Singing Early Music A Lecture Demonstration presented to the SOU Vocal Majors and Teachers 2013
Lecture Demo for Vocal Students SOU Music Department, Ashland Oregon
What is an “Early Music Singer’…. ?
……IS there even such a thing, and how can one phrase referring to 900 years of music have any meaning ?
Pat O’ BRIEF BIO then……
The answer is rather a simple one: all ages define themselves by what came BEFORE. Our modern styles are all informed by whatever came immediately, or not-so-immediately before us.
This is the place where the early musician dwells…in a place of imagining : “What came before ?“
Being an “Early Music Singer’ means:
1. Focusing on styles & periods long past,
2. Recreating them now by looking even further back to see what came before, and before that !
It’s good at this point to lose a sense of ‘progress’ in musical history. There are ups and downs, and exquisite moments and less successful moments all along the continuum of history.
It's the progress within each era to create the most beautiful music possible using the tools, styles, methods and current practices available.
Keep an open mind!
What we mean when we say; “Beautiful singing” now may not be the same as what someone meant in the 14th Century.
What we mean by “in tune’ will not be the same at all.
What we mean when we say ‘alto’ may not be what a renaissance person meant when then used the term: ‘ALTUS’
So what do you need in order to begin as an Early Music singer ? (Much of this pertains to instrumentalists and multi-instrumentalists)
STARTING WITH THE BASICS
SOLID OVERVIEW from BINGEN to BACH.
SET THE TELESCOPE on a specific period, style, composer or genre, and dive in.
Choose your genre, song , composer or whatever. This is where you get very specific.
If you are overwhelmed by the range of possibilities, or just need some guidance in getting started, I recommend the following:
CHOOSE TEN GENRES YOU FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT;
It is important here to do this in the style of a brainstorming session. Just let it all pour out without reference to what may or may not work for you as a singer. List the music that moves you the most fully.
ASSESS YOUR OWN SKILLS IN AS DETACHED A WAY AS POSSIBLE:
So where to begin? I would suggest beginning with an:
Assessment of your range, possible timbres, vocal colors, sound and type of emotional range. How are you at languages? All of these skills can be improved on, or made the most of, or magnified.
NOW LOOK AT EACH STYLE YOU LISTED AS A PASSION AS DEFINE WHAT SORT OF A VOCALIST THEY REQUIRE
You will need to do some ‘listening’ at this point. I suggest YouTube as a starting place for live performances by great groups, and professional recordings of the genres and styles you are considering. What sorts of voices are being used, what do you like best, what works best for the music? Do a brief analysis of each.
THEN SEE WHERE THESE REQUIREMENTS MATCH UP WITH YOUR COOL SELF ASSESSMENT.
These are the styles most suitable for your voice, and will be a good place to start.
You can start to take a look at this repertoire with some simple guidelines on vocal ranges, and what might suit your voice:
For example:
If you are a soprano, you may wish to explore the works of Hildegard von Bingen, as her chants tend to be set quite high.
If you are a mezzo or a counter tenor “the world is your oyster”, and MUCH medieval and renaissance music has been written with your voice as the solo or prominent line. Many motets, chansons, canciones, part songs and romances have been written with you in mind!
If you are a tenor, think about the works of Giullaume de Machaut, or later songs by John Dowland.
If you are a bass or baritone, the mid to late 16th C. renaissance Spanish composers such as Tomas Luis de Victoria, and romances by Milan, Mudarra and others are a good starting place. Or look to the works of the late renaissance German composers, Schein, Schutz etc
Of course there are many, many other examples !
BEGIN WITH THREE GENRES FROM YOUR OVERLAP PILE AND GIVE YOURSELF A YEAR TO RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENT BEFORE SCHEDULING ANY CONCERTS OR PERFORMANCES
What are these tools you will need to have as an early music singer?
The following qualities would be helpful:
First and foremost you must love above all other things to sing!
Second, you must love, passionately love Early Music.
Singing it, listening to it, talking about it, breathing it, dreaming about it…..
You must be passionate and tenacious, because this is a small and somewhat obscure field, and your dedication and energies will be taxed to the fullest in pursuing its heights.
There are many skills, or TOOLS which are helpful to the early music singer to possess. I have broken them down into four categories:
The 4 categories:
1. RESEARCH
2. STUDY
3. PRODUCTION
4. PERFORMANCE
RESEARCH:
· You must love history, for your skills will be built by searching through tomes.
· You must be a detective, because you will be searching history’s darkest corners for answers to questions on performance practice.
· You must love languages, because you will need them on any number of levels and in numerous ways:
· You will need German to read critical sources, musicological books, and books on music history.
· You will need at least a passing knowledge of Latin, because Latin is so important in many early forms, especially in medieval music.
· You will need a passing knowledge in several other languages relating to regional styles you will be exploring.
· You must be open to learning new things, such as earlier versions of modern languages you may already know. Even renaissance English was spoken differently than we speak today.
· You must LOVE the sensuality of language, and enjoy exploring it to the fullest. You must be thrilled by the difference between singing medieval Spanish and renaissance French. The changes to languages over time range from subtle to sweeping. You must have a driving interest in discovering what it feels like to have all these different timbres and vowels colors in your mouth.
· You will need to be familiar with the structure of the Catholic Mass, for many early works are based upon it.
· You must read manuscripts about historic vocal performance practice, about instrumental performance practice, about cultural and political events of the period(s) in question
· You must have a working knowledge of the rules of ‘Musica Ficta’
· You must have a knowledge of the system of Church Modes.
· You must be able to read , at least in an academic sense if not in rehearsal, early notation, such as Gregorian Chant notation, or other Medieval notational systems.
· You must understand the renaissance System of hexachords.
· You must know something about period embellishment.
· Rather than list them all here, I have created a select bibliography of items relating to vocal practice, as well as other treatises and sources relating to issues of general performance practice. The first list is manuscripts appearing in alphabetical order of the composer or author’s last name, and the second list is essays, excerpts and shorter works. These are listed in chronological order. I hope you will use this bibliography to put into effect some of the ideas I am imparting to you today. I have highlighted in RED (they turned out light gray—sorry!) those works which you will want to be familiar with, even though they don't appear to deal directly with the voice.
· You must go to a lot of live performances of great groups and performers, and obtain recordings of the best groups around today. This will help to get some of the ideas you encounter through more intellectual means into your brain and body in a more organic way.
· You must have access or create access to music libraries containing the items you are specifically seeking. You can use the Intra Library Loan system as a student, or even at the Public Library.
· You must purchase parts and scores, or borrow them to Xerox as long as you aren’t using them for profit. If you Xerox scores and want to generate parts, there is now an Online application that will take your scanned score and turn out parts: ‘Parsify’, look it up.
· You may wish to contact other musicians who have performed programs such as the one you are contemplating, and ask them about their effort.
STUDY:
· For continued study in the area of performance practice by means of an advanced degree, attending programs and schools such as the the Schola Cantorum in Basel Switzerland are at the top of the list.
