The word "cantilena" has different meanings. What does this word mean in music? What are the origins of the Russian cantilena and how did it influence the style of Russian singers? How to achieve cantilena in singing?
Meaning of the word “cantilena”
First of all, cantilena is a tuneful melody that can be either instrumental or vocal. Secondly, it is melodiousness, smoothness, fluidity of the music itself and its performance. Thirdly, these are the possibilities of the vocal apparatus for the chanted performance of the written melody. It can also be sections of the Gregorian choral, mainly melodic. In the 9-10th centuries, these were liturgical chants, presented in the form of an organum. In Western Europe (13-15th century) so-called small vocal compositions of a secular nature. They were one-voiced: epic, lyrical, humorous; polyphonic: love-lyrical; dance songs, instrumental forms. In the 16-17th centuries, cantilena is already any vocal polyphonic work. From the end of the 17th century - a song or composition with a melodic melody of a calm nature.
Cantilena in music
This is a wide, free, melodious, pouring and coherent performance of a melodic line. The equipment used for this type of sound production is legato. With the correct technique of voice formation and sound production, a cantilevered performance is obtained. In this case, the nature of vibrato is not disturbed. All this is achieved by good diction and aligned vowels. With polyphony, cantilena is much more difficult to achieve. The choir should be well prepared. Singers need to follow articulation and diction.
Russian cantilena
The cantilated compositions of composers from different countries and eras carry certain intonations and some elements of national specificity. The Russian cantilena traces its origins to broad and chanted folk songs. Subsequently, in the works of Russian classical composers, a deep psychological expressiveness was achieved. Under the influence of cantilena, the vocal style of Russian singers was formed. Thanks to her, the mastery of voice possession and its expressive capabilities are revealed.
How to get cantilena in singing
Sometimes when singing there is no integrity, the words are pronounced as if by syllables. This is due not only to breathing, but also to improper singing of vowels. But to achieve the desired result, some exercises will help. In singing, cantilena is a smooth transition from one vowel to another. To achieve the desired result, you should not force and stop undue pressure on the ligaments. You need to sing calmly. Then you can select various works (not higher than the notes of the Fa of the first octave). And singing words with melodic, semantic and dynamic lines. Sing phrases in various sound extracts: lowing, open mouth, nasal sonant A or mumble with open mouth. You can also sing individual phrases, while helping yourself with your hand. But this method should not be abused. Another exercise in order to make cantilena well later is to present the melody in the form of three notes. The first is a movement from the beginning to the middle of the phrase. The second is the center. The third is the conclusion. For training, you can take Zeydler's first vocalization or some kind of romance for an average voice. Sing them with a pectoral but soft “hu”, then on “N” and on “mooing”. The most important thing is to try to catch the right tension in the process of singing. Get rid of throat tension and forced sound.
Thus, the word "cantilena" has several meanings. They all have one thing in common - melodiousness. Not all singers manage to achieve a cantilevered sound. To achieve the desired result, you need to follow the diction and articulation, sing calmly and freely, work on different exercises.