[The spelling of the original has been retained.]
OBSERVATIONS
ON THE
Florid Song;
OR,
SENTIMENTS
ON THE
Ancient and Modern Singers,
Written in Italian
By Pier. Francesco Tosi,
Of the Phil-Harmonic Academy
at Bologna.
Translated into English
By Mr. GALLIARD.
Useful for all Performers, Instrumentalas well as Vocal.
To which are added
Explanatory Annotations,
and Examples in Musick.
Ornari Res ipsa negat, contenta doceri.
LONDON:
Printed for J. Wilcox, at Virgil's Head, in
the Strand. 1743.
Note, By the Ancient, our Author
means those who liv'd about thirty
or forty Years ago; and by the
Modern the late and present Singers.
N.B. The Original was printed at
Bologna, in the Year 1723.
Reprinted from the Second Edition by
WILLIAM REEVES Bookseller Ltd.,
1a Norbury Crescent, London, S.W. 16
1967
Made in England
TO ALL
Lovers of MUSICK.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
ersonsof Eminence, Rank, Quality, and a distinguishing Taste in anyparticular Art or Science, are always in View of Authors who want aPatron for that Art or Science, which they endeavour to recommend andpromote. No wonder therefore, I should have fix'd my Mind on You, topatronize the following Treatise.
If there are Charms in Musick in general, all the reasonable Worldagrees, that the Vocal has the Pre-eminence, both from Nature andArt above the Instrumental: From Nature because without doubt it wasthe first; from Art, because thereby the Voice may be brought toexpress Sounds with greater Nicety and Exactness than Instruments.
The Charms of the human Voice, even in Speaking, are very powerful. Itis well known, that in Oratory a just Modulation of it is of thehighest Consequence. The Care Antiquity took to bring it to Perfection,is a sufficient Demonstration of the Opinion they had of its Power; andevery body, who has a discerning Faculty, may have experienced thatsometimes a Discourse, by the Power of the Orator's Voice, has made anImpression, which was lost in the Reading.
But, above all, the soft and pleasing Voice of the fair Sex hasirresistible Charms and adds considerably to thei