· The program at Indiana University is highly regarded, and founded by original director Thomas Binkly. For those of you not familiar with his name, his single handedly brought extant regional traditions into the performance of medieval music using middle eastern oud and percussion players to create a sound that had thus far never been heard. It was ground breaking. This was ‘Studio der Fruehe Musik’, a German ensemble which began recording in the 1970’s. They were WAY ahead of their time, and the Early Music field has still yet to catch up with this man’s vision. The vision is one that I share: using the sound of current traditional (not folk) music to feed our ears with the sounds of the ‘ancients’. His premise was that traditional music is conservative, and very slow to change, unlike classical and more popular styles. For a taste of ‘Old’ sounds, listen to a traditional regional European folk ensemble of some kind. I highly recommend this for those particularly interested in Medieval music.
· There are many other Colleges an Universities now with excellent teachers in various disciplines. U of O is attracting a higher and higher level of students and teachers in the field of Early Music Performance Practice.
· There is a great program and or teacher out there for you!
· Find a vocal teacher who is willing to work with you on techniques pertaining to early music performance such as controlled vibrato, vibrato as ornament, singing divisions, improvising a line, singing in other temperaments, singing in all of the modes, singing in early languages, etc etc, and who is flexible in the incorporation of early styles and techniques of performance practice in their teaching.
· To obtain some of these skills, you will need to pursue your own path of research, going back to the books again. For learning divisions, or how to embellish a melody, you will want to read works by Sylvestro Ganassi, Diego Ortiz, Thomas Morely, Van Eyck, Christopher Simpson and others.
PERFORMANCE:
· You must be willing to work hard on techniques which include singing without a heavy-deep vibrato, but a natural resonance which allows the voice to retain its lightness, and suits music which will primarily be contrapuntal, or be required to execute virtuosic passages.
· You must be open to experimenting with placement, because every language you sing in will have a different set of vowel sounds, which will be your ‘bow passing over the strings’
· Choosing repertoire: There is a wide world of repertoire out there, and you can develop different parts of your range to allow yourself more of a range of styles. For example, use a light medium-high head register to sing songs by John Dowland, a full chest range to sing the romances of Luis Milan, use a floaty and ethereal high range to sing the chants of Hildegard von Bingen, and a warm mid range to sing French chanson. You can develop significantly different sounds and approaches, and enjoy a fuller range of possibilities! I will delve briefly later into looking at repertoire from a ‘range’ perspective.
· Look to finding repertoire that will suit your voice in several different ‘ranges’, both in terms of affect and in terms of actual tessitura.
· Choose from your overlap list of List the styles, periods, composers you feel moved by and passionate about., and skills that you currently have, or are willing to work on.
· Take a cool and detached look at this, measuring your ‘likes’ against your own voice and its idiosyncrasies, and see where your passions and your talents are in sinc. Now choose some music that will really suit your voice !
· I wish to say a word about monody, because if you like solo singing, or even small ensemble singing, and are interested in medieval music, or renaissance secular music, monody is an amazing vehicle in many ways. It will allow you a great deal of freedom in realizing your very own sound. But I’ll get to that in a minute. This leads to PRODUCTION and PRE-PRODUCTION issues.
PRODUCTION & PRE-PRODUCTION WORK
Many may think they will be waiting around for the phone to ring, of people needing a singer, to bringing them into their projects. This will eventually happen, but first you have to prove yourself by just doing it.
· You will often be programming, hiring, directing and arranging music and doing promotion for your own programs !
· You will be master of your own destiny. Usually you will doing the research, bringing musicians into your project, covering promotion, and other production aspects while you are making yourself known as a singer.
· You will also be recording and producing your own recordings. Be conversant with the acoustical qualities of the performance venues in your town. Know how much they for, for purposes of recording and performing. You will be looking for live acoustics to suit the size of your ensemble for both performances and recordings.
· Form a bond with a good sound engineer who is able to do remote recordings in whatever space you deem appropriate.
· Find a graphic artist who can help you with designs for programs, cds covers, fliers etc etc
PROGRAMMING:
We have discussed the perimeters of the genres and styles you will be
setting in your concerts/recitals.
You will be creating programs and recordings around specific and interesting ideas, with cohesive themes to tie it all together. The general approach is to sent the telescope on something very specific, and present an in-depth program on that theme.
It is nice to create a balance by having both vocal and instrumental pieces, so if you are doing the songs of John Dowland and are using a lutenist, make sure they play some of Dowland’s solo lute repertoire as part of the program. Balance slow windy forms like fantasias with dance forms such as the pavane and galliard on the instrumental portions.
Choose unique subject matter, genres that are little known, and come up with catchy Titles and subtitles for your concerts.
You can organize concerts around a composer, and type of work, a period or a regional style. Skillful programming can make and break a concer
HIRING:
· You will be bringing musicians in to work with you. At first this will often be your friends and you may not need to pay them. Deals can be struck and TRADES are common such as hour-for-hour exchanges where you agree to be in someone’s else’s performance in trade for their appearance in your program. Or you may trade performance time for studio work, and make yourself available for someone’s else’s recording, or visa-versa.
· You will need to be conversant with the idea of hiring paid folk as ‘independent contractors’, and making sure they know they are responsible for their own taxes.
· You may need to bring in people from out-of-town, so you may need to find home stay for them, or a reasonable room. There may be seasonal issues with the tourist trade in Ashland.
ARRANGING:
· There may be copyright issues if you are doing performances for money. Especially if you are using xeroxes !
· You can create your own trademark arrangements. This specifically refers to medieval music and other early monophonic forms.
· You can create monody by extracting melody lines, and doing your own arrangements (as I did in Renaissance en Provence)
· You can manipulate the rhythms and stretch and slow down the meter for maximum effect.
· You can take portions rubato, or let a song spin itself out and seem to ‘invent itself’ from a slow introduction.
· You can take a short song and create a five-seven minute arrangement.
· Keep in mind that another of the many benefits of choosing monophonic forms is that you can (depending upon your instrumentation) place things into whatever keys and ranges you desire to suit your voice perfectly. This expands the repertoire of what you can sing considerably.
DIRECTING:
· If you have a particular instrument or instruments you are contemplating including in your ‘dream ensemble’, then do some research into this instrument. You will be the director of your own tiny ensembles, and it’s good to know something about the instrument of the people you play with, so you can be conversant in its idiosyncracies , possibilities and impossibilities. Make sure you have clear and legible copies for people to read from.
· Know what keys the instrument likes to play in.
· Whether the instrumentalist feels comfortable transposing.
· Whether they are conversant with the style, or will need extra coaching and/or reading & listening materials prior to your first rehearsal.
· Whether they are conversant with the rules of Musica Ficta, or whether you will need to fill in their part accordingly, or make sure you have a dependable edition.
· In contemplating what this means, look for editions published after 1990, and by reputable publishing houses, especially those attached to such Academic institutions as Indiana University Press, Oxford university Press etc etc. Or look up the editor, and see for yourself what their background is.
· Much of this music is only available in SCORE form, so there will be issues of legibility and page turns that will need to be addressed.
· Articulate your vision for the concert/project clearly. As Artists we work best with clear perimeters within which to make our creative choices. Let them know what you are envisioning, and what they will be filling in themselves. They will excited to be a part of the process!
· Remember that most Early Music was created in a non-composer-centric context. The composer usually didn’t even indicate what instruments or exact voice parts were to be used. Be careful in terms of things like analyzing ranges of pieces for singers. The terminology can be confusing, and words like soprano, tenor and bass may be relative to the terminology being used to break down the individual lines rather than as descriptions of actual vocal ranges. Words such as descant, altus, contratenor, tenor and bassus may be referring to the relative placement on the staff in a polyphonic piece. Have this in mind when analyzing the scores.
