Judy and Vocalisters:
I am amazed that you interpolated my statement
<< Even castrati were expected to sing with a
penetrating ring to the voice that women singers of that day could
only envy. >>
to mean that there were no female singers with ringing voice at the
time of the castrati. I do not believe that nor have I ever said
that. Quite the contrary, it is my understanding that females
singers of this time were able to maintain a position equal with or
almost equal with the castrati.
But, the castrati had the power and strength that no singers since
their day have had, male or female. Because they had the breath
strength of the male with the larynx of the unchanged voice, which is
similar in size to the female voice, and the resonance space of the
male, they represented the best of both sexes in terms of vocal
brilliance and strength.
The comment was made as a support for the idea that opera should be
sung by well trained voices that can sing in full array and are not
required to reduce their tone quality and vibrato to that of an
untrained, nubile singer, even when performing music of the Baroque
and Classic music periods.
--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice, Pedagogy
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
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