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From: Karen Mercedes
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: Re: Domingo - a baritone?
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

I fear that Mr. Gordon has misread my original post. He has also edited
what I wrote in an interesting way that projects an implication that was
NOT in what I originally wrote.

What I originally wrote was that Domingo has called himself a baritone at
some times, and a tenor at others. The fact that he has chosen to make a
VERY successful career as a tenor would appear to confirm which he truly
believes he is. My only observation was that, on hearing him sing the
baritone role of Figaro (and also the Don Giovanni "La ci darem" duet,
which I didn't mention in my original post), I feel that my ears are
reliable enough to be able to tell that his voice is truly "tenorial" in
colour, and not "baritonal".

I also still stand by my assertion that Domingo has technical problems
with his high notes, that are more likely due to his odd way of using his
tongue and tightening of his jaw than his not really being wholly
comfortable as a tenor. I don't believe that ANYONE has ever questioned
Jose Carreras' being a tenor, and he does the same weird thing with his
lower jaw, with similarly unpleasant-sounding results on his high notes
(for him, the habit seems to have begun when he took on repertoire that
was too heavy for his lyric tenor voice, and was exacerbated when he
resumed singing after his long illness with leukemia). There are quite a
few other tenors, as well as singers in other categories, who fall into
a similar technical trap on high notes. Until recently, I did so myself,
so I totally understand why these singers are doing what they do. One's
highest notes are the hardest to get used to in terms of how they sound to
one's self vs. how they sound to one's audience.

I do know that when I watch tenors who have no problem with their highest
notes - both lyric and dramatic tenors - the technical aspect they all
share in common is an essentially relaxed although vertically expanded
mouth, with none of the squarish downthrust of the lower jaw that I see in
Domingo and Carreras, nor the odd way of curling up the tongue (instead of
keeping it relaxed) that Domingo practises. I don't think these weird
little habits have anything to do with Domingo being or not being a true
tenor. I think he'd probably do the same thing were he a bass trying to
sing his high notes. They're just a sign of a technique flaw. That has
nothing to do with _fach_.

KM
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tho' none hear Beside the singer.
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