Bel Canto des Wortes— The Pedagogy of Cornelia (Cornelie) van Zanten

Abstract: The Neapolitan School is well-known for its superb pedagogues who shaped the art of bel canto singing, one of whom was Cornelia van Zanten (1855–1946). Her 1911 treatise Bel Canto des Wortes , with its many voice exercises and an overview of the history of the bel canto movement, reveals Zanten as a superb pedagogue whose work deserves more exposure. Zanten’s methods were forged by her own operatic career, which spanned both Europe and the United States, her studies with Francesco Lamperti and Julius Stockhausen, and her many years teaching in both Germany and The Netherlands.