera . ti

leg^er-o & JPJP

FIGURE 5. Bellini, "Malinconia, Ninfa gentile," mm. 12-15.

Another factor is the quick tempo of the piece, which does not allow sufficient

time for the voice to rest. At this tempo, tension can develop from constant singing of the

repeated pitches F and G without proper coordination, (mm. 14,18, 22, 25). Another

exercise that can assist with the development of the leaps and legato singing is exercise 8,
91
shown in figure 6. This exercise consists of singing arpeggios and leaps that correspond

to the tessitura of the piece from pitches C-A, allowing the singer to get acquainted with

the demands of the piece.

FIGURE 6. Concone, Exercise 8.

71
Concone, Thirty Daily Exercises, 10.

18
 This song is short but full of opportunities for technical growth. One important

detail that Bellini accomplishes is having the natural stress of the word on every

downbeat. This gives a singer the chance to sing legato without having to know where

the natural stress of each phrase is. Although the tempo of the piece is quick and presents

a challenge of tension in the voice, the singer has a chance to sing under pressure in the

passaggio; the singer's challenge in this quick tempo is to lighten the top of the voice.

The singer must remember to use more breath support to prevent pressure from the neck

muscles and let the core body do the work to avoid injury.

Bellini's "E serbata a questo acciaro"

This aria was specifically chosen to compliment the previous songs because it

contains similar challenges but expands on the bel canto style. The challenges here are

singing legato through the same tessitura, leaps, pitch accuracy, as well as continuous

passaggio singing, which can exhaust the voice rapidly. The tempos of the previous

songs are combined in this aria, which moves from slow to fast. The added challenges in

this aria include long phrases and passaggi. This means that the singer must set a

comfortable pace and use breath efficiently to sing long, beautiful phrases. The only

exception to the tessitura is presented when the singer must sing a high B above middle C

to sing the first climax of the piece (m. 18). The second climax is at the end of the piece,

at which point the singer has the choice to sing a high C (m. 96).

The bel canto style was expanded by the cavatina and cabaletta, which are

standard forms of an aria of this period. A cavatina, "signifies a short aria without da

19
capo; it may occur as an independent piece or as an interpolation in a recitative."22 A

cabaletta, "denotes the second, usually fast movement of a double aria in an Italian opera,

consisting of a melodic period of two stanzas which is repeated with decorations added

by the singer after an orchestral ritornello, often accompanied by a choir and followed by

a matching coda designed to stimulate applause." This is a great aria for an

introduction to this form because the cavatina in this piece does not require multiple

decorations and the cabaletta is short and is accompanied by a chorus, thus giving the

singer plenty of rest before the last high note. Nonetheless in studying this aria one can

acquire the technical and stylistic prerequisites to mastering bel canto.

Donizetti's "Amore e morte"

For "Amore e morte," the main challenge is singing legato through semi-long

phrases in a slow tempo but in comfortable range for the tenor voice. This means the

singer does not have to worry about singing those phrases in a higher part of the voice

where tension may occur. The study that can assist with this challenge is exercise 10,

which is illustrated in figure 7.

22 Colin Timms, "Cavatina," in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and

Musicians, 2nd ed. (London: Macmillan, 2001) v: 316.
23 JulianBudden, "Cabaletta," in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians, 2nd ed. (London: Macmillan, 2001) iv: 759.

20
FIGURE 7. Concone, Exercise 10 24

It should be sung with all vowels in a slow tempo, starting first with diatonic, then

advancing to the chromatic version of exercise 10. This exercise consists of a scale of an

octave and a forth starting on C below middle C to G above middle C, covering the range

of the piece.

This piece is a great example of bel canto because it helps build the middle part of

the voice and has standard legato phrasing in a comfortable range. The tenor can sing

beautifully and with full voice without worrying about a high tessitura and can

concentrate on breath efficiency in long phrases. This is a song that all teachers should

include in the repertoire of their tenors.

Donizetti's "II barcaiolo"

"II barcaiolo" is probably the most difficult song discussed in this paper. The

main challenge lies in the high range, which will definitely bring tension to the voice if

good technique is yet not well developed. Speed and accuracy on pitch is the challenge

24 Concone, Thirty Daily Exercises, 12.

21
of the coloratura passage sung twice (mm. 17-18, 51-52), and the cadenza (mm. 23-25).

