The 'a' vowel... Blog #5

Cecelia Bartoli singing Mozart's Exultate Jubilate.

Do I think she needs to do what she is doing? Nope. You know though I do think she is portraying pure energy singing the text, which I think Mozart would appreciate.
Why would she? Perhaps she is using her mouth in such a way that she thinks the text will come across more clearly if it is very 'chewed?' I like the excitement behind the performance, but she sings rather beautifully without such modulations of the mouth. The melismatic a's are rather buoyant... but she doesn't need to move the mouth, and jaw so much since her breath support is obviously in tact.

Kathleen Battle singing Exultate Jubilate
I think I'd like to stand on my own platform some day, that's my first thought after seeing this video!!! (Just being a girl here.)
How is her 'a' vowel?
To answer the question, I actually think she has taken some time to practice this vowel, and I hear it come across in a few different ways. One in that she drops her jaw to sing 'ah' (lips very involved here) and secondly an 'ah' that is placed further back in the throat but seems supported... She does have some mouth modifications that seem perhaps unnecessary... What a beautiful, connected-to-the-breath sound from such a little body!

Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah -- Arguably my favorite piece of music ever written, just so you know. Man, I have only great great experiences with this song. Maybe we can share our "Hallelujah" stories someday...
More care of their vowels needed? Perhaps more care is needed, especially on Mr. Timberlake's part... The video cut out a million times, so I'm going on the limited amount I heard... For both of these gentleman, the 'ah's' are more like 'uh's' as I hear it... But you know, I think this piece needs a little bit of 'raw' vowels to make it what Leonard Cohen had intended...?

When the text "how to shoot somebody who outdrew you..." is sung Mr. Timberlake does make some (unnecessary) adjustments to his mouth shape, so I see where more care is needed in regards to vowels here...

Less nasality? I don't know that I hear an insane amount of nasality..?
Less breathiness? I think I actually could stand to hear a smidge amount more 'to the pitch' singing but Mr. Morris has a good supported sound to my ear, even a little vibrato!

Thanks for choosing this video Mr. Clement!!