Singing guides by Auguste Andrade and Alexander Varlamov: Theoretical parallels

Abstract

The article uses two manuals from the first half of the 19th century as an example: Auguste Andrade’s “New Method of Singing and Vocalization Adopted at the Paris Conservatory” (1837) and Alexander Varlamov’s “Complete School of Singing” (1840). The discussion focuses on the pedagogical principles and guidelines of the authors of these manuals, which allow us to talk about the similarities and differences in the teaching systems they built. The reason for their comparative study in terms of singing theory was a commentary to A. Varlamov's “School”, in which he wrote about borrowing ideas from O. Andrade. The main objective of this article is to establish the scope and nature of these borrowings, highlighting “our own” in the domestic work and revealing the nature of “foreign” in it. A comparative analysis of the texts, set in the atmosphere of a bygone era that developed knowledge about the art of singing, allows us to find not only theoretical parallels, but also to understand their historical role in the overall process of development of the vocal school.