Arturo Melocchi and Marcello del Monaco vocal technique

The Arturo Melocchi Academy is dedicated to the italian old school method of operatic singing

The method

The vocal method was pioneered by Arturo Melocchi (1879-1960) and later passed down to Marcello del Monaco (1919-1984), the brother of the renowned tenor Mario del Monaco. Arturo Melocchi developed a vocal training system grounded in physiological principles, enabling his students to maximize their vocal potential. The method involved employing specific vocal exercises designed to train and strengthen the laryngeal muscles. When the vocal apparatus was fully developed, the voice acquired volume, strength, clarity and roundness. The success of this approach is evident in the notable dramatic voices it produced during the twentieth century, including Mario Del Monaco, Gianfranco Cecchele, Franco Corelli, Gastone Limarilli, Giuseppe Giacomini, Nicola Martinucci, Silvano Carroli, and many others.

Arturo Melocchi

Arturo Melocchi was born in 1879 in Milan. At a young age, he was accepted into the Milan Conservatory, where he studied piano from 1893 to 1898. Being gifted with a strong baritone voice, he later enrolled in the conservatory's singing program under the direction of Giuseppe Gallignani. For his final exam, Melocchi performed an aria for baritone from Meyerbeer’s Dinorah, the sixth vocalize for baritone by Gaetano Nava (Op. 24), and the aria “È ver ch’io t’ingannai” from Meyerbeer’s Fra Diavolo. He also demonstrated sight-reading skills and answered questions on vocal anatomy, pedagogy, and both classical and modern vocal literature. In 1912, Melocchi began teaching at the Conservatory of Pesaro. His career was interrupted in 1916 when he was drafted into military service during World War I. After completing his service, he resumed teaching, a vocation he would continue until 1941. Over the years, he trained many renowned singers, including his most famous student, Mario del Monaco, whom he met in 1932. In 1941, Melocchi was suspended from the conservatory due to his anti-fascist views. During this period, he spent three years teaching in Hong Kong and Shanghai. On September 7, 1947, Melocchi’s students petitioned the director of the Dante Conservatory, for his reinstatement. Their efforts were successful, and the conservatory council offered him a teaching position for the 1947/48 academic year. Melocchi resumed teaching, but only for two more years before retiring permanently.