Tracie's thoughts

Youtube Singers #27/#28

2010-05-01T15:08:00.000-07:00

Well, this phase of life is coming to a close with this being my last Youtube Video response.. a little saddening.
I digress.

Singer #27 -- Piero Cappuccilli, baritone singing Nemico della patria from Andrea Chenier..
(Not sure on the story line behind this opera, or I would have spoken to that...)

The performer exhibited an extremely powerful voice that was clean and clear and matched well the intensity of the orchestra. The aria was interpreted beautifully and even the calm sections were most effective in defining the passion of the music. Facial expressions and stage presence helped greatly in creating a mood.. The passion of the music was most apparent at the forte sections -- Just how it should be!! Each pitch sounded as if it had purpose. I think he took his time on the inhalation, and used the exhalation incredibly efficiently.
His throat lacked tension from the looks of the video and spin was evident on every pitch. Sometimes, it sounded as though he was doing a little bit of covering -- perhaps he did that intentionally?

Singer #28 -- Jerome Hines playing Sarastro in The Magic Flute by Mozart.

I think God might sound a little like Jerome Hines- I'll let you know when I get there. This voice is rich in tone and character. The power and strength were more than enough to balance the orchestra, even when Mr. Hines was singing in his lower register. I understand this guy was still making music into his 80's, so he must have been doing something right! His breath support was consistent and his tonal placement right where it needed to be... When considering his massive voice, I am impressed with the sense of comfort that he exudes even when singing softly in the Sarastro role. Each pitch had 'spin' and each phrase forward motion. I'd like a choir of bass voices as such. If there ever were a father figure, here he is. A strong, supple voice as someone else put it. A nice way to end this experience. Thanks Jerome.

Youtube Singers #25/#26

2010-05-01T14:44:00.000-07:00

Singer #25...
Nicolai Gedda, tenor singing E lucevan le stelle from Tosca by Verdi...

Isn't it interesting how haunting, (seemingly that's my word for the day) a simple clarinet melody can be...

Wow. What an absolutely stunning voice, dripping with emotion and drama. I was impressed with his beautifully controlled upper register, particularly when considering the powerful tone needed for this tenor aria. He clearly understood the mood of the Italian text and expressed it beautifully in perfect balance with the orchestra. His high tones were distinct and powerful. His intake of air is unhurried, and each breath was full... His 'eh' vowel is pretty spread, but the others are tall and spacious. I wonder if he is using any neck strain to sing those upper pitches -- my sympathetic resonators tell me he might be, but I don't think the tone would sound as full and rich if he were creating tension?
** I actually watched him sing this piece as a younger man, and then again as a more seasoned singer, and found the differences interesting. The performance when he's a bit older didn't seem quite as polished as the 'opera scene' performance..
** I know so little of Tosca... I guess I should get on that, eh?

Singer #26...
Peter Schreier, tenor..
Singing three lieder by Mendelssohn...
1. Auf flugeln gesanges
2. Neue Liebe
3. Gruss

This was an absolutely wonderful rendition of three romantic lieder by Mendelssohn. The first selection clearly demonstrated the singer's ability to sing fluid and legato lines. The harpist helped greatly in expressing the idea of 'wings of song.' The second song was in a quicker tempo and contained a lot of text that was delivered effectively. The singer seems to understand completely the nuances of the German language. In the third piece, Gruss, Mr. Schreier demonstrated a mastery of line and dynamic contrast, floating to the top of his voice periodically in a well controlled manner. Wonderful. The tone is supported and expresses the text beautifully. I feel that he is purposely singing to express the text, not simply to hear himself make music. The facial expression and stage presence were clearly in line with the mood of the music. His diminuendo at the end of phrases makes my heart smile. I heart tenors.

The conductor's gesture was very high and he gave a double prep at the beginning of the second piece. He did however seem sensitive to the singer.