The ultimate goal is to create a flexible instrument capable of using its various registers in such a way that several different sounds and timbres can be created, and applied to appropriate styles, giving you a wide breadth of repertoire.
There is another paradigm, which is to specialize in one style, and become virtuoso, surpassing all others in your field. Difficult, but not impossible. More possible in the realm of Early Opera and Baroque forms.
Many who perform medieval music, also perform renaissance and baroque music professionally. This has been my path, which is also the path of the multi-instrumentalist. If you can accompany yourself, or play an instrument at a professional level, this can further enhance your ‘hire-ability’ in the field, and also expand the horizons of your ensemble.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Historic Performance Practice Technique for Singers
Manuscripts and Treatises in Alphabetical Order
Advice to the Composers and Performers of Vocal Music, Translated from the Italian. London: 1727
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Agricola, Martin Musica Choralis Deaudsch. Wittenberg: Georgen Rhaw, 1533
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Andrea di Modena (Guicciardi?) Canto Harmonico ... Modena Eredi Cassiani Stampatori Episcopali, 1690
Aprile, Guiseppe. The Modern Italian Method of Singing... London: Rt. Birchall, (1795?) (1st pub. London: Broderip, 1791)
(ed.) Preface to Giovanni Gabrieli’s Opera Omnia, Vol. I, Motetta Concerti (1587), Sacrae Symphonae (1597). Rome: American Institute of Musicology.
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Articles, Essays, Excerpts from Primary Sources in chronological order
Anonymous XIII Treatise on Discant (13th- 14th Century ?) Histor of contrapunctus supra librum or déchant sur le livre: Improvising a descant over a tenor or bass. Source: Charles Edmond Henri de Coussemaker, Scriptoresde musica medii aevi nova series, Written in Old French.
Conrad Von Zabern from De modo bene cantandi: Mainz, 1474 by Peter Schöffer . Second ed. 1509. Critique of late-15th C. singing.
Giovanni Boccaccio from The Decameron , the First Day, Novella X, The Seventh Day, Novella X (1348-53) Music in daily life.
Vincenzo Giustiani from Discorso sopra la musica, Library of the Archivo di Stato in Lucca. Written and compiled in 1628 by V. G. , it covers period of 1570-1628.
Adrian Petit Coclico from Compendium musices 1552 Concerning Refinement and Ornamentation, or Pronunciation in Singing. Compendium musices descriptum ab Adrian Petit Coclico discipulo Josquini de Pres, 1552, facs. Ed., ed. M. Bukofzer (Kassel: Bärenreiter [Documenta musicological], 1954), unpaged.
Giovanni Camillo Maffei, Letter on Singing: Delle lettere del Sor Gio. Camillo Maffei da Solofra, Libri Due...Napoli, 1562, Letter I ,as printed in N. Bridgeman, “Giovanni Camillo Maffei et sa letter sur le chant,” Revue de Musicologie, July 1956:10-34
Hermann Finck. Practica Musica Hermanni Finckii, exempla variorum signorum, proportionum et canonum, judicium de tonis, ac quaedam de arte suaviter et artificiosa continens (Wittenberg, 1556), Book V.
Ludovico Zacconi from Prattica di musica : The Manner to be Observed in Making Diminutions and the Use of Modern Passages. Prattica di musica utile et necessaria si al compositore...si anco al cantore (Venice, 1596), Book I, Ch. 66, “ Che stile si tenghi nel far di gorgia...,” pp. 58-61
Nicola Vincentino from L’Antica musica Rules for Singing in Concert Any Kind of Composition: L’antica musica ridotta alla moderna prattica (Rome, 1555), Book IV, Ch. 42
Henry Peacham from The Compleat Gentleman: (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906; reprint of the 1634 edition), Ch. XI
Roger North from Memoirs of Music (late 17th C.) British Museum, Add. MS 32, pp. 69 et passim.
Thomas Croyat from Coryat’s Crudities: The Music of St. Roch’s Feast (London: W.S. [Stansby], 1611) pp. 349ff.
André Maugars. Response to an Inquisitive Person on the Italian Feeling about Music, Response faite à un curieux sur le Sentiment de la Musique d’Italie, Ecrite à Rome le premier Octobre 1639, ed. Ernest Thoinan (Paris, 1640)
Matthias Hoe von Hoenegg from Parasceve ad solemnitatem evangelicam: Schütz’s Program for the Centennial Celebration of the Reformation, 1617
Heinrich Schütz. From Historia der Auferstehung Jesu Christi (Dresden, 1623).
Andreas Ornithoparcus / John Dowland from Andreas Ornithoparcus His Micrologus Of the Divers Fashions of Singing, and of the Ten Precepts for Singing (London, 1609) Ch. 8,, Book 4, pp. 88-90
Michael Praetorius from Syntagma musicum Instruction for Singers: how to teach and inform tehchoir boys to sing in the new Italian style with particular pleasure and joy, III (Wolfenbüttel, 1619) Pt. III, Ch. 9.
Marin Marsenne from Harmonie universelle: How to Train Voices and Make Them Capable of Singing All Kinds of Airs and Chansons, and Particularly How to Sing Embellishments. (Paris: Cramoisy, 1636). The Sixth Book on the Art of Singing Well, Proposition VI, vol II, pp. 354-56
Claudio Monteverdi: Four Letters, G.P. Malpiero, Claudio Menteverdi (1604) , Letters 3, 23, 22, 25.
Emilio De’ Cavalieri from Rappresentazione di Anima, et di Corpo, Nuovamente posta in Musica dal Sig. Emilio del Cavalliere per recitar cantando (Rome, 1600)
Marco da Gagliano. Preface to Dafne: La Dafne (Mantua, 1608), preface as printed in A. Solerti, L’Origine del melodrama (Turin, 1903), pp. 78-89
Thomas Campion. The Description of a Maske presented before the King’s Majesty at White Hall, on twelfth night last, in honour of the Lord Hayes, and his Bride, Daughter and Heire to the honourable Lord Dennye, their marriage having been the same day at Court solemnized...Invented and set forth by Thomas Campoin, Doctor of Phisicke, 1607.
Giovanni Battista Doni. From Trattato della musica scenica, About Assigning the Correct Voice and Tone to the Right Personage. Ch. Xxix in Lyra Barberina (Rome 1640), vol. II
Jacques Bonnet-Bourdelot from Histoire de la musique et de ses effets: Dissertaion on Good Taste in Italian and French Music, and on Operas. (Paris, 1715) Ch. XII
Charles de Saint-Évremond Letter on the Opera (Amsterdam, 1739), Vol. II, pp. 282-98
Charles Burney from A General History of Music: Handel’s Il Pastor fido, (London, 1789), pp. 682, 736-39, 745, 789, 886.
“” “” “” Farinelli
“” “” “” Cuzzoni
“” “” “” Faustina
“” “” “” Pacchierotti
Charles de Brossas from Lettres familières On Spectacles and Music. Lettres familières écrites en Italie en 1739 et 1740, ed. Roman Colomb (Paris, 1835; 4th ed., 1885), vol. II, Ch. L.
