In bel canto, disciplined technique allows the voice to unite melodic beauty with dramatic expression. The Term at a Glance Bel canto “Beautiful singing” Term Bel canto Language / Origin Italian Literal meaning “Beautiful singing” / “beautiful song” Field Vocal art – Opera Historical roots Italian vocal tradition of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries Operatic zenith First decades of the nineteenth century Principal composers Gioachino Rossini, Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti Core characteristics Legato, vocal evenness, breath control, flexibility, coloratura, dynamic control, and expressive phrasing What does bel canto really mean? The Italian phrase bel canto literally means “beautiful singing.” That deceptively simple definition opens onto a much larger history. Bel canto is not merely a pleasant or attractive voice, nor can...