Youtube Singers #23/#24

2010-05-01T14:24:00.000-07:00

Singer #23 -- I chose Marilyn Horne, mezzo singing the Habanera from Carmen by Bizet...

I love this rendition and Miss Horne was right on the money with her interpretation. Her expression (use of portamenti and beautifully produced tones in both low and high registers) truly presented the feeling of confident love in this famous aria. She sings the lower pitches with a sultry tone.. love it. Her french is impeccable (umm.. based on my minimal knowledge of French text and pronunciation) and the collaboration between singer, conductor and orchestra was magnificent. Her stage presence and facial expression complemented the music nicely.
The conductor in this presentation did not use a baton, and conducted left handed, but was very good at not upstaging the soloist. Nice combo platter.
** I actually watched two versions of her singing this piece, and she's equally as captivating in both. I would like to age so gracefully.

Singer #24 -- I watched Michael Chance sing Erbama dich from Bach's St. Matthew Passion..
Countertenors... an interesting mix of stuff...
First off, I had forgotten how much I loved this aria... The balance between the solo voice and ensemble was rather impressive to me.

Mr. Chance sang with a very clear and pleasing vocal quality. His vowels are very vertical, and his facial expression complemented the musical line.. but then he rarely looked at this music which most certainly helped in projecting his voice. His German diction was very good and he sang 'in the tower of sound,' as we've discussed in class. His flexibility was commendable and noteworthy as he negotiated the melismas beautifully. His concept of line is pretty incredible. I could consistently pick out the peak of the phrase.. Hearing Mr. Chance sing this piece is kind of refreshing after hearing so many other larger voices sing opera arias... the lack of crazy vibrato in his voice suits this music perfectly.
The camera panning so that one can see the space this performance took place in makes it even more hauntingly beautiful...

Youtube Singers #21/#22

2010-05-01T14:04:00.000-07:00

Singer #21... Judith Blegen, coloratura... singing L'elsir d'amore sung in English..

Wow. What beautiful control! This is most evident when she sings melismas and soft passages in her higher register. She is not only a beautiful vocalist but a rather pretty woman. Most of the diction is discernible but on occasion the text is hard to understand which is problematic when singing in English, especially. Her breath support is so activated and this coupled with an incredibly clean and clear tone spells success. It is apparent that she understands not only the music, but the voice as well. Her tone seems so heady, in a good way... It seem to ring just where one would want it. However when she sings a fewer pitches in the lower register it seems grounded. Love it. I want to be her. My sympathetic resonators have no 'problems' when she sings!!

Singer #22... Barbara Bonney, lyric soprano... Singing Oh! Quand je dors by Franz Liszt.

What a great feel for the French language. No problem with the nasal vowels... Her voice is powerful, and yet clear and pleasing to my ear. Her facial expression is right on the money but I could have used less of a dramatic stage presence (less is more). She is able to negotiate registers in a most beautifully relaxed manner - impressive. Her ability to sustain notes in the upper register in an unforced way is certainly attributed to her use of breath support. There were a few times when I hear more breath than tone in her sound, but perhaps that's for effect?
She seems to understand the nuances of the French language, and expresses it well. Remarkable.

Youtube Singers #19/#20

2010-05-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

#19... Jose Carreras singing Una furtiva lagrima from D'Elisir D'Amore by Donizetti...

This presentation truly defined Carreras as a master of the vocal line. His voice demonstrated a total understanding of the text and the mood of the aria. His interpretation was more reflective than rejoicing and in my opinion matched well with the opening line (a furtive tear in her eyes burst forth). His use of legato singing and dynamic contrast were in perfect harmony with the nuances of the Italian language. The sense of drama and the resulting passion inherent in the piece were reflected in the way that he bridged registers and sang perfectly controlled high notes. Although not having the strength of other singers I've listened to, his warmth and interpretation more than make up for it. His facial expression and posture complimented the music and didn't get in the way. A stunning presentation.

