The Italian repertoire is so important for you as a singer because becoming acquainted with the straight, open Italian vowels is the best exercise for cultivation of the clear diction required so you can “sell your song.”

Vaccai teaches the intervals, Concone the vowels and musical line, and then in the Italian art songs you learn to put it all together, still in a medium range. These art songs expose every little note or aspect of pronunciation which strays from the straight and narrow! This helps you to form good habits which extend to your English diction as well. If you do not tell the story, the audience will tell each other stories and not listen to you. Super titles are definitely not the answer!