Questions about BEL CANTO ???

Question

(Okay, this may be long but for any voice teachers/music teachers/classical musicians here, PLEASE READ!!!) So, I've already asked this before here, but I only received one response and it was, um, rather disappointing (coz it's obvious the answerer didn't know what the h**l I was talking about).

Well, okay so I know what bel canto is but perhaps I may have a bit misconception about it. I do know that "bel canto" is an Italian musical term meaning "beautiful singing" and it referes to a technique of singing that focuses on evenness as well as agility and flexibility of one's voice. It emphasizes technique rather than volume. In other words, it's the opposite of belting in pop music, am I right? But I always thought that bel canto is associated with coloratura voices only. I have never thought that ALL voice types can also learn bel canto technique.

My questions are:

1. Is bel canto something that all opera singers MUST learn regardless of their voice types/weight, even for those with big dramatic voices?

2. Let's say, there are two dramatic singers who both sing a heavy dramatic piece (which has NOTHING to do with bel canto style at all), however one is bel canto-trained and the other one is not. How can you tell if one is bel canto-trained and one is not just by listening to them, when they don't sing a bel canto aria/repertoire at all?

3. Bel canto technique is the same throughout the world, right? I mean, ideally there should be no difference if you learn the bel canto technique in Europe as opposed to the US, Australia, Asia etc, right? Then howcome a friend of mine said that he could tell if someone learned bel canto in Europe as opposed to those in let's say, America or elsewhere? He couldn't specifically explain how, but he said that between the European style and elsewhere, each has its own distinctive feature and that he could just "tell" by his instinct. Can you really tell the difference between European bel canto and non-European bel canto? Now, I know that bel canto is originated from Italy (Europe). So is it safe to say that it's better to learn bel canto technique in Italy/Europe? Or can you learn it anywhere as long as the technique is correct?

4. If someone is a trained bel canto singer, does that mean he/she could no longer belt (not "belting" as in pushing your voice beyond your crudent capacity thus it can destroy your voice coz I know that all singers must NEVER do that; what I mean with "belting" here is singing with full volume at the top of your lungs whether you use chest or head voice)? Coz I know there are some musical pieces that require its performers to sing loud at the top of their lungs. But considering that bel canto puts less emphasize on volume, is it unadvisable for anyone who learn bel canto to sing loud with full volume? As I often hear.... you either sing "bel canto or "can belto"!!!

5. And one more thing, how can you tell if someone is really using a bel canto technique rather than he/she is good at singing bel canto repertoire (coz I know singing with bel canto technique is not the same as singing bel canto repertoire)? There are some people that can probably sing a bel canto aria/repertoire perfectly yet he/she never received any bel canto training at all. Can you tell the difference between them and those who are really trained?

Sorry for the long questions. And to anyone who answer, thanx in advance.

Answer 1

I think bel canto music emphasizes finesse over power indeed. And the opera from that period also have a certain 4 parts finale structure (listen to operas by Rossini, Bellini, and Donizetti and you hear the same ending structure)... They were written by composers who were in love with the voice rather than with the orchestra.

1. I don't think it is a 'must', but I know that Wagner assumed that his singers can use the bel canto technique when singing his opera... So heft is no excuse for not working to keep the voice flexible enough to cope with bel canto singing... Unless one specializes in the modern opera, I guess.

2. The difference, I think, is the one that has bel canto technique will know how to protect her voice better and you can hear more spring in that voice. The other one's voice would get heavier and heavier and probably develop that dreaded barn-wide vibrato soon enough (especially since the orchestra is so loud these days).

3. I think there are 2 main schools of teaching when it comes to bel canto singing. But singing technique is really a very individual thing. There are great bel canto singers with their own technique that works for them but perhaps not for someone else, too.

4. I'd think that a bel canto singer would be very averse to belting... After all, Rossini detested a full chest high C from his tenors. A purely hit high note surely is more effective than a sloppily hit one that is loud.

5. If you haven't got the technique, you wouldn't be able to cope with the music of bel canto opera. Really... Listen (without looking) to Anna Netrebko. She butchers just about every bel canto music she sings except for the Verdi ones (I think she's getting a bit better, though)... Then listen to someone like Edita Gruberova singing the same pieces of music. It doesn't take an expert to notice the differences.

If you listen to Gruberova sings something like... Lucia di Lammermoor's 'Spargi d'amaro pianto' and then to Netrebko singing it, you hear it readily enough. One is so technically secure she can be nuanced in her coloring and accenting without compromising the legato line while the other simply copes. Netrebko isn't terrible, but she isn't stuff for bel canto.