Italian sopranos Magda Olivero and Mafalda Favero were two mistresses of what the Italians call l’accento, the articulation of the words, which in many instances can well compensate for lack of vocal power. When dramatic passages demand a bigger sound, intelligent and able phrasing can work miracles in creating the needed impression of a crescendo. This art was developed when the verismo and realismo operas became fashionable, so as to never require singers to force their voices, and to utilize l’accento instead of resorting to chest tones.