The following was written in a madrigal in the 14th Century by Jacopo da Bologna.
FOURTEENTH CENTURY, PEOPLE.
Uselletto selvaggio per stagione
Dolci versetti canta con bel modo.
Tale che grida forte chi non lodo:
Per gridar forte non si canta bene
Ma con soave et dolce melodia
Si fa bel canto e cia vuol maestria.
Pochi l’hanno et tutti si fan maestri,
Fan ballate madriali e motteti;
Tutti infioran Filipi e Marchetti.
Si è piena la terra di maestroli
Che poco píù non trovano discepoli.
Wild birds in season sing
Sweet verses in good style.
Such as shout aloud I do not praise:
For shouting loudly is not singing well
But with suave and sweet melody
One makes bel canto and shows mastery.
Few have it and many make themselves masters,
They make ballads, madrigals and motets;
Everyone tries to outdo Filipo [de Vitry] and Marchetto [da Padua].
The world is so full of puffed-up masters,
That very few find disciples.
Re: “Ma con soave et dolce melodia Si fa bel canto …” I *think* in this case (as part of the Italian verse) the translation would be ” … one makes [a] beautiful song” or ‘ … is made [a] beautiful song’ – or even ‘beautiful singing’ – the actual literal translation of ‘bel canto’, not necessarily the style of singing or opera genre. 😊
Agreed. The words ‘bel canto’ have actually existed since the time of Dante. I’m sharing a post in several days on the exact ‘lure’ of this term in voice training. Stay tuned!