From: Karen Mercedes
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: Re: "24 Italian" New Book Time
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

On Mon, 17 Jan 2000, Jessica wrote:

> Hi There,
>
> It's time for me to buy a new edition of this old standby book since mine is
> falling apart at the seams. There is at least one available, though I don't
> remember by which publisher, which comes with a practice CD. Sounds like a
> good idea, I'm wondering if anyone has it and if it is of any use.
>
> Beyond that. what editions of this book would you recommend? Best
> translations, etc.? There are many out there to choose from.

I got the new *26* Italian Arias and Songs book without the CD. My
experience with those "music-minus-one" type CDs is that you're almost
better off just singing with a metronome, so arbitrary and fixed are the
tempi. I still can't forgive John Wustman for the hash he makes of the
"Mon coeur s'ouvre a ta voix" accompaniment on the Music-Minus-One Mezzo
Aria CD (I have never, NEVER heard a mezzo take the repeat as fast as
Wustman plays it - he's almost in double-time!). The CD has some value as
it lets you hear the accompaniment sans voice. But when I've really
needed a recorded accompaniment, I've arranged with one of the coaches or
accompanists I work with regularly to record it for me based on his/her
knowledge of how I sing the piece. This is worth much more to me than
some stranger's karaoke rendition of the accompaniment.

KM
=====
There is delight in singing,
tho' none hear Beside the singer.
- Walter Savage Landor
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