Bel Canto or literally beautiful singing is a term that came to be widely used in the 19th century, but as a tradition has its origins as far back as the 16th century. Prominent vocal pedagogues from the Bel Canto era include: Manuel García I & II, Mathilde Marchesi & Julius Stockhausen (both students of Garcia II ), Francesco Lamperti, and his son Giovanni Battista Lamperti.
Musicologists occasionally apply the label bel canto technique to the arsenal of virtuosic vocal accomplishments and concepts imparted by singing teachers to their students during the late 18th century and the early 19th century.
The grand vocal tradition that has been transmitted into the twenty-first century originates with one of the greatest singing teachers in history, Nicola Porpora. It is said that Ansani studied with Porpora in Naple Italy. The father and singing teacher of the great teacher Garcia, was Manuel Garica sr., who studied singing with Ansani. Mathilde Marchesi studied with Garcia jr. and was the teacher of Frances Alda, who was one of the teachers of Rose Bampton.
G.B. Lamperti said that his technique came from the castrato Bernacchi, and that tradition was passed to his son Francesco. Marcella was a great soprano and the student of both Lamperti, and she herself was the teacher of Queena Mario and Eufemia Giannini Gregory. Rose Bampton studied with Queena Maria at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Georgyn Geetlein studied with Ms. Bampton, but both Ms. Geetlein and Susan Leider-Munzer studied with Mme Gregory at the Curtis Institute.