#20... I thought I'd take a look at a performance by Ms. Beverly Sills, since I haven't listened to her yet.. This performance of Vilja was absolutely fantastic! The woman obviously loves what she does and you cannot help but be mesmerized with her presentation. Her tone is stunning, her stage presence is impeccable, and the ability to make a consistent sound from top to bottom is impressive. The shift between registers is uninterrupted. If you closed your eyes and imagined what she might be doing, you would not be surprised when viewing her. The knows how to make music and move people in the process. The vibrato is pretty full, but I hear it on most notes, so perhaps it's healthy to state she has a supported tone, and that's the cause of the vibrato?

Youtube Singers #17/#18

2010-04-05T18:34:00.000-07:00

Singer #17.. Angela Gheorghiu singing the Habanera from Carmen..

Oh my goodness. Why I haven't heard of this woman before, I don't know-- and it is unfortunate, cause she's fabulous. Her French pronunciation is fabulous, and she doesn't seem to have many 'clicks' that get in the way of her singing. This is probably the best example of a singer keeping all of her sound in the same vertical column of all I've listened to for this class. Even when she sings I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady her vowels are all very tall, and she seems to blend into the orchestra as a singer should. Her singing sounds grounded to me... And her control is stunning. The fact that I hear an even crescendo and decrescendo shows how incredible her ability to use the breath is. She effectively displays the text through her physical gestures and facial expressions. This woman has the music in her.

Singer #18... Well, I might as well listen to a classic so Luciano Pavarotti it is. How about a little Nessun Dorma for a Monday...
Luciano, as I might call him here, surely has a steady sound to his voice... my sympathetic throat feels open; his sound appears to be carried on the breath. His interpretation of this piece is really intimate.
I also listened to Una Furtiva Lagrima -- Oh... I've not heard r's rolled like that. Wow. Yummy. His voice sounds always grounded, even on the upper pitches. He really milks the moments when he can sing melismas, it seems. Sometimes his vibrato is pretty wide...
(I can't believe I'm mentioning anything not optimal about Luciano.) I also listened to La donna E mobile from Rigoletto. His dynamic contrast is impressive, for sure. What an even voice. His register shifts sound rather smooth... Sometimes though his voice gives a little screamer effect. Maybe that's the way tenors do it? His singing does give me goosebumps though. Maybe I'll name my someday child Luciano.

Blog #6 Goerne/Pears

2010-03-23T05:34:00.000-07:00

Matthias Goerne singing Wanderers Nachtlied by Schubert...

Wow. This is a serious blog we're doing here... I've not sung a one page Schubert piece ever in my life, so this is interesting that you have to fit it all in in one page... First, I do hear a sensitivity to each note on the page, and I find it extra tender that the accompanist is equally as sensitive. Secondly, he seems to genuinely BE the character he is portraying. Love it. Thirdly, I don't hear anything extraordinarily getting in the way.. his breath management, which seems in tact considering he can carry those long phrases to San Francisco and back, vowels and where they're placed, nor clicks in the sound between registers. A fine example of a singer who, as Ms. Moulson would say, "just sings." No over thinking needed. Each note sung by Mr. Goerne sounds, and with my sympathetic throat, feels, supported and forward moving, with spin, as though each has a destination.

Peter Pears singing O Waly, Waly...

I've never heard Peter Pears, so this is a day of firsts for me...
Wow. Mr. Pears sings equally as tenderhearted as Mr. Goerne, though in an old school way... His tone is beautiful, and supported, though sometimes sounds a bit covered to me... His vowels are sung so purely, and I am sure when we reach the 'b' section or the second verse (?) as his sound is more supported, as though he knows personally the struggle of which he sings...
Now that I know more of Benjamin Britten, I hear his quirky chords in the piano accompaniment, which I've come to expect!! Great to see him playing confidently over there...

Both of these gentleman move around quite a bit when they're singing, which is interesting to me since perhaps a stillness is suggested by many voice teachers in a performance setting... I think it aids in their performance of the repertoire myself...

