Gina wrote:
When I went to the Met this past
> November/December I couldn't believe some of the singing I heard because
> of obvious vocal faults. I heard wobbles, thinning tops, colorless
> singing, swallowed, throat placed singing, straight tone throught entire
> pieces... and these were people who are working constantly all over the
> world, whose names are known and some are famous. It's interesting just
> how little vocal perfection actually seems to matter in relation to
> expressing the character and diction and artistry. ( I was thinking how
> many people I know that would sing these shows better... why are some of
> these other people at the Met now? Oh well!)
I used to think that too. But there's a big difference
hearing a singer in a studio, in recital with piano, or in a
small space with a small orchestra, and that same singer a
big-time opera house with a full orchestra. I recently
heard a very good local singer I know in the opera house, in
company with singers with USA opera house careers. And in
that venue I could hear the reason why one singer has a
local career and others the national career. It takes a
special singer - and it's not all "size" of the voice,
either - to make an impact in the large opera house, on the
large stage, with the large orchestra.
So now I withhold my judgement about an opera singer until I
hear that singer live and in person, in the opera house,
singing with an orchestra, as lovely as the voice may be,
and as wonderful an actor I think the performer is.
Also - at the Met, you have to realize how many years in
advance they contract with their principal singers. The
singer can be sounding great when booked, and a few years
later be going through vocal troubles. I can think of a few
of those I've heard not sound too good - and a few years
later, you see that singer performing less and less or not
at all. And also, at the Met, they have some "house
singers", who've been there many, many years, who've been
estimable and valuable artists, and who are still performing
there even though the voice isn't what it once was.
Peggy
--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...
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