To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
From: Eva Zuber
Subject: Re: Rules for singing Puccini
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Hi Jennifer and All,


At 2/7/00 03:05 PM , you wrote:
>I was in a masterclass last week where it was suggested we look at "10 rules
>of singing Puccini". I looked in the library and at amazon.com and couldn't
>find it. Is there such a book, or was the instructor generalizing?
>

I've never heard of such book. Still, if it exists it would not be much
help for me other than a nice pastime read. One cannot hear what an author
had in mind! An intellectualizing of a musical style does not necessarily
help in learning to sing that style. At least, I never found it useful, but
everybody's different. For me the best way to absorb music is to listen,
listen and listen to the music with an open heart rather than trying to
verbalize it. One's mind has to be open too, but not too much! Not to the
point of analyzing everything to death - that only kills the natural
learning process. Also, we all get certain composers easier than the
others. Some have "feel" for Puccini, or Mozart, or whoever some don't.

Listen to the music and to great interpreters, preferably the ones who
bring a great tradition of Italian singing down from Puccini himself.
Studying with a coach or a singer who specializes in Puccini (or verismo in
general) makes a world of difference too. Listen a lot to the old masters
and historical recordings. You will learn more from them than from any
written material.

Ciao,



Eva Zuber
Toronto
ezuber-at-bigfoot.com
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"I'm an enemy of the average"
- Ganna Walska, singer
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++