Opiniões de cantores antigos & modernos, ou seja, observações sobre o canto florido

Abstract

Here we have the first translation into Portuguese of "Opinione de’ cantori antichi e moderni, o sieno osservazione sopra il canto figurato", the first Italian treatise on singing known to exist. Written by the castrato Pier Francesco Tosi (1654-1732), the text was originally published in Bologna, Italy, in 1723. In it, the author presents a series of aesthetic, technical and didactic reflections on the art of singing, with the aim of instructing young singers. Currently, the treatise maintains its interest, as it presents itself as a valuable source of information about the interpretive practice of the contemporary repertoire of Tosi.