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach from Essay on the True Art of Playing the Clavier: On Recitative. (Berlin, 1753, 1762), Ch. I, pt. I, Ch. XXXVIII, Pt. II.
Johann Joachim Quantz from Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte ...On Good Execution in General. (Berlin, 1752)
Pier. Francesco Tosi from Observations on the Florid Song: Observations for a Singer, translated into English by Mr. Galliard (London, 1743)
Johann Joachim Quantz from Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte : Requirements of a Good Singer. (Berlin, 1752) , Ch. XVIII, secs. 11,12.
Charles Avison from An Essay on Musical Expression , 2nd ed. (London, 1753), pp. 81,88, 92, 121, 128, 131, 132.
William Jackson from Observations on the Present State of Music, in London (London, 1791)
Johann Friedrich Reichardt from Vertraute Briefe aus Paris, November 15, 1802. (Hamburg, 1804) Fourth Letter, pp. 94-99, 109-16
Hector Berlioz from À travers chants On the Present State of the Art of Singing in the Lyric Theatres of France and Italy and on the Causes Which Have Brought It About. “Bad Singers, Good Singers, the Public, the Claque,” in À travers chants (Paris, 1862) .
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Lecture Demo for Vocal Students SOU Music Department, Ashland Oregon
What is an “Early Music Singer’…. ?
……IS there even such a thing, and how can one phrase referring to 900 years of music have any meaning ?
Pat O’ BRIEF BIO then……
The answer is rather a simple one: all ages define themselves by what came BEFORE. Our modern styles are all informed by whatever came immediately, or not-so-immediately before us.
This is the place where the early musician dwells…in a place of imagining : “What came before ?“
Being an “Early Music Singer’ means:
1. Focusing on styles & periods long past,
2. Recreating them now by looking even further back to see what came before, and before that !
It’s good at this point to lose a sense of ‘progress’ in musical history. There are ups and downs, and exquisite moments and less successful moments all along the continuum of history.
It's the progress within each era to create the most beautiful music possible using the tools, styles, methods and current practices available.
Keep an open mind!
What we mean when we say; “Beautiful singing” now may not be the same as what someone meant in the 14th Century.
What we mean by “in tune’ will not be the same at all.
What we mean when we say ‘alto’ may not be what a renaissance person meant when then used the term: ‘ALTUS’
So what do you need in order to begin as an Early Music singer ? (Much of this pertains to instrumentalists and multi-instrumentalists)
STARTING WITH THE BASICS
SOLID OVERVIEW from BINGEN to BACH.
SET THE TELESCOPE on a specific period, style, composer or genre, and dive in.
Choose your genre, song , composer or whatever. This is where you get very specific.
If you are overwhelmed by the range of possibilities, or just need some guidance in getting started, I recommend the following:
CHOOSE TEN GENRES YOU FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT;
It is important here to do this in the style of a brainstorming session. Just let it all pour out without reference to what may or may not work for you as a singer. List the music that moves you the most fully.
ASSESS YOUR OWN SKILLS IN AS DETACHED A WAY AS POSSIBLE:
So where to begin? I would suggest beginning with an:
Assessment of your range, possible timbres, vocal colors, sound and type of emotional range. How are you at languages? All of these skills can be improved on, or made the most of, or magnified.
NOW LOOK AT EACH STYLE YOU LISTED AS A PASSION AS DEFINE WHAT SORT OF A VOCALIST THEY REQUIRE
You will need to do some ‘listening’ at this point. I suggest YouTube as a starting place for live performances by great groups, and professional recordings of the genres and styles you are considering. What sorts of voices are being used, what do you like best, what works best for the music? Do a brief analysis of each.
THEN SEE WHERE THESE REQUIREMENTS MATCH UP WITH YOUR COOL SELF ASSESSMENT.
These are the styles most suitable for your voice, and will be a good place to start.
You can start to take a look at this repertoire with some simple guidelines on vocal ranges, and what might suit your voice:
For example:
If you are a soprano, you may wish to explore the works of Hildegard von Bingen, as her chants tend to be set quite high.
If you are a mezzo or a counter tenor “the world is your oyster”, and MUCH medieval and renaissance music has been written with your voice as the solo or prominent line. Many motets, chansons, canciones, part songs and romances have been written with you in mind!
If you are a tenor, think about the works of Giullaume de Machaut, or later songs by John Dowland.
If you are a bass or baritone, the mid to late 16th C. renaissance Spanish composers such as Tomas Luis de Victoria, and romances by Milan, Mudarra and others are a good starting place. Or look to the works of the late renaissance German composers, Schein, Schutz etc
Of course there are many, many other examples !
BEGIN WITH THREE GENRES FROM YOUR OVERLAP PILE AND GIVE YOURSELF A YEAR TO RESEARCH AND EXPERIMENT BEFORE SCHEDULING ANY CONCERTS OR PERFORMANCES
What are these tools you will need to have as an early music singer?
The following qualities would be helpful:
First and foremost you must love above all other things to sing!
Second, you must love, passionately love Early Music.
Singing it, listening to it, talking about it, breathing it, dreaming about it…..
You must be passionate and tenacious, because this is a small and somewhat obscure field, and your dedication and energies will be taxed to the fullest in pursuing its heights.
There are many skills, or TOOLS which are helpful to the early music singer to possess. I have broken them down into four categories:
The 4 categories:
1. RESEARCH
2. STUDY
3. PRODUCTION
4. PERFORMANCE
RESEARCH:
· You must love history, for your skills will be built by searching through tomes.
· You must be a detective, because you will be searching history’s darkest corners for answers to questions on performance practice.
· You must love languages, because you will need them on any number of levels and in numerous ways:
· You will need German to read critical sources, musicological books, and books on music history.
· You will need at least a passing knowledge of Latin, because Latin is so important in many early forms, especially in medieval music.
· You will need a passing knowledge in several other languages relating to regional styles you will be exploring.
· You must be open to learning new things, such as earlier versions of modern languages you may already know. Even renaissance English was spoken differently than we speak today.
· You must LOVE the sensuality of language, and enjoy exploring it to the fullest. You must be thrilled by the difference between singing medieval Spanish and renaissance French. The changes to languages over time range from subtle to sweeping. You must have a driving interest in discovering what it feels like to have all these different timbres and vowels colors in your mouth.
· You will need to be familiar with the structure of the Catholic Mass, for many early works are based upon it.
· You must read manuscripts about historic vocal performance practice, about instrumental performance practice, about cultural and political events of the period(s) in question
· You must have a working knowledge of the rules of ‘Musica Ficta’
· You must have a knowledge of the system of Church Modes.
· You must be able to read , at least in an academic sense if not in rehearsal, early notation, such as Gregorian Chant notation, or other Medieval notational systems.
· You must understand the renaissance System of hexachords.
· You must know something about period embellishment.
· Rather than list them all here, I have created a select bibliography of items relating to vocal practice, as well as other treatises and sources relating to issues of general performance practice. The first list is manuscripts appearing in alphabetical order of the composer or author’s last name, and the second list is essays, excerpts and shorter works. These are listed in chronological order. I hope you will use this bibliography to put into effect some of the ideas I am imparting to you today. I have highlighted in RED (they turned out light gray—sorry!) those works which you will want to be familiar with, even though they don't appear to deal directly with the voice.
