Travel back 250 years in time, and find yourself in a Viennese salon scene from the late 18th century.

Using novel practice-led interpretations, this cleverly curated listening experience will guide you through and demonstrate how ongoing music research is 'rediscovering' bel canto.

Join us to witness forgotten expressive vocal techniques in play, or to sink into your seat and be swept away by this historically 'beautiful singing'.

Location: the Music Cafe at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Registration: required, but free and open to everyone! Please feel welcome to bring along your friends, family and peers.

About the performers
Anna Fraser (pictured) is the exhibitor behind Influencers of Vienna and a Soprano, Doctor of Musical Arts candidate and research assistant. She is part of the ARC Discovery Project 'The Shock of the Old: Rediscovering the Sounds of Bel Canto 1700-1900', a major research project at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and the focus of Anna's exhibition.

Neal Peres Da Costa is a world-renowned performing scholar, researcher and educator. He is Professor of Historical Performance at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where he founded the Historical Performance division in 2007, and is the current Associate Dean (Research).
 

About the exhibition
This event is linked to an exhibition of the same name on display at the Conservatorium Library until late May.

Immerse yourself in bel canto era Vienna as you explore its central influencers, and how their centuries old creative practices have been brought to life by new research.
Currently, classical singing does not use the range of creative expressive effects that existed during the continuum of practice in the bel canto era (1700-1900). In response to this and inspired by evidence such as early sound recordings and historical annotated scores, researchers have employed practice-led methods of recording emulation (imitation), embodiment and extrapolation to ‘re-discover’ and perform this ‘beautiful singing’ for today’s audiences.
Explore objects associated with this research, including a phonograph, scores and images, as well as linked videos and recordings that guide you through the exhibit and bring bel canto to life.
 

This event is brought to you by the University of Sydney Library in collaboration with the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Please note that this event will be filmed and photographed. If you have any concerns, please speak with staff at the event.
There are lifts and ramps to the Music cafe and exhibition space.