THE PEDAGOGICAL HERITAGE OF THE ITALIAN SCHOOL OF BEL CANTO: FROM THEORY TO CONTEMPORARY VOCAL PRACTICE

Abstract

The article provides a thorough analysis of the formation and development of bel canto art, a phenomenon of European vocal culture that emerged in the context of the birth of the opera genre at the end of the sixteenth century. Bel canto is seen as a multifaceted system that combines technical perfection, natural sound production, expressiveness and high artistic sensitivity. The authors focus on the historical background of the vocal technique, which reached its peak in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The basic principles of vocal technique of the leading representatives of the Italian school are examined in detail: Pietro Tosi, Giovanni Battista Mancini, the Garcia dynasty (father and son), Giovanni Battista Lamperti and Camillo Everardi. The author analyses the pedagogical heritage of each of them, including approaches to the development of breathing, register balance, articulation, diction and actor's expressiveness. It is shown how the principles of bel canto - breathing support, legato, portamento, appoggio, lotta vocale and others - have become not only the basis of the classical vocal school, but also adapted to the needs of modern vocal education in the genres of pop singing, jazz, and musical. As a result, bel canto emerges as a unique aesthetic and methodological system that integrates cultural, anatomical, physiological and psychological aspects of singing training. Its principles retain their universal value in the XXI century and contribute to the training of competitive vocalists at the international level.