It is very interesting that you would say these things. I have read Training Tenor Voices a bit and I agree with the agility factor. I was classified as a baritone and I would like to think I was actually being fairly successful as a baritone having beaten out other good(real) baritones for solo opportunities as well as successful auditions with the local opera company. However, now that I have allowed my voice to function more appropriately(I feel) my agility has increased tremendously. In fact, coloratura is not a problem at all. I can sing agile passages that I never would have imagined singing. I think it stems from darking my sound by spreading the pharyngeal wall and assuming the "yawn" posture as a baritone. I'm not saying it is a bad thing. I am just saying that it was not working for my particular voice, but now that I have been working on some of the concepts suggested by Miller, I have seen much improvement especially in projection, agility and how much effort it seems to require to sing. Another interesting thing is that size does not equal projection. I project much easier than before with a slightly smaller sound. I have started placing my vowels in the space they naturally resonate with no creation of extra space near or in speaking range though this is a fairly new concept with me. I have rambled enough. So, now I will go. Remember, anything I have said is an opinion. Nothing I have said is to be take as me feeling a certain thing is right, wrong, better, etc. Take care.
Maurice Burgess Senior-Tenor(A year old tenor now!) Western Carolina University Cullowhee, NC
--- In vocalist-temporary@y..., Nancy Fontana <vocalist-temporary@y..., Nancy Fontana < > --- Greypins@a... wrote: > > dear karen and the rest of you grumpy > > vocalisters, > > > > one could legitimately criticize my > > knowledge of physiology as being > > incomplete, inarticulate and, at times, even > > scatter-brained. so, i shall > > quote richard miller on the subject of vocal > > agility. > > > > in his book 'training tenor voices' on > > page 88 in the chapter > > 'developing agility', mr. miller says: > > > > "it is clear that the tenore di grazia > > (tenore leggiero) requires > > facility in negotiating rapid running passages. > > not so widely recognized is > > the need for agility from all catagories of > > tenors who sing roles from the > > romantic and even verismo lteratures of the > > nineteenth century and early > > decades of the twentieth century. passages > > such as rodolfo's opening lines > > from the first act of la boheme must be agile, > > supple, and flexible. > > > > the ability to be flexible is a > > requirement not only of running-note > > passages, however. unless a tenor of any > > vocal weight or catagory can move > > his instrument with ease, he will lack freedom > > in singing sostenuto." one > > would assume this applies to all other voices > > as well. > > > > not only does miller suggest that all > > voices are physiologically capable > > of agility, he insists that it is required. > > the examples in the chapter are > > 'il mio tesoro', 'ev'ry valley' and 'ecco > > ridente'. so he is talking about > > the same type of coloratura we have been > > bickering about. > > > > it seems logical that any voice capable of > > giggling or chuckling would > > also be capable of coloratura. miller says > > one of the things that happens > > to tenors who are mistaken for baritones is > > they have difficulty with agility > > as they have been attempting to artificially > > darken their voices. it is not > > unusual to find singers calling themselves a > > voice of a lower fach when they > > have difficulty with their tops. in order to > > validate their claim, they > > often find themselves artificially weighting or > > darkening their voices. > > > > i am not one who would say if you can't do > > it for real, don't do it. > > my motto is 'do what you can and fake the rest' > > but, know the difference. > > > > still praying for world peace, > > mike > > > AMEN Brotha GREAT SERMON! > NANCY FONTANA > > > ===== > Nancy Fontana > The Rocky Mountain Woman > > > > __________________________________________________ > Get email at your own domain with Yahoo! Mail.
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