The 'a' vowel... Blog #5

2010-03-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

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!!

Youtube Singers #15/#16

2010-03-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

For the eighth week of classes, I've chosen to comment on Thomas Hampson and Anna Netrebko...

Mr. Thomas Hampson, baritone sang Bring Him Home from Les Miserables and I found it to be sung pretty well.. It sounds a little covered to me in this recording... Is this written for a baritone? I can clearly understand what he is singing, and he seems to have a great image in his mind of what is happening in the context of the piece.

I then checked out Mr. Hampson singing The Barber of Seville's well known Largo Al Factotum. His voice seems to fit this piece better... with a million la-la-la's, I find it to be sung buoyantly, and with clear diction. He doesn't need to move his mouth strangely to get all of these words out, which I appreciate. The tempo is incredibly quick! Thank you James Levine! The man can act, he's good looking, he can sing! What a catch! Mr. Hampson is singing with support throughout this entire piece, and when he sings a higher pitch, I actually do not hear a large transition occur... maybe it's because a large transition isn't occurring or because he's just that good at hiding it? It seems there is spin on each note, and his musical relationship with the orchestra is divine!!

Secondly, Ms. Anna Netrebko, Russan born Soprano singing O Soave Fanciulla with Rolando Villazon. Oh my goodness! How beautiful are these two together! She sings with such vibrancy and I have millions of goosebumps! Her support and sound is incredible, but looks effortless, the ultimate balance, it seems. Her low notes even have spin, and focus.. though the upper notes have depth and richness to them as well. Her breath support makes her voice sound even across the board and her facial expression doesn't get in the way, but adds to her ability to show us what the text is trying to say. Love her. Love her. Love her.

Youtube Singers #13/#14

2010-03-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

Let's look at some men, shall we?

For today's youtube blog, I have chosen Brian Asawa and John McCormack.

Mr. Brian Asawa, countertenor, sang Henry Purcell's Musik for a While. - first, he is really good looking. Okay, back to the task at hand.. His voice is clear, and the text he sings is understandable. On the moving notes, I hear a few extra h's (when he sings the word 'wandering')... Perhaps this is because he doesn't have enough breath support? (I really wish I knew why a singer does this!) His throat seems open, and relaxed and his breath relatively supported throughout - I hear a steady stream of sound supporting each musical phrase. His crescendos are rather beautifully executed. You know he handles the fact that the accompaniment is not especially supportive of his musical line really well. Sometimes the countertenor voice quality appears to sit underneath the pitch a little bit to me..? He doesn't seem to manufacture the sound in any strange way.. no funny mouth movements with this guy. Refreshing.

Secondly, Mr. John McCormack from Ireland singing I Hear You Calling Me. Though the video was older, I can hear an even sound throughout his voice, and the high notes were stunning! Unhurried, and elegant.. He seems to use the text to his benefit, letting the text propel his voice forward, always on the breath. His vibrato is even and the voice seems to stay in the vertical column we have discussed in class. The piano seems to support him at the right volume and tempo.. quite the pair, I'd say!

Youtube Singers #11/#12

2010-03-10T06:55:00.000-08:00

Kathleen Battle. Give Me Jesus. Oh my goodness... she has control of that instrument, and I love it. The sax accompanying her is a beautiful addition. Since I don't know that I could sing a spiritual like that, I gotta give it to the woman. The text came across very clearly overall but when she sings the words, "Just about the break of day.." it seems she is holding her jaw tightly.. this section doesn't seem as musical as the rest, but she could be doin' something stylistically..? She sings with ease, and the piece seems to have a real flow to it, especially with the instrumental accompaniment.
I also checked out Voices of Spring by Strauss. While the conductor's gestural language has me baffled, she maneuvers through those quick moving passages beautifully! She seems to be holding her shoulders up though? I wonder why she's on the list of those not to emulate.. because she moves her mouth a little strangely? I do see a bit of unnecessary movement of her mouth...
I enjoy the sound she makes, and it seems to match the overall feel of the waltz very well. Her voice sounds very fresh in this recording to me. She seems to sing with support, though you don't see much abdominal movement as I did with some of the other singers I've watched. Near the end of this piece, when she sings exactly what the flute plays (imitating her,) I was amazed!! It was just right on!

