VOICE AND ORCHESTRA: THE EVOLUTION OF OPERATIC PERFORMANCE ON THE PATH TO VERISMO
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/art/2026.1.16Keywords:
Verismo, Bel canto, orchestral texture, vocal anthropology, syllabic style, suono coperto, dramatic expression, psychological realismAbstract
The article is devoted to an art historical study of the radical transformation of operatic performance that occurred in the last third of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. The author focuses on the transition from the established canons of the bel canto era to the naturalistic concept of Italian verismo. The study analyzes the logically determined (causal) relationship between the rapid transformation of late-Romantic orchestral thinking and the fundamental restructuring of vocal anthropology. It is revealed that the unprecedented growth of the orchestral sound palette in the operas of R. Wagner and late G. Verdi, as well as the expansion of the scale of opera houses, became the primary acoustic challenges that forced the human voice to adapt to new conditions of vocal performance. Attention is paid to the shift in the vector of vocal melody: the transition from melismatic flexibility to a syllabic style, where the word acquires a distinct declarative weight. The study examines the physiological aspects of this transformation, specifically the implementation of the covered sound technique (suono coperto) and the transition to deep diaphragmatic-costal breathing (appoggio), which allowed singers to develop new vocal techniques capable of penetrating dense instrumental textures. The author substantiates the emergence of a new type of performer – a singer whose vocal apparatus has transformed into an instrument of extreme emotional tension. It is proved that the aesthetics of verismo became the logical conclusion of this process, justifying the rejection of idealized vocal beauty in favor of ruthless psychological realism, where manifestations of extreme emotional strain became legitimate means of artistic expression. The article traces how the transformation of the opera singer into a tragic actor allowed opera to maintain its relevance during times of great social upheaval and the emergence of cinema. The materials of the study demonstrate that the legacy of this evolution fundamentally changed the timbral characteristics of modern operatic art, shifting priorities from virtuosic ornamentation to profound sincerity and the dramatic truth of the image. The research is based on the analysis of vocal methods by F. Lamperti and L. Lehmann, which allows for an objective assessment of the importance of this transformation for the further formation of the modern world opera school
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