Danza, Danza, Fanciulla Gentile, is a group 4 piece. Our critical edition includes notation to help performers and students master the stylistic elements of Italian Baroque music including accents and dynamic markings to aid in phrasal and word stress. We recommend students start with the Bel Canto collection before beginning Baroque repertoire.

Dr. Seesholtz and Dr. Gorth have created a system and a repertoire list to assist voice teachers in using bel canto etudes and songs in a graded developmental fashion. These lists break repertoire into four groups that allow the voice teacher to instill Bel Canto principles and follow the progressive nature of the Vaccai and Marchesi exercises:

I.              Slow Tempo, Legato, Limited Range, Short Phrases, Stepwise motion, No Ornamentation

II.             Slow-medium Tempo, Legato, Expanded Range, Longer Phrases, Larger Intervals, and Limited Ornamentation.

III.            Varied Tempi, Expanded Range, Long Phrases, Larger Intervals, and Florid Passages free from a set Tempo.

IV.            Varied Tempi, Expanded Range, Long Phrases, Large Leaps and Intervals, and Florid Passages that are in a strict tempo.

This is a group 4 piece, which means a student should be able to perform the Group 1-3 pieces with ease and strength before attempting this piece. For further information about this grouping, please see our article, "Rethinking the Italian Twenty-Four Songs and Arias: Exploring Classical Vocal Literature Selection Through the Lens of bel canto Technique,” Journal of Singing Vol. 81 n. 5 (May/June, 2025).

The Re-ordered Twenty-four Italian Songs and Arias

Group I.

1.              O cessate di piagarmi

Group II.

1.              Lasciatemi morire 

2.              Caro mio ben 

3.              Come raggio di sol* 

4.              Tu lo sai 

5.              Sebben, crudele 

6.              Vergin tutto amor*

Group III.

1.              Che fiero costume*

2.              O del mio dolce ardor 

3.              Non posso disperar

4.              Se Florindo è fedele

5.              Per la gloria d'adorarvi

6.              Nel cor più non mi sento 

7.              Amarilli, mia bella  

Group IV.

1.              Nina 

2.              Già il sole dal Gange 

3.              Se tu m’ami 

4.            Danza, danza, fanciulla gentile

5.              Alma del core 

6.              Il mio bel foco*

7.              Pur dicesti, o bocco bella 

8.              Pietà, Signore 

9.              Le violette 

10.           Vittoria*

*The authors recommend that the instructor delay the instruction of these pieces based on fluidity of Italian text or linguistic ability.