Matteo Dalle Fratte is an Italian tenor, musicologist and opera coach who studied singing in Italy with Paolo Badoer, a pupil of Gilda Dalla Rizza, Puccini’s favourite soprano. He is a Professor of Italian and former Research Fellow in Italian phonetics for opera, at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama (GSMD) and an Italian coach at the National Opera Studio and at the Royal Opera House, London. Matteo Dalle Fratte is also Founder and Lead coach for Melofonetica Foundation, established in London in 2014 to promote the correct use of Italian language in opera.
Matteo has investigated for the first time how Italian phonetics can be combined with the rules of music and correct singing technique to produce a high level of sung Italian. While phonetics applies to spoken language, ‘melophonetics’ (melofonetica in Italian) is a new term that has been coined with this research to mean the phonetics of sung language. This new science based approach helps singers to quickly achieve good pronunciation, legato, breath support and well-projected sung Italian which remains true to the beautiful sounds and properties of the language as originally conceived for use in art. Singers who have recently experienced the new method have described it as “inspiring and insightful”, “just brilliant” and have commented, following a recent intensive weekend coaching session, “I was amazed at how much we learnt in such a short time” and “I’ve grown both in confidence and love for Italian”. Renowned international baritone, Leo Nucci, is also Patron of the Foundation and supports the new approach, believing that it “brings back the beauty and tradition of correct sung Italian in opera”.
Matteo Dalle Fratte collaborates with other specialists, which are Senior Fellows of Melofonetica Foundation, such as musicologist Professor Raffaello Monterosso and accompanist Malcolm Martineau. Other music professionals are also experiencing the benefits of the new phonetics-based approach. A recently-trained accompanist says “it has made a huge impact on how I′m listening to singers and vocal music in general – irrespective of language”. Mark Shanahan, Conductor and Head of Music at National Opera Studio, London also recently praised the new method saying “Melofonetica’s” approach is refreshing: it cuts through complexities and helps make clearly articulated Italian achievable. It enables singers to truly access their voice”