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 book and the accompanying chromatic vowel chart present many exercises that will make the voice stronger and more musical according to the precepts of Bel Canto. Vowel-pitch relationships have been notated in 117 exercises for teachers and singers, using acoustical phonetics, register, and musical notation. The exercises will develop the musical-muscular skills of both male and female singers.

Every discipline tends to develop its own particular language and ways of communicating. This is true also about the various disciplines that talk about and describe the human voice - particularly as it relates to singing. The aim of this book is to bridge any gaps in communication, foster better understanding of the singing voice and encourage collaboration between those involved in performance, teaching, therapy and medicine. Because there is increasing interest in research in all these disciplines, creating a "common ground" for communication about the singing voice is essential for mutual understanding and for effective prevention and treatment of disorders in singers. One object for the artistic and scientific professions is to understand each other better by finding a vocabulary and terminology which they can share and use effectively. Difficulty in communication often arises when a singer or teacher of singing attempts to describe something sensory in nature by use of imagery and sign-language to non-singers, including the health and medical profes sions; and, in the same way, the use of obscure and sometimes frightening terminology by those in the medical sciences when offering explanations to singers. Teaching and simple language was and is needed from both sides. A number of advances are helping to create rapid change in bridging gaps in communication and in adding new information: 1. The formation of Associations for Performing Arts Medicine on a na tional and international scale are bringing new awareness to those who work with singers and other artists.

Every discipline tends to develop its own particular language and ways of communicating. This is true also about the various disciplines that talk about and describe the human voice - particularly as it relates to singing. The aim of this book is to bridge any gaps in communication, foster better understanding of the singing voice and encourage collaboration between those involved in performance, teaching, therapy and medicine. Because there is increasing interest in research in all these disciplines, creating a "common ground" for communication about the singing voice is essential for mutual understanding and for effective prevention and treatment of disorders in singers. One object for the artistic and scientific professions is to understand each other better by finding a vocabulary and terminology which they can share and use effectively. Difficulty in communication often arises when a singer or teacher of singing attempts to describe something sensory in nature by use of imagery and sign-language to non-singers, including the health and medical profes sions; and, in the same way, the use of obscure and sometimes frightening terminology by those in the medical sciences when offering explanations to singers. Teaching and simple language was and is needed from both sides. A number of advances are helping to create rapid change in bridging gaps in communication and in adding new information: 1. The formation of Associations for Performing Arts Medicine on a na tional and international scale are bringing new awareness to those who work with singers and other artists.