LES QUERELLES DE LA VOIX : FRENCH AND ITALIAN STYLISTIC RIVALRY IN 18TH CENTURY VOCAL PRACTISES, AS REFLECTED IN WRITINGS AND TREATISES

Abstract

The current paper continues the investigation begun in the previous study, which focused on vocal technique and style in 17^th century treatises. The final decades of the 17^th century witnessed the emergence of an aesthetic and stylistic dispute between the French and Italian traditions of music composition and singing. This rivalry extended into the 18^th  century, alongside the broader stylistic transformations of the period: the transition from the late Baroque style to the Classical aesthetic, passing through the elegance of the Galant style, and ultimately culminating in the pre-Romantic sensibilities of the late 18^th century. This study examines the stylistic rivalry between the French and Italian traditions from the perspective of the period’s vocal practices. While the Italian singing school continued to be regarded as exemplary and worthy of imitation, 18^th century debates also centered on linguistic questions: which language, Italian or French, is better suited to singing? The divergence was further intensified by the controversies surrounding opera buffa, particularly Les Querelles des Bouffons, as well as the rivalry between proponents of Gluck’s reform operas and those aligned with Piccini’s operatic approach. The Italian perspective on vocal practices is primarily reflected in the writings of Tosi and Mancini, whereas other sources — such as Quantz or Burney — offer insights from non-French and non-Italian viewpoints. As in the previous study, the authors emphasize that the historical sources cited represent only a portion of the available material, the selection having been guided by the relevance of each source to questions of vocal production.