Bel Canto: A Performer's Guide

Robert Toft has given performers and teachers an invaluable tool for delving into performance practices of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He offers a great many direct quotations from artists and coaches from the period and includes numerous examples of analysis, often his own, to aid in understanding the foundations for this material. For all that, it is very easy reading.Much as he presents suggestions to vocalists-- bel canto is after all vocal territory-- his material is equally valuable to instrumentalists. Throughout the centuries advice to instrumentalists has been to imitate singers. Start imitating THESE vocal practices, and your musical world will be dramatically turned on end.If this is your first venture into historical performance practices you may be extremely surprised at what you find here. Give the material time to soak in; very soon you find yourself and your music set you onto a new and extremely exciting path of discovery.

I bought it for my Doctoral thesis, and it does give some insights and since I haven't read all the chapters yet, so I think I can only be able to give it 4 stars at the moment.