Tim BraithwaiteCardinal Domenico Capranica (1400-1458) on the singers of Pope Nicholas V‘In honour of immortal God, the Supreme Pontiff Nicholas V filled the most sumptuous sanctuary that he had erected among the papal courts...
Tim BraithwaiteIsaac Nathan’s Annotations on a Handel Aria and the Swelling and Dying of the Voice‘The preceding examples receive their colouring from the discrimination of the singer; but a still nicer task remains for him to execute,...
Tim BraithwaiteCharles de Bériot on ‘the Vibrating Sound’ in Singing and Violin Playing (1858)We understand by [the term] vibrating sounds a certain undulation or trembling of held notes which indicate the emotion of the spirit...
Tim BraithwaiteJean-Laurent de Béthizy on Singing with Instruments Using Artificial Tuning Systems (1764)‘Note on this occasion that temperament is not the same on all instruments, it is inevitable, when many sorts of instruments play a piece...
Tim BraithwaiteDomenico Corri (1810) on the First Lesson and how to Sing Major/Minor Semitones‘Progressive rules for daily practice proportioned to the age and ability of Pupils: The intention of this Exercise is to acquire the art...
Tim BraithwaiteMichael Praetorius on the Requirements of a Singer and Expected Vocal Ranges‘Firstly, a singer must have a voice by nature, in which three requirements and three flaws are to be noted. The requirements are these: ...
Tim BraithwaiteDomenico Corri on Registration, Expression, and Transposition (1810)‘There are four sorts of voices, Basso, Tenore, Contralto, and Soprano the extent of the Natural Voice of either denomination, is in gene...
Tim BraithwaiteA Description of ‘The Honorable Entertainement Gieuen to the Queenes Maiestie’ in 1591‘In the pinnace were three Virgins, which with their Cornets played Scottish Gigs, made three parts in one. There was also in the saide p...
Tim BraithwaiteM. Garcia on the Decline of Singing Immediately Before the Golden Age of Commercial Recording (1894)‘At the present day the acquirement of flexibility is not in great esteem, and were it not, perhaps, for the venerable Handel, declamator...
Tim BraithwaiteJohann Matthias Gesner’s Description of J.S. Bach Directing from the Keyboard (1732)‘To Marcus Pabius Quintilianus You would think but slightly, my dear Fabius, of all these [the accomplishments of the citharists], if, re...
Tim BraithwaiteGiovanni Camillo Maffei on Those who ‘Sing the Bass, the Tenor, and any Other Part with Great Ease.’‘Thus I say, that these voices are born from the matter of the tube [throat]; and by tube [throat] I mean all the parts mentioned above, w...
Tim BraithwaiteJohn Curwen Describes a Rehearsal of the Boys at St. Pauls, London in 1891‘The Cathedral bell is striking two, and in the passage boys scud to and fro shouting “Practice!" and racing to their places in the schoo...
Tim BraithwaiteLeopold von Sonnleithner Remembering in 1857 Johann Vogl’s Singing and Influence on Franz Schubert‘Without a doubt, [Johann] Michael Vogl stands foremost among those who recognised and promoted Schubert’s genius early on. As far as mus...
Tim BraithwaiteDenys van Leeuwen on Late Fifteenth-Century Liturgical Singing, Translated by Robert Redman (1533)‘Whether descant may be commendable in the divine service, and of certain things which ought to be eschewed in song. Like as it is declar...
Tim BraithwaiteSylvestro Ganassi on Imitating the ‘Galanteria’ of Singers Through a Trembling of the Fingers (1535)‘...you would be compelled to be an imitator of the proficient and expert singer, and [this] would entail an instrumental performance com...
Tim BraithwaiteHieronymus de Moravia (late 13th century) on the use of Harmonic Flowers in Chant‘The harmonic flower [flos harmonicus] is, however, an ornament of the voice or sound, and a very fast and storm-like vibration. Some flow...
Tim BraithwaiteA Letter From Saint-Évremond to a Monsieur Dery on ‘a mild operation’ to Retain his Youthful Voice‘I would say to you, in an entirely insinuated way, that you must make yourself sweetened [adoucir] by a mild [legere] operation, which w...
Tim BraithwaiteWith Chains of Gold? Thomas Morley describing the soundworld of English liturgical singing (1597)This kind [the motet] of all others which are made on a ditty [text], requireth most art, and moveth and causeth most strange effects in ...
Tim BraithwaiteMartin Agricola on ‘One of the First Things’ to Teach Choristers (1533)‘On the difference between the syllables/voices [stimmen]. From the above mentioned six syllables two are called b molles, ut and fa, bec...
Tim BraithwaiteThomas Robinson (1603) on ‘Passionate Play’‘Now you shall have a general rule to grace it, as with passionate play, and relishing it: and note that the longer the time is of a sing...