· You must go to a lot of live performances of great groups and performers, and obtain recordings of the best groups around today. This will help to get some of the ideas you encounter through more intellectual means into your brain and body in a more organic way.
· You must have access or create access to music libraries containing the items you are specifically seeking. You can use the Intra Library Loan system as a student, or even at the Public Library.
· You must purchase parts and scores, or borrow them to Xerox as long as you aren’t using them for profit. If you Xerox scores and want to generate parts, there is now an Online application that will take your scanned score and turn out parts: ‘Parsify’, look it up.
· You may wish to contact other musicians who have performed programs such as the one you are contemplating, and ask them about their effort.
STUDY:
· For continued study in the area of performance practice by means of an advanced degree, attending programs and schools such as the the Schola Cantorum in Basel Switzerland are at the top of the list.
· The program at Indiana University is highly regarded, and founded by original director Thomas Binkly. For those of you not familiar with his name, his single handedly brought extant regional traditions into the performance of medieval music using middle eastern oud and percussion players to create a sound that had thus far never been heard. It was ground breaking. This was ‘Studio der Fruehe Musik’, a German ensemble which began recording in the 1970’s. They were WAY ahead of their time, and the Early Music field has still yet to catch up with this man’s vision. The vision is one that I share: using the sound of current traditional (not folk) music to feed our ears with the sounds of the ‘ancients’. His premise was that traditional music is conservative, and very slow to change, unlike classical and more popular styles. For a taste of ‘Old’ sounds, listen to a traditional regional European folk ensemble of some kind. I highly recommend this for those particularly interested in Medieval music.
· There are many other Colleges an Universities now with excellent teachers in various disciplines. U of O is attracting a higher and higher level of students and teachers in the field of Early Music Performance Practice.
· There is a great program and or teacher out there for you!
· Find a vocal teacher who is willing to work with you on techniques pertaining to early music performance such as controlled vibrato, vibrato as ornament, singing divisions, improvising a line, singing in other temperaments, singing in all of the modes, singing in early languages, etc etc, and who is flexible in the incorporation of early styles and techniques of performance practice in their teaching.
· To obtain some of these skills, you will need to pursue your own path of research, going back to the books again. For learning divisions, or how to embellish a melody, you will want to read works by Sylvestro Ganassi, Diego Ortiz, Thomas Morely, Van Eyck, Christopher Simpson and others.
PERFORMANCE:
· You must be willing to work hard on techniques which include singing without a heavy-deep vibrato, but a natural resonance which allows the voice to retain its lightness, and suits music which will primarily be contrapuntal, or be required to execute virtuosic passages.
· You must be open to experimenting with placement, because every language you sing in will have a different set of vowel sounds, which will be your ‘bow passing over the strings’
· Choosing repertoire: There is a wide world of repertoire out there, and you can develop different parts of your range to allow yourself more of a range of styles. For example, use a light medium-high head register to sing songs by John Dowland, a full chest range to sing the romances of Luis Milan, use a floaty and ethereal high range to sing the chants of Hildegard von Bingen, and a warm mid range to sing French chanson. You can develop significantly different sounds and approaches, and enjoy a fuller range of possibilities! I will delve briefly later into looking at repertoire from a ‘range’ perspective.
· Look to finding repertoire that will suit your voice in several different ‘ranges’, both in terms of affect and in terms of actual tessitura.
· Choose from your overlap list of List the styles, periods, composers you feel moved by and passionate about., and skills that you currently have, or are willing to work on.
· Take a cool and detached look at this, measuring your ‘likes’ against your own voice and its idiosyncrasies, and see where your passions and your talents are in sinc. Now choose some music that will really suit your voice !
· I wish to say a word about monody, because if you like solo singing, or even small ensemble singing, and are interested in medieval music, or renaissance secular music, monody is an amazing vehicle in many ways. It will allow you a great deal of freedom in realizing your very own sound. But I’ll get to that in a minute. This leads to PRODUCTION and PRE-PRODUCTION issues.
PRODUCTION & PRE-PRODUCTION WORK
Many may think they will be waiting around for the phone to ring, of people needing a singer, to bringing them into their projects. This will eventually happen, but first you have to prove yourself by just doing it.
· You will often be programming, hiring, directing and arranging music and doing promotion for your own programs !
· You will be master of your own destiny. Usually you will doing the research, bringing musicians into your project, covering promotion, and other production aspects while you are making yourself known as a singer.
· You will also be recording and producing your own recordings. Be conversant with the acoustical qualities of the performance venues in your town. Know how much they for, for purposes of recording and performing. You will be looking for live acoustics to suit the size of your ensemble for both performances and recordings.
· Form a bond with a good sound engineer who is able to do remote recordings in whatever space you deem appropriate.
· Find a graphic artist who can help you with designs for programs, cds covers, fliers etc etc
PROGRAMMING:
We have discussed the perimeters of the genres and styles you will be
setting in your concerts/recitals.
You will be creating programs and recordings around specific and interesting ideas, with cohesive themes to tie it all together. The general approach is to sent the telescope on something very specific, and present an in-depth program on that theme.
It is nice to create a balance by having both vocal and instrumental pieces, so if you are doing the songs of John Dowland and are using a lutenist, make sure they play some of Dowland’s solo lute repertoire as part of the program. Balance slow windy forms like fantasias with dance forms such as the pavane and galliard on the instrumental portions.
Choose unique subject matter, genres that are little known, and come up with catchy Titles and subtitles for your concerts.
You can organize concerts around a composer, and type of work, a period or a regional style. Skillful programming can make and break a concer
HIRING:
· You will be bringing musicians in to work with you. At first this will often be your friends and you may not need to pay them. Deals can be struck and TRADES are common such as hour-for-hour exchanges where you agree to be in someone’s else’s performance in trade for their appearance in your program. Or you may trade performance time for studio work, and make yourself available for someone’s else’s recording, or visa-versa.
· You will need to be conversant with the idea of hiring paid folk as ‘independent contractors’, and making sure they know they are responsible for their own taxes.
· You may need to bring in people from out-of-town, so you may need to find home stay for them, or a reasonable room. There may be seasonal issues with the tourist trade in Ashland.
ARRANGING:
· There may be copyright issues if you are doing performances for money. Especially if you are using xeroxes !
· You can create your own trademark arrangements. This specifically refers to medieval music and other early monophonic forms.
· You can create monody by extracting melody lines, and doing your own arrangements (as I did in Renaissance en Provence)
· You can manipulate the rhythms and stretch and slow down the meter for maximum effect.
· You can take portions rubato, or let a song spin itself out and seem to ‘invent itself’ from a slow introduction.
· You can take a short song and create a five-seven minute arrangement.
· Keep in mind that another of the many benefits of choosing monophonic forms is that you can (depending upon your instrumentation) place things into whatever keys and ranges you desire to suit your voice perfectly. This expands the repertoire of what you can sing considerably.
DIRECTING:
· If you have a particular instrument or instruments you are contemplating including in your ‘dream ensemble’, then do some research into this instrument. You will be the director of your own tiny ensembles, and it’s good to know something about the instrument of the people you play with, so you can be conversant in its idiosyncracies , possibilities and impossibilities. Make sure you have clear and legible copies for people to read from.