Secondly, I watched Sylvia McNair sing, under the direction of the late Robert Shaw, Shepherds Abiding. Her voice seems even throughout, and she sings the recit nicely... I can understand the text, and she doesn't do anything really crazy with her mouth. The eager tempo is nicely executed.
Since I didn't get to hear her solo voice in an art song/aria kind of setting in the first video, I then watched her sing Alleluia from Exultate Jubilate by Mozart. The way she pronounces Alleluia seems a little odd to my ear... it's so heavy on Ah-LAY-loo-ya in stead of the vowels being taller and more narrow. The incredible part of this video is that she hardly opens her mouth on the melismatic runs- perhaps this is what is supposed to happen? She maneuvers those runs beautifully despite the lack of opening.. On the final high note, we can be confident that she doesn't keep her tongue stuck in the back of her throat, I can see it almost sticking out.
I can't be sure that her sound is even as far as it all being in the vertical tower of sound.. She breathes in through the vowel often, which is a great habit to have. This woman perplexes me a bit! I think she has a beautiful tone, but some of the technical issues seem to get in the way.

Youtube Singers #9/#10

2010-03-10T05:57:00.000-08:00

Elly Ameling!! How lovely are you!

I listened to Ms. Ameling sing Widmung by Schumann and heard a beautiful even tone throughout her voice... It all seemed to be in the 'tall, narrow space' we have spoken of in class... Her diction was clear, and the pianist and she seemed to be as one unit. One moment stuck out to me.. when she sings the word, "shmerz" the vowel seems to fall out of line and sounds lazy... though on a second listen it seems she is singing a messa di voce on that note, so perhaps that was purposeful. Ms. Ameling's high notes are so 'free-sounding' and the German text flows from her lips so effortlessly. Her breathing mechanism seems consistently activated, and it sounds that she uses that support on every note of the piece. Her hands being in front of her body seem to work for her.. I do not find it distracting.

I listened to our girl Elly sing Schumann's Seit ich ihn gesehen. The same beautiful voice erupts here, and the tone in the upper register is so stunning. I know that's not a real technical term... Her shifts between the upper and lower voice are so nonabrasive... No clicks are heard between the two. When I watch her, I don't feel she 'gets in the way' of the music. It is as though she is simply the vehicle for which the text is expressed.

Secondly, I listened to Jessye Norman sing for the first time... (Erlkonig by Schubert) Well, the girl has facial expression, and an ability portray the text with her body language, I'll give her that. It sounds that she has a healthy capability to manage her upper voice, and her lower register as well, expressing the various characters of the Erlkonig very effectively.
I could only handle watching the video that accompanied her singing this for so long on account of wild computer graphics, so I then listened to her sing, Dich teure Halle from Tannhauser. I kind of love it. She sings with such support, and her crescendos are very even. She does open her mouth really wide, but perhaps that's because she needs room to get the sound out?! She and the orchestra are partners in equal output and it seems to balance out well.

Youtube Singers #7/#8

2010-02-12T21:39:00.000-08:00

Soprano Reri Grist...
Well, who knew about our dear gal Reri here? Love West Side Story and I'm delighted to find out that I've heard this voice previously. What a strong sense of the musicality elements of singing -- evident in each excerpt I listened to. She seems to wrap her entire mind around what the text requires and then gives it the necessary time and importance. An unhurried voice with focus throughout each part of her voice.. I find it very refreshing. The 'ah's in 'Caro Nome' are each sung with lilt and spin. What a controlled cresc/decrescendo... My goodness! She obviously is using support and everything is aligned as it should be for such a sound to be created. As well, though there is no live video to this performance, I hear the text sung without extreme changes in her mouth shape. Stunning.

