Welcome to "cantando sanos" which means "healthy singing" in Spanish. The human voice is capable of many tasks and requires good habits to keep it in pristine condition. Solo and Ensemble (Music Education Competition) is approaching and this is a crash course in two of the pieces from the repertoire list. Be sure to study the history of each composer and history of the work. Write the direct English translation below each Italian word and IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) above each word.
Cecilia Bartoli's Amarilli, Mia Bella
Keep in mind: Bartoli is a professional with some serious lung capacity. Younger singers: sing this a little faster -- not molto lento. Pay attention to Bartoli's phrasing and choices of ornaments. Listen to other versions and create your own style appropriate to the time period.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky's Amarilli, Mia Bella
Pictures of this power house singer show it takes some air to perform it at this tempo. Hvorostovsky's approach is his own and it is within the time period.
More advanced singers: [Amarilli, Mia Bella] is good for warm ups. It sits right in the middle of the vocal range and alerts parts of the body to start working.
Tu Lo Sai, soprano
Tu Lo Sai, bass
There are many recordings of Tu Lo Sai. The performers singing in the examples above stayed within the pronunciation and rhythm of the Baroque period. The tessitura, or (texture) comfort of range is a little higher in the voice and requires much "legato" practice to ensure a uniform tone in all registers.
Amarilli, mia bella is my favorite way to warm up. I usually sing it just on vowels, then slowly in the original key, then a step higher, then with an interpolated high G on the last Amarilli to wake up that pesky upper register. Don't forget the ever popular "Il Mio Bel Foco," which is also great for warming up the passagio.
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