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Bel canto (Bel-Canto) (Italian, "beautiful singing"), along with a number of similar constructions ...

Bel canto (Bel-Canto) (Italian, "beautiful singing"), along with a number of similar constructions (‘bellezze del canto’, ‘bell’arte del canto’), is an Italian opera term with several possible different meanings that is subject to a wide array of interpretations. The earliest usage of the term bel canto emerged in late 17th-century Italy to refer to the Italian model of singing that was developing there. However, the phrase did not become widely used until the mid 18th century and the term did not take on a more specified meaning until the mid-19th century. In fact "neither musical nor general dictionaries saw fit to attempt definition until after 1900." Even so, the term bel canto remains ambiguous and is often used nostalgically in its application to a lost singing tradition. Generally understood, the term 'bel canto' refers to the Italian vocal style of the 18th and early 19th centuries the qualities of which include perfect legato production throughout the range, the use of a light tone in the higher registers and agile and flexible delivery. Operas of the style feature extensive and florid ornamentation, requiring much in the way of fast scales and cadenzas known as