My Favorite Book
I can’t find my favorite book! I’ve been so busy reorganizing and sorting and tossing and donating that I seem to have mislaid it. I could not POSSIBLY have thrown it out. Fortunately it is online. Link below.
Observations on the Florid Song by Pier Francisco Tosi. A retired castrato turned voice teacher. Translated into hilariously quaint English, as if Jane Austen had written a pedagogical treatise.
My favorite line: I can truly say, that I have never in my Life heard a Singer own the Truth, and say, I'm very well to-day
Everything he covers is still valid. And I know all about modern scientific voice teaching. Singing is what it always has been and the book lays it all out.
Here are some basics:
The singer must have musical knowledge, a voice, and skill at “variation.”
The singer must learn solfeggio.
Learn to distinguish between half steps: D flat is not C sharp. There are 9 commas in a whole step. [note: we learn to sing with pianos, where all the half steps are equal. Expressive singing includes knowing how to tune to the orchestra and thus how to distinguish between half steps! Terrific example—Tosca, Act 1. Scarpia in the Te Deum has a wicked and oh so devious cadence from C sharp to D flat. Slurred. Enharmonically the same note, but not. Same vowel, but maybe slightly more open as he moves up that one comma to the D flat. Gobbi gets it!]
Be sure of double constants and pure vowels.
Keep strict time and master the art of rubato, which must both give and take.
Intonation!
No grimaces!
Master the appogiatura: half or while step? Above or below? Never on an unaccented syllable.
Master the shake (trill): major and minor, with proper preparation and release.
Divisions, meaning runs, roulades, or coloratura passages, can be marked or gliding but not aspirated. Even in divisions make sure words are clearly enunciated.
The three styles: dal teatro; da camera; da chiesa [this merits a separate essay and I use it all the time as I coach how to perform songs]
Tosi sums up the duty of the voice teacher: teach amateurs and charge what the market will bear; teach the deserving poor for free (but if one makes a fortune that should be shared). My takeaway from that is to carry a few people for greatly reduced or no fee, to the extent that I have time. It puts good karma into my life and out into the world.
This book! And here is the link: