First, there were actually other songs (thousands) written in Italian
during the Baroque and early Classical eras that are not included in 24/26
Italian Songs and Arias. You could start by seeking other songs by
composers included in that anthology, e.g. Caccini, Caldara, Alessandro
Scarlatti, etc.
Monteverdi also wrote some "madrigals" for solo voice which have been
collected into a slim volume that is currently in print.
You might also look at the Italian and Italophone songs, folk-song
arrangements, concert arias, and solo cantatas of the following composers:
Henry Lawes (Tavola)
Orazio Vecchi
Maurice Greene
Mozart
Haydn
Beethoven
Bellini
Donizetti
da Capua
de Curtis
Meyerbeer (Sei canzonette italiane)
Verdi
Puccini
Donaudy
Diepenbrock (his Due Canzoni)
Hahn (his Venezia cycle)
Ravel
You might also look at some selected songs by 20th century composers -
e.g., Luciano Berio (don't reject out of hand: he did some settings of
Italian folk songs that might work even for beginning singers), and songs
by Respighi, Pizzetti, Wolf Ferrari, Dallapiccola, Alfano, Ghedini, Ives
(La fede), Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Catalbiano, Maw (La Vita Nuova), Zandonai,
Tirindelli, etc.
Obviously not all of these songs are going to be appropriate for beginning
singers (who are often the "target" of the 24/26 Italian Songs and Arias).
However, given some of the most accomplished singers in the world have
performed and recorded "Caro mio ben", I don't think it's inappropriate to
list possible sources for Italian-language songs appropriate for all
levels of vocal technique and musicianship here, and not just those that
are relevatively undemanding. I will leave it up to the readers' knowledge
of other vocal writing by these composers to determine what "grade" the
songs might be appropriate for.
Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
________________________________
I want to know God's thoughts...
the rest are details.
- Albert Einstein
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