| |
| Id |
25577 |
| Category |
antiquarian book |
| Author / Composer |
TOSI, Pier Francesco (1654-1732) |
| Title |
Observations on the Florid Song; or, Sentiments on the Ancient and Modern Singers. Written in Italian By Pier. Francesco Tosi, Of the Phil-Harmonic Academy at Bologna. Translated into English by Mr. Galliard. Useful for all Performers, Instrumental as well as Vocal. To which are added, Explanatory Annotations, and Examples in Musick. The Second Edition. |
| Place |
London |
| Publisher |
Printed for J. Wilcox |
| Publication Date |
1743 |
| ISBN / Plate No. |
|
| Series |
|
| Size |
12mo. xviii, [ii], 184pp. + 6 folding plates of music examples. |
| Description |
Modern half hide with marbled boards, raised bands, leather label. From the collection of Christopher Hogwood (1941-2014). English translation of the castrato Tosi's only work first published in Bologna in 1723 as Opinioni de' cantori antichi e moderni. "Though Tosi claimed some originality, his treatise codified past teaching and was itself drawn upon by later writers. Opera for him was only one of three types of singing (along with church and chamber) for students to master. They were to practise (untempered) scales, unite chest and head registers, and seek all-round attainment in music, acting and civility. With this went a polemic in favour of expressive pathos and against new-fangled display, but Tosi avoided identifying any eminent singers with either the ‘old’ or the ‘new’; he shared in a ‘general compromise by which singers and composers presided over the development of musical trends and tastes which were rejected in theory as much as they were pursued in practice’ (Durante). His book in fact has much to say about ornamentation, which he said should be worked out by the singer rather than written down; it is still informative about Baroque performing practice" (NG2). |
| Reference |
RISM B/VI/2 p.839. Gregory p.272. |
| Price |
£550.00 |
|
