Thirty-Six Vocalises in Modern Style (Spicker): Soprano Voice Book

Bordogni's vocalises strike a rare balance between purposeful technical work and genuine artistry. These thirty-six pieces feel like music to sing rather than drills to endure, which means singers stay engaged while building the flexibility, control, and expressive range that Romantic-era pedagogy demanded and that modern singers still need.

These vocalises inhabit the lyrical world of Romantic song and early opera. They breathe with warmth and melodic generosity, asking singers to shape long lines and find beauty in ornamental passages. The writing feels natural to the soprano voice, sitting comfortably in the upper register while occasionally dipping into more dramatic lower passages for contrast and color.

This soprano voice book serves singers preparing for advanced study or performance, voice teachers seeking literature that develops technique without relying on text, and classical voice students building endurance and flexibility in the Romantic tradition. The collection also works well for singers transitioning between classical technique and operatic demands.

• Map the tessitura of each vocalise before you begin; many shift register demands partway through, so anticipating those moments prevents vocal strain and supports smooth transitions.
• Shape the melodic line with attention to phrase architecture rather than treating each passage as an isolated technical exercise; these pieces reward singing them as complete musical thoughts.
• Use the longer vocalises to practice sustaining vocal consistency across extended passages, maintaining tone quality even as you navigate wider intervallic leaps.
• Experiment with different articulation approaches (legato, marcato, staccato) on the same vocalise to expand your interpretive vocabulary and increase the musical return on your practice time.

Incorporate individual vocalises into voice lesson repertoire as technique-building material alongside art songs and operatic arias. For studio recitals or semi-formal performances, select a group of contrasting vocalises (perhaps varying in key, character, and tempo) to demonstrate vocal growth and control without relying on translated texts. Use them strategically in the second half of the school year when students are ready for more sophisticated material.

• Sustaining long phrases with consistent breath support and vocal tone
• Navigating wide intervallic leaps while maintaining legit voice
• Ornamentation and embellishment within a Romantic style framework
• Transposition flexibility, as the collection spans multiple keys
• Expressive shaping of purely melodic material without text-based emotional anchors
• Coordination of technical precision with musical phrasing