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 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 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 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 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 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...
Tim BraithwaiteJohn Arnold on Collective, Florid Psalm Singing (1761)Of the Several Graces Used in Music: The first and most principle grace, necessary to be learned, is the trill or shake; that is, to move...
Tim BraithwaiteLuigi Zenobi on the Role of the Inner Voices in Polyphonic Singing (c.1600)Since we’ve already seen Zenobi’s comments on the requirements for a soprano (https://www.cacophonyhistoricalsinging.com/post/luigi-zenob...
Tim BraithwaiteJohann Quantz on ‘Allzuhäufigen Trillerns’§6 ‘Some persons believe that they will appear learned if they crowd an Adagio with many graces, and twist them around in such fashion th...
Tim BraithwaiteAdriano Banchieri on Cacophonous (!) Counterpoint‘In Rome...while singing [extempore] counterpoint, in the mind (alla mente) above the bass, nobody does that which his partner sings, but...
Tim BraithwaiteLascia Ch’io Pianga (as?) Sung by Signora Isabella in the Opera of RinaldoThe extract below from William Babbel’s ‘Suits of the most Celebrated Lessons’ (1717) shows a transcription for keyboard of the famous...
Tim BraithwaiteJohn Earle on ‘The Common Singing-Men in Cathedral Churches’ (1628)‘The common singing-men in cathedral churches are a bad society, and yet a company of good fellows, that roar deep in the quire, deeper...
Tim BraithwaiteJohann Quantz on Articulation for Singers and Exceptions to Inégalité (1752)’Also excepted is all quick passage-work which must be executed by the human voice, unless it is supposed to be slurred. Since every note...
Tim BraithwaiteJoseph de Lalande's Comparison of French and Italian Register Usage‘I have said that the tenor of the Italians was the haute-contre of the French; at least the tenors hardly differ if...
Tim BraithwaiteComparing Tosi, Galliard, and Agricola on the Articulation of PassaggiTosi describes two main types of articulation for the performance of fast notes, the ‘marked’ (‘battuto’) and ‘glided’ (‘scivolo.’)
Tim BraithwaiteCharles Burney's Comments on a 'Bellowing' 'Coutertenor' in Paris on Thursday, 14th of June (1770)‘At five o’clock I went to the Concert Spirituel, the only public amusement allowed on these great festivals. It is a grand concert...
Tim BraithwaiteJoseph de Lalande on Italian SingingThe repugnance which the Italians have for strong and loud voices, such as our own baritones [basse-tailles] and even haute-contres...
Tim BraithwaiteJohann Quantz on German Church Singing (1752)‘What the German manner of singing was like in times past may still be perceived today from the singers in choirs...
Tim BraithwaiteWolfgang Mylius on Florid Ensemble Singing (1686)'In such other florid ornaments which well-practiced singers use when singing solo, one has a lot of license and freedom, so that the org...
Tim BraithwaiteJohann Petri on High Falsetto Singing‘A certain soprano who was very skilled and excellent at singing in falsetto (but was not a castrato) once sang arias rising to an e’’’ ...