
Heart to Heart
Expressive Singing in England 1780-1830
Robert Toft(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published on 11. May 2000
Book
Hardback
216 pages
978-0-19-816662-7 (ISBN)
Description
This book establishes the principles of interpretation that singers active in England (both foreign and English) applied to recitatives, arias, and songs, by composers such as Handel, Mozart, and Rossini. Expression lay at the heart of persuasive singing during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and Robert Toft here ably places the concept and its practices in a broad cultural perspective. Singing was related closely to speaking in this period: when the techniques of delivery that were common to both arts (emphasis, accent, tone of voice, pauses, breathing, and gesture) are combined with resources peculiar to singing (portamento, messa di voce, tempo, rubato, vibrato, and ornamentation), the style which emerges differs markedly from that of the late twentieth century.
Most singers today perform the repertoire of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, but until now no book has addressed the principles which governed song performance in this period or shown how historical understandings may be used to move and delight modern audiences.
Most singers today perform the repertoire of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, but until now no book has addressed the principles which governed song performance in this period or shown how historical understandings may be used to move and delight modern audiences.
Reviews / Votes
"[an] informative and fascinating look at vocal practice... [which makes] a valuable contribution to the field of performance practice... All should read this book to dispel modern myths about bel canto." * Deborah Kauffman, Notes, the Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association, 58, no. 1 (Sept 2001): 114-16 *More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
6 line illustrations, numerous music examples
Dimensions
Height: 242 mm
Width: 162 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
535 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-816662-7 (9780198166627)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Robert Toft is Professor and Chair in the Department of Music History at The University of Western Ontario
Author
Professor and Chair, Department of Music HistoryProfessor and Chair, Department of Music History, The University of Western Ontario
Content
Introduction ; 1. Styles of Singing ; 2. Discovering the Proper Manner of Delivery ; 3. The Power of Sound ; 4. Phrasing ; 5. Loud and Soft Singing ; 6. Tempo and its Breaches ; 7. Execution ; 8. An Expressive Countenance: The Actor of the Passions ; 9. Heart to Heart: The Dramatic Display of Passion ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index