· Know what keys the instrument likes to play in.
· Whether the instrumentalist feels comfortable transposing.
· Whether they are conversant with the style, or will need extra coaching and/or reading & listening materials prior to your first rehearsal.
· Whether they are conversant with the rules of Musica Ficta, or whether you will need to fill in their part accordingly, or make sure you have a dependable edition.
· In contemplating what this means, look for editions published after 1990, and by reputable publishing houses, especially those attached to such Academic institutions as Indiana University Press, Oxford university Press etc etc. Or look up the editor, and see for yourself what their background is.
· Much of this music is only available in SCORE form, so there will be issues of legibility and page turns that will need to be addressed.
· Articulate your vision for the concert/project clearly. As Artists we work best with clear perimeters within which to make our creative choices. Let them know what you are envisioning, and what they will be filling in themselves. They will excited to be a part of the process!
· Remember that most Early Music was created in a non-composer-centric context. The composer usually didn’t even indicate what instruments or exact voice parts were to be used. Be careful in terms of things like analyzing ranges of pieces for singers. The terminology can be confusing, and words like soprano, tenor and bass may be relative to the terminology being used to break down the individual lines rather than as descriptions of actual vocal ranges. Words such as descant, altus, contratenor, tenor and bassus may be referring to the relative placement on the staff in a polyphonic piece. Have this in mind when analyzing the scores.
The ultimate goal is to create a flexible instrument capable of using its various registers in such a way that several different sounds and timbres can be created, and applied to appropriate styles, giving you a wide breadth of repertoire.
There is another paradigm, which is to specialize in one style, and become virtuoso, surpassing all others in your field. Difficult, but not impossible. More possible in the realm of Early Opera and Baroque forms.
Many who perform medieval music, also perform renaissance and baroque music professionally. This has been my path, which is also the path of the multi-instrumentalist. If you can accompany yourself, or play an instrument at a professional level, this can further enhance your ‘hire-ability’ in the field, and also expand the horizons of your ensemble.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Historic Performance Practice Technique for Singers
Manuscripts and Treatises in Alphabetical Order
Advice to the Composers and Performers of Vocal Music, Translated from the Italian. London: 1727
Algarotti, Francesco. Saggio sopra l’opera in musica…. Livorno: M. Coltellini, 1763 (1st ed. 1755) Eng. Trans. As An Essay on the Opera, Written in Italian by Count Algaretti.
Agricola, Martin Musica Choralis Deaudsch. Wittenberg: Georgen Rhaw, 1533
-Also- Musik instrumentalis deudsch...Widdenberg: G. Rhaw, 1529 Partial fac. Of 1529 and 1545 ed. By R. Eitner. Leipzig: Breitkopf & Hartel, 1896
-And- Rudimenta musices, quibus canendi artificiva Wittenberg: George Rhaw, 1539.
Andrea di Modena (Guicciardi?) Canto Harmonico ... Modena Eredi Cassiani Stampatori Episcopali, 1690
Aprile, Guiseppe. The Modern Italian Method of Singing... London: Rt. Birchall, (1795?) (1st pub. London: Broderip, 1791)
(ed.) Preface to Giovanni Gabrieli’s Opera Omnia, Vol. I, Motetta Concerti (1587), Sacrae Symphonae (1597). Rome: American Institute of Musicology.
Banchieri, Aadriano. Cortella musicale nel canto figurato, fermo et contrapunto. Veince: Gaicomo Vincenti: Apresso Alessandro Vincenti, 1638.
Bath, William. A Brief Introduction to the Skill of Song. London (?1590)
Bayly, Anselm. A Practical Treatise on Singing and Playing... London: J. Ridley, 1771 (based on Tosi)
Berard, Jean Antoine. L’art du chant... Paris. Dessaint & Saillant, 1755
Bermudo, Juan...... Declaracion de instrumentos musicales. Osuna: Juan de Leon, 1549 and 1555
Borghese, Antoine D. R. L’art musical ramené à ses vrais principes,......Paris: Hardouin & Gattey, 1786
Butler, Charles. The Principles of Musik, in Singing and Setting. London: J. Haviland, 1636
Caccini, Guilio. Preface to l’Euridice (1600)
Carissimi, Giovanni Giacomo. Ars cantandi.. . Augsburg: J. Koppmayer, 1693. Trans. by J.R. Douglas as “The Art of Singing” From an edition of 1693 of a German translation of the original in Italian by Giovanni Giacomo Carissimi.
Chambonnieres, Jacques Champion. Preface to Pieces de clavecin, 1st Livre. Paris: chez Jollain, 1670. In Oeuvres completes de Chambonnieres, ed. By Brunold and Tessier. Paris: Editions Maurice Senart
Conforto, Giovanni Luca. Brene e facile meneira d’essercitarsi...a far passaggi. Rome: (n.p.), 1593 (?1603) Fac. And Ger. Trans., ed. by J. Wolf. Berlin: Verlag Martin Breslauer
Conforto, Giovanni. Passaggi sopra tutti li salami. Venice: Angelo Gardano fratelli, 1607.
Corfe, Joseph. A Treatise on Singing...(Salisbury: the author, ca. 1800)
Corrette, Michel. Le parfait maître a chanter...Nouv. ed. Paris: L’Auteur (1782)
Corri, Domenico. The Singer’s Preceptor...2 vol.s London: Chappell & Co. (1811) Ed. by E. Foreman in The Porpora Tradition Champaign: Pro Musica Press, 1968 (cf. Nathan, Musurgia...)
Courcy, Florence de. The Art of Singing. London: (ca. 1868)
Dalla Casa, Girolamo. Il vero modo di diminuir. 2 vol.s Venice: Aug. Gardano, 1584.
Danby, John. La Guida alla Musica Vocale...London: for the author (1787?)
Dart, Thurston “How They Sang in Jena in 1598” (1967)
David, François. Methode Nouvelle ou principes generaux pour apprendre facilment la musique, et l’art de chanter. Paris: M. La V. Boivin (etc), 1737
Denis, Jean. Traité de l’accord de l’espinette, avec la comparaison de son Clavier à la Musique vocale. Paris: Robert Ballard, 1650.
Durante, Ottavio. Arie devote le quali contengono in se la maniera de canttar con grazio l’imitazione della parole e il modo di seriver passaggi ed altri affetti. Rome: Simone Verovio, 1608.
Ebers, Karl Friedrich. Vollständige Singschule. Mainz: bei B. Schott, (17--)
Eitner, Robert. “Hermann Finck über die Kunst des Singens, 1556”
Ganassi, Silvestro. Opera Intitulata Fontegara. Veince: (n.p.), 1535
Garcia, Manuel. Traite complet de l’art du chant. Paris: 1847
Geminiani, Francesco. A Treatise of Good Taste in the Arto fo Musick. London: (n.p.) 1749
Giovanni Francesco Anerio. Teatro Armonico Spirituale di Madrigale (1619) .
Grimarest, Jean Leonar le gallois de. Traité du récitatif...Jacques le fever et pierre Ribou, 1707
Hastings, Thomas. The Musical Reader or Practical Lesons for the Voice...Utica: Williams, Williams 1817
Herbst, Johann Andreas. Musica practica sive instruction pro symphoniacis...Nuremberg: Jeremiae Dümler, 1642 2nd ed, as Musica modderna prattica, overo maniera del buon canto...Frankfurt: George Müller, 1658.