Soprano Galina Vishnevskaya...
Russian born Soprano.. I must say this woman has a rather lovely voice to me. She sings the (?) aria from Verdi's Aida with passion and a large sound... However, when she sings in her lower register the sound falls way to the back of her throat, and unfortunately is a swallowed sound...
I could stand to hear the text a bit more clearly too. The leaps in the 'Love Duet' from Tosca do appear to come out of nowhere, but the sound created is resonant, and supported, so I must give her that. She seems to more effectively sing the Russian text as in Rachmaninoff's 'O ne grusti.' Though the large leaps again require the pitch center to be solid, and there are a few moments where it varies a bit. 'One must be interesting rather than exact,' says Voltaire...

Youtube Singers #5/#6

2010-02-12T21:04:00.000-08:00

Soprano Leontyne Price... 'Vissi' d'arte' from Tosca..

I have a confession: It is my pleasure to see and hear Ms. Leontyne Price for the first time right now. WOW. She is not only capable of singing the Italian text beautifully, but she sings so incredibly evenly across her voice. What a pleasure to listen to. She appears to have such an open throat with no unnecessary tension and breathes knowing she will sustain long phrases. After studying with Ms. Moulson, my mind instantly says she would be pleased with this woman. She encourages, "Just opening your mouth and singing." Ms. Price does just that.
There is a real sense of forward motion in her singing, and an even vibrato or spin on all pitches sung in this excerpt. The transition from her lower register to the upper is rather smooth as well.

Secondly, Susanne Mentzer... 'E amore un ladroncello' from Cosi fan Tutte
How delightful is she!! Ms. Mentzer sings with a real buoyancy in her sound, and her voice is so supported through the entirety of the piece. I think she is simply using the various parts of her make-up; her breath support, an un-messed with mouth shape and her palette is lifted so that it all comes out in her sound. She seems to sing the Italian text without modifying it much, aside from perhaps a small adjustment when the eighth note runs require it. And her acting skills in this performance make the piece come alive! Yay Susanne! This piece also seems to fit her voice really well.

Beethoven's Missa Solemnis Blog #4

2010-02-12T16:40:00.000-08:00

Mmmm... just a treat for the ears.

After listening to this excerpt, I have a few thoughts on sensitivity. Leonard Bernstein's way of showing sensitivity appears differently than that of the tenor soloist, for instance, but you can feel it, or rather hear it in both men.. The tenor soloist seems to sing with support and tenderness, when I can hear him.
The soloists seem to be well prepared, even though I hear more SA than TB. When the women sing together in minute 7, their vowels don't seem to quite match... Perhaps this is because of the need to modify the vowel in the extreme upper register? When the tenor enters in this same spot, I hear an even-ness to his tone. The soprano seems to narrow her vowels when she sings lower in her voice... I don't really hear extremely odd shifts in tone in the extreme registers, aside from the soprano voice as she modifies the shape of her mouth quite a bit in her uppermost register, or so it appears... Probably to make the most powerful tone she can..? The violinist plays so sensitively, especially at minute 4 when the chorus enters- it appears they are falling right in line with the mood he has effectively set up. At the end of the movement, he compliments the imitative lines of the chorus well. A nice contrast.
I am embarrassed to admit, but I do not really hear the soloists sounding distressed... if they are singing powerfully, it sounds fitting to my ear considering the text of this movement. Perhaps the soprano voice has a distressed quality at times...? I think her voice is supported throughout, and very controlled. Love it.
The bass voice seems to blend into the background a bit.. his voice is not especially prominent to me.
The conducting is surely expressive, and Leonard Bernstein's facial expression is appropriate, and probably helpful to the chorus in this case. His left hand gives them more direction when the right hand isn't enough. While I don't hear the chorus very loudly, they appear to have a sense of the texts' translation and how it fits within the context of the work.

