author
Pier Francesco Tosi
d. 1732
A celebrated Italian castrato, teacher, and writer on singing, he left behind one of the most influential guides to Baroque vocal style. His work still matters because it opens a rare window onto how singers were trained, judged, and admired in his time.
1 Audiobook
Observations on the Florid Song; Or, Sentiments on the Ancient and Modern Singers
by Pier Francesco Tosi
About the author
Born around 1653 or 1654, probably in Cesena, Pier Francesco Tosi became known across Europe as a singer, composer, and respected vocal teacher. He was the son of the musician Giuseppe Felice Tosi, and his career took him beyond Italy to major musical centers including London and Vienna.
Tosi is remembered above all for his treatise Opinioni de' cantori antichi e moderni, published in Bologna in 1723 and later translated into English as Observations on the Florid Song. Often described as the first full-length treatise on singing, it discusses technique, ornamentation, taste, expression, and the character expected of performers. For listeners today, it is one of the clearest surviving guides to the ideals of Baroque singing.
He died in 1732, probably in Faenza. Although many performers of his era are now known only by name, Tosi's writing kept his voice in the conversation: not through recordings, of course, but through sharp, practical advice that continued to shape the teaching of bel canto long after his lifetime.