Hiller, John Adam. Anweisung zum musikalisch-zierlichen Gesange...Leipzig : Johann Friedrich Junius, 1780
Hiller, John Adam. Anweisung zum musikalsch-richtigen Gesange...Leipzig: Johann, Friedrich Junius, 1774.
Hizler, Daniel. Extract aus der Neuen Musica oder Singkunst. Nuremberg: Abraham Wagenmann, 1623.
Kapsberger, Johann Hieronymus von. Libro primo di arie passeggiate. (Rome) 1612
Kapsberger, Johann Hieronymus von. Libro primo di motetti passeggiati...Rome: Francesco de Nobili, 1612
Kitchiner, William. Observations on Vocal Music. London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co., 1821
Kurzinger, Ignatz Franz Xaver. Getreuer Unterricht zum Singen mit Manieren, und dieViolin zu Spielen...Augsburg: Johann Jacob Lotter
Lacassagne, Joseph. Traité général des eléméns du chant. Paris: L’Auteur, 1766
Langlé, Honore Francois Marie. Traité de la basse sous le chant... Paris: Naderman, (1798)
Lasser, Johann Baptist. Vollständiger Anleitung zur Singkunst, sowohl fur die Sopran, als auch für den Alt. Munich: der Verfasser, 1798.
Locke, Matthew. Melothesia: Or Certain General Rules for Playing upon a Continued-Bass. London: Printed for J. Carr, 1673
Lohnmann, Paul. “Das Legato der deutschen Sängers” , Festschrift RAABE (ca. 1800)
Lopez Remacha, Miguel. Arte de cantar, y compendio de documentos músicos respectivos al canto. Madrid: Don Benito Cano, 1799
Mace, Thomas. Musick’s Monument...London. Printed by T. Radcliffe and N. Thompson, for the author, 1676. Fac. Ed. by J. Jacquot and A. Souris.
Mancini, Giovanni Batista. Pensieri, e riflessioni pratche sopra il canto figurato. Vienna: Stamparia di Ghelen, 1774. Trans and ed. by E. Foreman as Practical Reflections on Figured Singing.
Marpurg, Friedrich Wilhelm. Anleitung zur Muzik überhaupt, und zur Singkunst besonders. Berlin: Haude & Spener.
Martinelli, Vincenzio. Lettre famigliari e crtitiche. London: G. Nourse, 1758
Martini, Jean Paul Égide. Mélopée Moderne ou l’art du chant...Paris: Cochet, Luthier et M. de Musique, (1792?)
Mazzocchi, Domenico. Preface to Madrigali a Cinque Voci (1638) VogelB I 436-37
Milan, Luis. El Maestro (Valencia, 1536)
Mizler [von Kolof], Lorenz [Christoph] Musikalischer Staarstecher...Leipzig: Auf kosten des Verfassers, [1740]
Monteverdi, Claudio. Preface to Madrigali Guerrieri et Amorosi (1638) VogelB I 511-13
Monteverdi, Guilio Cesare. Preface to Claudio Monteverdi’s Scherzi Musicali a tre Voci...1607, VogelB I 515-16
Morley, Thomas. A Plain and Easy Introduction to Practicall Musick. London: P. Short, 1597.
Muffat, George. Preface to Apparatus musico-organisticus, Liber Primus. Salzburg: Joan. Bapt. Mayr, 1690
The Muses Delight. Liverpool: John Sadler, 1754
Nares, [James]. A concise and Easy Treatise on Singing, Addressed to the Dilettanti in Music, ...London: for the Author, [178-?]
Nassarre, Pablo. Escuela musica, segun la practica moderna, 2 vol.s Saragossa: Larumbe, 1724
Nathan, Isaac. Musurgia Vocalis...2nd ed. London: Fentum, 1836
Ornithoparcus, Andreas. Musice Actiue Microlog...Leipzig: 1517. Trans. by J. Dowland as Andreas Ornithoparcus. His Micrologus of Introduction: Containing the Art of Singing...London: Thomas Adams, 1609
Ortiz, Diego. Tratado de glosas sobre clausulas y otros generos de puntos en la musica de violones. Rome: Valerio Dorico, 1553
Paumann, Conrad. Fundamentum organisandi, 1453. Fac. Ed. by Ameln. Kassel: Barenreiter, [n.d.] (fac. Ed. incl. Locheimer Liederbuch, diminution).
Penna, Lorenzo. Li Primi Albori per li Principiante della Musica figurate. Bologna: Giacomo Monti, 1672. (b.c.).
Peri, Jacopo. Preface to L’Euridice (1600) VogelB II 64-66
Playford, John. A Breefe Introduction to the Skill of Musick for Song and Violl, at least 19 and several more unnumbered eds. London: [various publishers], 1655-1730. (cf. Meyer, Ramon, “John Playford’s...”)
Praetorius, Michael. Syntagma musicum, 3 vols. Wittenberg and Wolfenbuttel: [n.p.], 1615-20.
Prelleur, Peter. An Introduction to Singing After so Easy a Method...London: D. Rutherford, [17-----] (incl. b.c.)
Raparlier. Princeps de musique, les agréments du chant, et un essai sur la pronunciation, l’articulation et la prosodie de la langue française. Lille: chez P.S. Lalau, 1772
Reese, Gustave. “The Repertoire of Book II of Ortiz’s Tratado,” The Commonwealth of Music, ed. by G. Reese and R. Brandel in Honor of Curt Sachs. New York: The Free Press, 1965 201-07
Rellstab, Johann Carl Friedrich. Versuch uber die Vereinigung der musikalischen und oratorischen Declamation. Berlin: Im Verlage der Musikhandlung und Musikdruckeren des Verfassers, [1786]
Rousseau, Jean. Methode Claire, certaine et facile, pour apprendre a chanter la musique, 4th edition. Amsterdam: Estienne Roger, [n.d.]
Schubert, Johann Freidrich. Neue Singe-Schule...Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, [1804]
Severi, Francesco. Arie da cantarsi nel Chitarrone...Rome: Paolo Masotti, 1626
Simpson, Christopher. The Division Violist: or an Introduction to the Playing upon a Ground. London: 1659 2nd ed. as Chelys, minuritionu, artificio exornata…..The Division Viol. London: W. Godbid, 1667
Simpson, Christopher. The Principles of Practical Musick. London: Printed by W. Godbid, 1667
Tartini, Guiseppe. L’Artttte dell’ arco o siano conquanta variazioni. Naples: Marescalchi, [?1750]. Incl. in J.B. Cartier’s L’art du violon. 2nd ed., Paris: Decombe, 1798
Telemann, Georg Philipp. Preface to Harmonischer Gottes-Dienst, oder geistliche Cantaten. [Hamburg: In Verlegung des Autoris, und bey demselben, auch in den Lepziger-Messen in kissnerischen Buch-Laden zu finden, 1725-26
Telemann, G. P. Singe, Spiel-und Generalbass-Übungen [ Hamburg: issued in installments, from Nov. 20th, 1733, to Jan. 17, 1735].
Tinctoris, Johannes. De Inventione et usu musicae. [Naples?: 1487?]
