Bel Canto stands for “beautiful singing” in Italian. It is a style of operatic singing originating in Italian singing of polyphonic (multipart) music and Italian courtly solo singing.
The style began in the late 16th century and was then developed in Italian opera in the 17th, 18th, and early 19th century.
To suit the bel canto style, composers began to write long and sustained vocal lines intended to show off the beauty of the voice.
Edita Gruberova is one of the most famous opera singers. Noted for her great tonal clarity, agility, and dramatic power, she can sing high notes with great power. In her late years, she enjoyed success by singing for the most important bel canto roles. In this documentary, she shows how she learned the style at the age of 62 preparing for the Lucrezia Borgia role.