Verdi Requiem Blog #3

2010-02-02T21:02:00.000-08:00

Recordare...

After hearing both Martina Arroyo and Josephine Veasey sing this movement of the Requiem, I have a few comments.. First off, to answer the question asked of us, the women increase their space as they crescendo and as they decrescendo and it is so controlled that I am amazed. Perhaps this is what makes them real live 'opera singers' and capable of singing such rich repertoire. I think their mouths represent the vowel they are singing, so that no confusion occurs, and yes, they definitely still have their own roles though it appears they are considering one another in blend. Yay for choir teaching something of substance! I do hear much less of the alto voice than the soprano, but probably for the obvious reasons that she is singing in a much lower register. The text comes across rather clearly though in both women's voices...

Pavarotti singing the Ingemisco..

From the looks of it, this appears as easy as eating ice cream while sitting in your favorite chair watching soaps...

Nonetheless, all of Pavarotti's vowels seem to remain very tall throughout his singing, and his sound seems very connected to the breath at all times. When he sings in the uppermost register, I wonder if there is any tension in his throat cavity? I can't really tell, to be honest...
Sometimes in these moments as mentioned above, it seems a little 'in your face' where I wonder if such a loud dynamic is needed at such a high point in his register? I sense Pavarotti's support coming from his breath for the most part...

Finally we have Mr. Rene Pape singing the Confutatis maledictis...

Man, this gentleman's mouth is more active than other vocalists I've considered in this blog. And his throat space seems to be more than other vocalists I've seen... Is it really necessary that he open his mouth as such in minute 3:03? His singing is really rather supported throughout the registers and seems to match the instrumental accompaniment well. His dynamic contrast is rather impressive I must say.. singing with increased intensity where the text seems to require it. I see that he is a German born bass.. given that information perhaps one needs to remember the way he would form words in his own language... texts in languages other than German can't be formed exactly the same for him, right? Impressive nonetheless.

Blog #2 Didonato/Pearl Fishers

2010-02-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

Ms. Joyce Didonato sings 'Una voce poco fa' by Rossini...

Are you kidding me? That's got to be one of the most beautiful voices I've heard. Ms. Joyce sings with even-ness in her tone all throughout her register, and seems consistently grounded. Her energy seems to be coming straight at us, the audience through her core. Love it. I really do not notice when she 'flips' into her head voice, it's so smooth all the way across the board. She seems to interact with the instrumentalists well as though they are all one entity. Every single eighth note has spirit, and vitality, and I want to be an opera singer. The held long note at the end of the aria is just stunning... no strain to be found. Is this woman a mezzo?
She effectively represents the text, but doesn't get in the way of it.

Duet from the Pearl Fishers by Bizet.

Nathan Gunn, Bill Burden

This is beautiful... kind of a lot of tenor, but if you're into that kind of thing. Kidding..
These men both sing with support, and Mr. Gunn's breathing is indeed low and relaxed... I do hear the voices interweaving beautifully, so good call Bizet. The singing does sound even and not pushed in both men's voices. As in the other example, the singers do sing right from their core, and I understand every word.. now if only I knew the storyline...
I do hear that the tenor voice requires maybe a smidge different modulation, (for lack of a better term) than the baritone voice... though it appears they are both effectively doing what they need to be doing.

Youtube Singers #3/#4

2010-01-26T04:32:00.001-08:00

Video #3 Observation...

Well, my goodness. Bryn Terfel. What a yummy voice.
I listened to him sing a few duets with Cecelia Bartoli as well as 'Some Enchanted Evening' by Rodgers. His singing surely comes off as effortless, and though he has a 'meatier' voice I think he sings with tenderness. In more melismatic passages, his voice sounds agile, and even sounding. The shape of his mouth is kind of interesting.. it appears to hang down further on one side... Perhaps he uses this to his benefit? He sings with support throughout, in all areas of his voice. Beautiful resonant tone seems to escape him.