Figures 8 and 9 show these challenging passages.25

jm-

te ne - ro mo - men

FIGURE 8. Donizetti "II barcaiolo," mm. 17-18.

vo _ g*a^o ma - ri _ nar,

4^- ~zr*±r-±e-

FIGURE 9. Donizetti "II barcaiolo," mm. 23-25.

The flow of this piece is similar to the others, therefore it is advised that the same

exercises mentioned for the previous songs be utilized. For this song the coloratura

25 Gaetano Donizetti, Composizioni da camera: per canto e pianoforte. (Milan:

Ricordi, 1984), 32.

22
passages and the cadenza can be extracted as exercises first, and then added back with the

surrounding phrases. These sections should be practiced with all vowels until the singer

has all correct pitches because intonation is a key factor in developing exemplary bel

canto coloratura and cadenzas. Some new stylistic elements added by this song are the

use of the grupetti (mm. 12, 67), and the previously mentioned cadenza and coloratura.

Unlike the previous songs, "II barcaiolo" contains the expressive challenges of an

aria. It presents dramatic moments (mm. 35-48) but then resumes the original melody

and flow. The cadenza is used to give the singer a chance to show off his vocal skills, a

trait that all great bel canto singers have develop through many years of study. The only

form of bel canto missing to complete this piece is the cavatina and cabaletta.

Nonetheless this is a show piece that allows the singer to challenge the voice and develop

it further in the style.

Donizetti's "Una fiirtiva lagrima"

"Una furtiva lagrima," from L 'elisir d amore, was chosen to expand upon the

challenges that the previous two Donizetti songs present. The similar challenges are

legato singing, a high tessitura that can develop tension in the voice if not sung with

proper technique and breath support, the cadenza, short stylistic grupetti (mm. 12, 17,
9 f\
28), and constant passaggio onsets. Figure 10 demonstrates the cadenza.

26
Robert Larsen. Opera Anthology: Arias for Tenor (New York: G. Schirmer,
1991), 81.
 di piii mm ehit* * n<m r.hi<*
fund I will div glad-Jy *\w gUd

FIGURE 10. Donizetti, "Una furtiva lagrima," mm. 44-45.

The tempo, just like the "Amore e morte," is slow, which can present a challenge in

stamina because of the length of the aria. At the beginning of the aria, the tenor must

produce a perfect vocal onset on an F above middle C, which is difficult because of the

passaggio. In the following phrase, there is another onset on a G-flat, which is the note

where most tenors have difficulty mixing between chest and head voice.

One additional challenge in this aria starts in the transition to a key change with a

difficult passage for the tenor voice; an F is held for one full measure before pouring out

emotion through the voice to the G-natural. This is a particularly hard passage because it

comes towards the end of the aria and both notes must be approached with the same

vowel space so that the voice does not spread, but rather allows for a smooth transition.
97
Figure 11 demonstrates this difficult passage. After this transition the tenor stays in this

tessitura for the remainder of the aria. The tenor must continue singing beautifully and

show strong stamina because, just when the piece is about to end, there is an optional

cadenza, that is considered standard today. Therefore the singer must continue to display

beautiful and difficult coloratura (m. 45).

27 Ibid., 81.

24
 spir.. . mo - rir, di piu non
heart! Af - ter that mo ment fond I will die

FIGURE 11. Donizetti, "Una furtiva lagrima," mm. 38-39.

Due to the various challenges in this aria, every tenor who studies this piece should

initially solve any technical issues that may cause damage to the voice. Nonetheless, this

aria can fortify a tenor's technique and bel canto style if approached with intelligence and

guidance from a vocal teacher and coach.

The suggestions in this chapter by no means solve every bel canto stylistic and

technical issue for every singer; most suggestions come from personal experience and

through study of the Concone exercises. One reminder is that all thirty exercises must be

rehearsed until the singer does not have to think about technique. These are the pieces

that have helped me learn and understand the bel canto style and technique. I hope that

more students can learn how to take one step at a time to master their repertoire.

25
 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

The art of bel canto had been considered outdated with the onset of the verismo

movement in the late nineteenth century. Singers of the verismo style changed the

production of healthy singing because of the emotional demands the music and text

required. Maria Callas revived bel canto through her memorable interpretation of Italian

opera as well as verismo opera. Callas possessed a bel canto technique that placed her

among the greatest performers in the world. Today the most renowned tenor who

continues this superb bel canto technique is Juan Diego Florez, who has performed

operas like Rossini's Donna del lago, Zelmira, Semiramide ,and Donizetti's Elisabetta,

works that have not been heard in many years.

It seems that the opera world has once again stopped producing singers who

possess such a technique and interpretation of style. It is therefore important that young

singers study the teachings and history of bel canto to obtain a technique that can launch

a great and long career. This was the object of the teachings and writing of teachers

Francesco Lamperti (father), Giovanni Battista Lamperti (son), Giuseppe Concone,

Manuel Garcia I (father), and Manuel Garcia II (son). Today many students and teachers

forego deliberate study of bel canto technique and tend to focus on its interpretation.

However interpreting bel canto without having the technique can damage the voice. The

obvious question is; if the teachings of bel canto helped to produce many great singers in

26
the past, why are there so few today who seek this type of technique? There are many

arguments that can be disputed in regard to vocal training but if a singer wants to become

a great performer, there are more opportunities today because the advance of technology

provides all the tools to access information on bel canto.

This project does not have all the answers on how to build a technique nor how to

interpret but it offers a beginning to the exploration of bel canto. I have studied bel canto

for almost eight years now, and the results, on a personal level, are gratifying. This

project summarizes the kind of work that was encountered in my studies and some

challenges that I, as a student, had to address myself. I hope that with this project more

students will analyze their method of learning and approach the study of bel canto.

27
 APPENDIX

RECITAL PROGRAM

28
 THE BOB COLE CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC AT

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVRSITY, LONG BEACH

AND THE COLLEGE OF THE ARTS

PROUDLY PRESENTS

FLORENTINO ZARATE RAMIREZ, tenor

Assisted by Lukas Swidzinski

In a Graduate Recital

May 14, 2011

6pm

Grace First Presbyterian Church-Long Beach

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Masters of
Music Degree with an option in performance and a concentration in Opera.

Florentino Zarate Ramirez is a student of Dr. Katharin Rundus.

29
 PROGRAM
Empio perfarti guerra George Frideric Handel
fromTamerlano (1685-1759)
****

Ma rendi pur contento Vincenzo Bellini

(1801-1835)
Malinconia, Ninfa gentile

E serbata a questo acciaro

from I Capuleti e Montechi
****

Nacht und Traume Franz Schubert

(1797-1828)
Der Neugierige

Schone wiege Robert Schumann

(1810-1856)
****

La donna e mobile Giuseppe Verdi

from Rigoletto (1813-1901)
INTERMISSION

II barcaiolo Gaetano Donizetti

(1797-1848)
Amore e morte

Una furtiva lagrima

from L'elisir d'amore
****

Benalites Francis Poulenc

II. Hotel (1899-1963)
IV. Voyage a Paris
V. Sanglots
****

Pourquoi me reveiller Joules Massenet

from Werther (1842-1912)
****

Amor vida de mi vida Federico Moreno Torroba

from La Maravilla (1891-1982)

30
BIBLIOGRAPHY

31
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bellini, Vincenzo. 15 Composizioni da camera: per canto e pianoforte. Milan: Ricordi,

2004.

Budden, Julian. "Cabaletta." In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd
ed. Vol. 4. London: Macmillan, 2001.

Celletti, Rodolfo. History of Bel Canto. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991.

Concone, Giussepe. Thirty Daily Exercises for High Voice. New York: G. Schirmer,
1898.

. Fifty Lessons for High Voice. New York: G. Schirmer, 1898.

Donizetti, Gaetano. Composizioni da camera: per canto epianoforte. Milano: Ricordi,

1984.

Forbes, Elizabeth. "Concone Giuseppe." In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and
Musicians, 2nd ed. Vol. 6. London: Macmillan, 2001.

Harper, Portia Vanessa. "Comparative Study of the Bel Canto Teaching Styles and Their
Effects on Vocal Agility." Master's thesis, University of North Texas, 1996.

Jander, Owen. "Bel Canto" In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd
ed. Vol. 3. London: Macmillan, 2001.

Larsen, Robert. Opera Anthology: Arias for Tenor. New York: G. Schirmer, 1991.

Monahan, Brent Jeffrey. The Art of Singing: A Compendium of Thoughts on Singing

Published between 1777 and 1927. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1978.

Muriel F. Michel. Review of Bel Canto, Principles and Practices by Cornelius L. Reid.
Notes, 2nd Ser., Vol. 8, No. 2 (March 1951): 335-36.

Scott, Michael. The Record of Singing. London: Duckworth, 1977.

Timms, Colin. "Cavatina." In The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd ed.
Vol. 5. London: Macmillan, 2001.

32