Bel Canto Singing Style In17and18Century Research

The earliest use of the term "Bel-canto" occurred in late17th-century Italy. It means beautiful singing in Italian. The term "Bel canto" refers to the Italian-originated vocal style.In the17th and18th centuries Europe, Bel-canto gained the most reputation because of the prosperity of castratos. Wolfgang Amade Mozart, who is an Austrian composer, was considered to be one of the best representatives of Bel-canto works in terms of both techniques and theories. The classic works he composed are still being performed in theaters and concert halls both domestic and abroad. Among his many musical pieces, the work K165is performed more often than his other works. And the aria Hallelujah has become the indispensable part of sopranos’ performance. K165was composed by young Mozart in1773. It’s a customized work for a castrato named Venanzio Rauzzini. It’s considered to be the representative of the Bel-canto in the17th and18th centuries.The thesis consists of four parts. It’s based on the background of Mozart’s work K165and analyses the work to introduce Bel-canto way of singing. It reveals the techniques and rules when performing Bel-canto works in the17th and18th centuries. Hopefully, this thesis will provide some help for new learners of Bel-canto.