How to sing Bel Canto I

SueAnnNivens asked:


This is just a small introduction to bel canto music, with the most important singers at that time:
Joan Sutherland
Marilyn Horne
Luciano Pavarotti
Richard Bonynge

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25 Comments

  1. vocalpianist says:

    so true =/ I’m not out in the world of opera yet, still a student trying to get into the best school I can, but it seems as though the art is hitting a tiny decline in some areas…

  2. jalex11 says:

    this might seem weird but I really like Luciano’s SPEAKING voice.

  3. cjondoran says:

    learning is not the problem. hard to find anyone who can teach it. who the hell can. look at this singers of today. few like these three out there.

  4. phantom4087 says:

    There are very few singers capable of learning a true Bel Canto technique.

  5. Webarton says:

    “dangerous weight of the chest”—> the throat! cause chest voice is throat voice! thats what ive been saying, and ill say it again!

  6. ShawDAMAN says:

    Wonderful video.

  7. amballa says:

    the comment was made about the castrati, not tenors ;)

  8. RareMusicVideos says:

    a “purists” view of male tenors. “Purists” didn’t like hearing male tenors going into the soprano and mezzo soprano range. It was considered against the grain of set ranges for Opera singers.

  9. osiarap says:

    ow, c’mon. That was beer. That’s why they’re talking Beer Canto. ;-)

  10. Willzito says:

    I think what i meant(about OOO or OuOuOuOuOu) is on 3:48!!

  11. Willzito says:

    I have some more questions hehehe..
    First I’m not a singer(i wish i were), thats why my doubt r kind dumb.. Sorry.
    1-Legatto and passagio!! Could u explain it better?? =(
    2-Pavarotti is the only one when singing does the sound OuOuOuOuOu, others do like OOOOOO. i don’t think i’ve made myself clear. Sorry hehehe =D

  12. amballa says:

    hahaha, artificial male singers! haha

  13. herenyuan01 says:

    It’s impossible nowadays to find three such brilliant musicians together agian

  14. agnellodei says:

    Ok you just showed you don’t know shit. The role of Rossini’s Otelli lays in spinto tenor range and has quite a bunch of low A’s and doesn’t have notes written above high C, in fact, most peak at Bb. I got the score if you actually wanna take a look at it. The role that is for a light tenor is Iago, not Otello…that’s why when Guiditta Pasta and Malibran sang it as contraltos they simply sang it an octave down because it was already low for a tenor!

  15. willthrillws says:

    You mean Verdi’s Otello. Rossini’s Otello is for a light tenor.
    And Verdi’s Otello is not an example of bel canto.

  16. tklogan11809 says:

    HAPPY 82nd BIRTHDAY!!
    HAIL TO LA STUPENDA!

  17. LordMoe9 says:

    but Pavarotti’s voice was much more stable than Carreras’s

  18. agnellodei says:

    1> – Yes, I am living proof of that.
    2> He wasn’t pure bel canto, he was more of a modern tenor technique, his bel canto aspects were related to legatto and passagio transition.
    3> Modern tenors do not use bel canto method, but Domingo certainly did in his early years, he was able to sing coloratura quite well.

  19. agnellodei says:

    Well, certain bel canto tenor roles are baritonal such as Rossini’s Otello.

  20. vickersman says:

    Perfectly fair and intelligent question.The story line carried by the tenor usually involves a love battle for the soprano.While baritones certainly have the capacity to sing beautifully, the real love duets involve the tenor and soprano-just the way it is I guess…there are exceptions of course.hope this helps

  21. taternut says:

    This is just a question from an aspiring singer…(don’t yell at me please…(How come when people thing of bel canto they never thing of any baritones. do baritones not have something that high voices have)

  22. ilbacioditosca says:

    Question 1 and 2 are a logical excercise, the 3 is ironic, because Carreras Legato was and is better than Pavarotti, and Domingo voice had and has a palette of colours that Pavarotti never had, of course Pavarotti technical security and focus as a tenor is better than Domingo but the singer has some musical challenges where Domingo is much better than Pavarotti.

  23. jenni4claire says:

    Perhaps I am mistaken in my impression of him.I was first struck by it watching the tributes paid to Pavarotti after his death, and he seemed so begrudging in his praise, in the context. I know RB was always said to be a Svengali without which we would not have Joan Sutherland as we know her. Obviously he is a talented man at what he does. Perhaps I am projecting: who would NOT want to sing like these performers?

  24. k0229071 says:

    What video series did these come from. I want to purchase them myself. Please advise.

  25. chameens says:

    What sets theses singers apart, apart from intelligence and fine musicianship, is the fact that they having extraordinary natural high placement of the tone which, most likely, leads to their amazing breath. Each of them speaks “high” in placement which was probably natural for them.

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