Video #4 Observation...
Well, since I'm on a 'man kick' here, let's go with another bass. I observed Sam Ramey singing 'Ol' Man River' and 'Vous, qui faites l'endormie' from Faust... I must say, I think his facial expression fits the character he's portraying in all of the videos I watched. His voice is pretty forward placed from what I hear - almost nasally at times. In the 'Ol' Man River' excerpt, I hear a little bit of a pushed tone in the upper part of his voice... Perhaps that's a tightness in the throat? However, I do think his voice is supported throughout... I also watched him, and heard him sing in the Act two finale from Don Giovanni.. I think he sings rather well in this video considering his character and what roles out for him... He does seem to push a bit as earlier noted, but it sounds that his vocal mechanism is working as it should. Maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about. That surely could be the case.

Youtube Singers #1/#2

2010-01-24T15:39:00.000-08:00

First Observation:
Well, my first thought is who am I to judge Cecelia Bartoli. I literally can't do one tenth of what she can vocally, so I'm a little intimidated writing this.
I digress.

While listening to Ms. Bartoli, Cecelia, if I might, sing 'Al tuo seo Fotunateo' (?) from Orfeo and Eurydice, by Haydn, I noticed:
- Cecelia has a very active mouth. She is forming her lips into shapes that might not be necessary to produce the kind of vowels and consonants she is trying to create.
- At times I notice her singing along and wam-oh! Her mouth flies open as though the sound is erupting from her, and I find it distracting... I know she needs more room in her mouth though, so...
-She sings with incredibly clean diction. Her lips are really active...
- She sings with an even vibrato and supported sound.
-Back to her mouth; Ms. Bartoli seems to tighten her jaw on the ascending and descending scales so that very little space is created..
-She has a very expressive face.
-If one can even notice this, I think her throat has an appropriate amount of face.. it seems relaxed?
-Re: what we were talking about in class along the lines of everything being in the same place head/chest wise.. I think it sounds pretty consistent.

I might be way off. "Samsonite... I was way off."

Second Observation...

Frederica von Stade singing 'Una voce poco fa' by Rossini...
Well, she is cute as a bug's ear. Let's start there.
Secondly, her singing is so smooth and even sounding all the way across the board.
She sings the melismatic passages with such ease.
Her mouth doesn't distract me.

I also listened and watched her sing 'Voi Che Sapete,' from Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart and while I thoroughly enjoyed her singing on this piece, it sounded a bit that the lower register pitches were a little on the heavy side...

However, for the most part she maneuvers her instrument so effectively, singing on the breath at all times.. Beautiful.

Blog #1

2010-01-20T20:36:00.000-08:00

In response to Blog #1's comparison of Mr. David Daniels and Mr. Christopher Dallo singing 'Ombra Mai Fu" by Handel...

When I listened to David Daniels sing the recitative and aria from Xerxes, I noticed first off that he sang the recitative with great ease. Secondly, his aria performance was sung very expressively in that he effectively portrayed the text through his use of word stress, and facial expression... It appears he is singing in a supported manner on account of his vibrato being very even. His tone sounded supported throughout his entire register.
When I listed to Christopher Dallo sing this same aria, I noticed right away that he seems to posses a very different voice than David Daniels, in the quality of sound, perhaps even that they are two different voice types. It appeared Christopher's larynx moved up when he reached the higher register as there was not only an audible shift, but a physical change as well in regards to the way his alignment appeared to change. During his performance I noticed a few glottal stops when a word began with a vowel... Perhaps this was because he is still learning to maneuver that musculature and a lack of breath flow caused the cords to come together forcefully.

I really think there is something to be said about the growth that occurs when one has time to discover what their voice is capable of doing. In that regard, perhaps Christopher is learning how to glide easily through, and modify to fix the few above mentioned concerns. This piece seems to sit in perhaps a difficult tessitura for many tenors, and I can appreciate the interpretation of both singers in these videos.