In this well documented and highly readable book, James Stark provides a history of vocal pedagogy from the beginning of the bel canto tradition of solo singing in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries to the present. Using a nineteenth-century treatise by Manuel Garcia as his point of reference, Stark analyses the many sources that discuss singing techniques and selects a number of primary vocal 'problems' for detailed investigation. He also presents data from a series of laboratory experiments carried out to demonstrate the techniques of bel canto. The discussion deals extensively with such topics as the emergence of virtuoso singing, the castrato phenomenon, national differences in singing styles, controversies regarding the perennial decline in the art of singing, and the so-called secrets of bel canto. Stark offers a new definition of bel canto which reconciles historical and scientific descriptions of good singing. His is a refreshing and profound discussion of issues important to all singers and voice teachers.

This paperbound reprint of a 1989 work for teachers of singing, performing singers, and vocal pedagogy students presents the insights of great teachers from the past--insights that have been lost or diluted over the years and which the author believes to be important to the art of teaching. In 18 chapters, Berton (emeritus, music, Colorado College) discusses the writings of Tosi, Garcia, Stockhausen, Sedie, Seiler, Lamperti, Shakespeare, Witherspoon, Lilli Lehmann, Byers, and Johnstone-Douglas. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

This ambitious publication draws from the knowledge and expertise of leading international figures in voice training in order to examine the history of the voice from an interdisciplinary perspective. The book explores the historical arc of various voice training disciplines and highlights significant people and events within the field. It is written by voice specialists from a variety of backgrounds, including singing, actor training, public speaking, and voice science. These contributors explore how voice pedagogy came to be, how it has organized itself as a profession, how it has dealt with challenges, and how it can develop still. Covering a variety of voice training disciplines, this book will be of interest to those studying voice and speech, as well as researchers from the fields of rhetoric, music and performance. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Voice and Speech Review journal.

Vocal Technique is a practical, easy-to-read guide to better singing. This new edition offers a stylistically flexible approach that allows soloists and choral singers to vary the elements of technique to sing virtually any style—classical through contemporary (musical theatre, pop/rock, jazz, and more). It is a comprehensive yet concise book covering all aspects of technique, including body alignment, breath control, initiation of sound, vocal fold closure, resonance, register use, vowels, pitch control, articulation, and vibrato. It also features expanded treatment of vocal health and development. Conductors and teachers will appreciate the numerous practical exercises. Grounded in the latest pedagogical and scientific research, Vocal Technique, Second Edition will expand the horizons of both amateur and professional singers.

Since the publication of the first edition of A Spectrum of Voices there have been significant advances in voice studies. Prominent members of the new generation of voice teachers join their voices with now-canonized teachings. Asking questions about technology, pedagogy, and stylistic changes within the field, Elizabeth L. Blades brings the wisdom from the past and present to voice students at all levels. A Spectrum of Voices draws from the brilliance and combined experience of an elite group of exemplary voice teachers, presenting interviews from more than twenty-five notable teachers, six of them new to this second edition. Voice teachers offer valuable insight into their teaching philosophies, the types of auxiliary training they recommend to their students, and how they structure their lessons. This second edition also addresses significant technological advances of the past twenty years, especially the impact on vocal performance and pedagogy. A quick-and-handy reference for the studio teacher, this book also serves as a text for vocal pedagogy courses and as an essential supplement for physiology and vocal mechanics, teachers and students of singing, music educators, and musical theater performers.