Extrapolating Eighteenth - Century Bel Canto

García, Corri, and the Continuum of Vocal Practice

Abstract

This article outlines systematic processes we have developed and adopted to extrapolate the sounds of historical singing going back to the eighteenth century. These include: i) emulation (imitation) of expressive practices of nineteenth-century trained singers preserved on early sound recordings, to remould our aesthetics to those of the late bel canto era, and thus to mitigate against modern practices as far as possible, before ii) experimental translation of documentary evidence into sound, to reimagine earlier sonic atmospheres and styles. This has afforded us significant expansion in the palette of expression available to us, as well as the means to embody these earlier practices (musical embodiment). The article cross-references the recordings of celebrated bel canto singers with detailed performance instructions by Manuel García II (1805–1906), Domenico Corri (1746–1825), Johann Anton André (1785–1842) and Isaac Nathan (1792–1864). This process has inspired our artistic creativity and powers of actualisation in novel interpretations of music by W. A. Mozart, J. Haydn and J. A. André.

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