bel canto
noun
bel can·to
bel-ˈkän-(ˌ)tō 
-ˈkan-
-ˈkan-
: operatic singing originating in 17th century and 18th century Italy and stressing ease, purity, and evenness of tone production and an agile and precise vocal technique
Examples of bel canto in a Sentence
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Blackburn delivered a frothy Valse by the French composer Benjamin Godard, its waltz gussied up in runs and curlicues worthy of a bel canto opera.
—
Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 17 July 2023
The buoyant conducting of Enrique Mazzola, the company’s music director, demonstrated his profound understanding of the opera’s bel canto roots, and Louisa Muller, the director, embraced the absurdities of the plot and managed to make its conflicting debts of honor plausible.
—Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
Abigail Rethwisch is alternately authoritative and ethereal as the Controller, her gorgeous soprano dispatching bel canto flourishes and soaring into vocal stratospheres.
—Dallas News, 5 Mar. 2022
Galás’ meticulously disciplined singing draws from jazz, blues, country, gospel hymns, German cabaret, traditional Greek music, operatic bel canto singing and more.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2022
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Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 17 July 2023
The buoyant conducting of Enrique Mazzola, the company’s music director, demonstrated his profound understanding of the opera’s bel canto roots, and Louisa Muller, the director, embraced the absurdities of the plot and managed to make its conflicting debts of honor plausible.
—Heidi Waleson, WSJ, 20 Sep. 2022
Abigail Rethwisch is alternately authoritative and ethereal as the Controller, her gorgeous soprano dispatching bel canto flourishes and soaring into vocal stratospheres.
—Dallas News, 5 Mar. 2022
Galás’ meticulously disciplined singing draws from jazz, blues, country, gospel hymns, German cabaret, traditional Greek music, operatic bel canto singing and more.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2022
See All Example Sentences for bel canto
Cite this Entry
“Bel canto.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bel%20canto. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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