Tomeoni, Florido. Theorie de la musique vocale. Paris: Charles Pougens, 1799
Tosi, Francesco. Opinioni de’ cantori antlichi, e moderni...[Balogna: L. dalla Volpe, 1723]. Eng. Trans. by J.E. Galliard as Observations on the Florid Song...2nd ed. London: J. Wilcox, 1743.
Articles, Essays, Excerpts from Primary Sources in chronological order
Anonymous XIII Treatise on Discant (13th- 14th Century ?) Histor of contrapunctus supra librum or déchant sur le livre: Improvising a descant over a tenor or bass. Source: Charles Edmond Henri de Coussemaker, Scriptoresde musica medii aevi nova series, Written in Old French.
Conrad Von Zabern from De modo bene cantandi: Mainz, 1474 by Peter Schöffer . Second ed. 1509. Critique of late-15th C. singing.
Giovanni Boccaccio from The Decameron , the First Day, Novella X, The Seventh Day, Novella X (1348-53) Music in daily life.
Vincenzo Giustiani from Discorso sopra la musica, Library of the Archivo di Stato in Lucca. Written and compiled in 1628 by V. G. , it covers period of 1570-1628.
Adrian Petit Coclico from Compendium musices 1552 Concerning Refinement and Ornamentation, or Pronunciation in Singing. Compendium musices descriptum ab Adrian Petit Coclico discipulo Josquini de Pres, 1552, facs. Ed., ed. M. Bukofzer (Kassel: Bärenreiter [Documenta musicological], 1954), unpaged.
Giovanni Camillo Maffei, Letter on Singing: Delle lettere del Sor Gio. Camillo Maffei da Solofra, Libri Due...Napoli, 1562, Letter I ,as printed in N. Bridgeman, “Giovanni Camillo Maffei et sa letter sur le chant,” Revue de Musicologie, July 1956:10-34
Hermann Finck. Practica Musica Hermanni Finckii, exempla variorum signorum, proportionum et canonum, judicium de tonis, ac quaedam de arte suaviter et artificiosa continens (Wittenberg, 1556), Book V.
Ludovico Zacconi from Prattica di musica : The Manner to be Observed in Making Diminutions and the Use of Modern Passages. Prattica di musica utile et necessaria si al compositore...si anco al cantore (Venice, 1596), Book I, Ch. 66, “ Che stile si tenghi nel far di gorgia...,” pp. 58-61
Nicola Vincentino from L’Antica musica Rules for Singing in Concert Any Kind of Composition: L’antica musica ridotta alla moderna prattica (Rome, 1555), Book IV, Ch. 42
Henry Peacham from The Compleat Gentleman: (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1906; reprint of the 1634 edition), Ch. XI
Roger North from Memoirs of Music (late 17th C.) British Museum, Add. MS 32, pp. 69 et passim.
Thomas Croyat from Coryat’s Crudities: The Music of St. Roch’s Feast (London: W.S. [Stansby], 1611) pp. 349ff.
André Maugars. Response to an Inquisitive Person on the Italian Feeling about Music, Response faite à un curieux sur le Sentiment de la Musique d’Italie, Ecrite à Rome le premier Octobre 1639, ed. Ernest Thoinan (Paris, 1640)
Matthias Hoe von Hoenegg from Parasceve ad solemnitatem evangelicam: Schütz’s Program for the Centennial Celebration of the Reformation, 1617
Heinrich Schütz. From Historia der Auferstehung Jesu Christi (Dresden, 1623).
Andreas Ornithoparcus / John Dowland from Andreas Ornithoparcus His Micrologus Of the Divers Fashions of Singing, and of the Ten Precepts for Singing (London, 1609) Ch. 8,, Book 4, pp. 88-90
Michael Praetorius from Syntagma musicum Instruction for Singers: how to teach and inform tehchoir boys to sing in the new Italian style with particular pleasure and joy, III (Wolfenbüttel, 1619) Pt. III, Ch. 9.
Marin Marsenne from Harmonie universelle: How to Train Voices and Make Them Capable of Singing All Kinds of Airs and Chansons, and Particularly How to Sing Embellishments. (Paris: Cramoisy, 1636). The Sixth Book on the Art of Singing Well, Proposition VI, vol II, pp. 354-56
Claudio Monteverdi: Four Letters, G.P. Malpiero, Claudio Menteverdi (1604) , Letters 3, 23, 22, 25.
Emilio De’ Cavalieri from Rappresentazione di Anima, et di Corpo, Nuovamente posta in Musica dal Sig. Emilio del Cavalliere per recitar cantando (Rome, 1600)
Marco da Gagliano. Preface to Dafne: La Dafne (Mantua, 1608), preface as printed in A. Solerti, L’Origine del melodrama (Turin, 1903), pp. 78-89
Thomas Campion. The Description of a Maske presented before the King’s Majesty at White Hall, on twelfth night last, in honour of the Lord Hayes, and his Bride, Daughter and Heire to the honourable Lord Dennye, their marriage having been the same day at Court solemnized...Invented and set forth by Thomas Campoin, Doctor of Phisicke, 1607.
Giovanni Battista Doni. From Trattato della musica scenica, About Assigning the Correct Voice and Tone to the Right Personage. Ch. Xxix in Lyra Barberina (Rome 1640), vol. II
Jacques Bonnet-Bourdelot from Histoire de la musique et de ses effets: Dissertaion on Good Taste in Italian and French Music, and on Operas. (Paris, 1715) Ch. XII
Charles de Saint-Évremond Letter on the Opera (Amsterdam, 1739), Vol. II, pp. 282-98
Charles Burney from A General History of Music: Handel’s Il Pastor fido, (London, 1789), pp. 682, 736-39, 745, 789, 886.
“” “” “” Farinelli
“” “” “” Cuzzoni
“” “” “” Faustina
“” “” “” Pacchierotti
Charles de Brossas from Lettres familières On Spectacles and Music. Lettres familières écrites en Italie en 1739 et 1740, ed. Roman Colomb (Paris, 1835; 4th ed., 1885), vol. II, Ch. L.
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach from Essay on the True Art of Playing the Clavier: On Recitative. (Berlin, 1753, 1762), Ch. I, pt. I, Ch. XXXVIII, Pt. II.
Johann Joachim Quantz from Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte ...On Good Execution in General. (Berlin, 1752)
Pier. Francesco Tosi from Observations on the Florid Song: Observations for a Singer, translated into English by Mr. Galliard (London, 1743)
Johann Joachim Quantz from Versuch einer Anweisung die Flöte : Requirements of a Good Singer. (Berlin, 1752) , Ch. XVIII, secs. 11,12.
Charles Avison from An Essay on Musical Expression , 2nd ed. (London, 1753), pp. 81,88, 92, 121, 128, 131, 132.
William Jackson from Observations on the Present State of Music, in London (London, 1791)
Johann Friedrich Reichardt from Vertraute Briefe aus Paris, November 15, 1802. (Hamburg, 1804) Fourth Letter, pp. 94-99, 109-16
Hector Berlioz from À travers chants On the Present State of the Art of Singing in the Lyric Theatres of France and Italy and on the Causes Which Have Brought It About. “Bad Singers, Good Singers, the Public, the Claque,” in À travers chants (Paris, 1862) .
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