On Tue, 7 Aug 2001, stjames wrote:
> > Obviously, the judges here like light soprano > > voices...when I am a "baby dramatic". > > > James here.... > > Could it be they like good singing, not considering range ?
I would tend to take Molly at her word. My own observations here in the D.C. area is that coloratura and light-lyric sopranos DO tend not only to win more competitions, but they also get a lot more oratorio solo work - even in things like Verdi and Beethoven - and even to get cast inappropriately in opera roles that are much to heavy for their voices. Part of the problem is that a lot of symphonic/choral music directors in this area also judge the competitions and hire the oratorio solists, and also have a decided early music prejudice. I did a competition recently in a small hall, so I found I didn't have to do much of anything for my voice to seem VERY BIG (it is big - dramatic contralto - but the room was really too small for it): the two opera-background judges apparently recognized this, based on their comments (or lack thereof) about my voice being "too loud" or "pushed" - but the Bach consort judge filled his critique sheet with lots of comments about my pushing, and being too loud, and needing to tone down my dynamics, etc. I discovered later that he made the same comments on the sheets of all the singers who weren't small-voiced coloraturas. This is just one example of a prejudice that I and a number of my spinto and dramatic-voiced friends have had to butt up against over and over again.
KM ............................ NEIL SHICOFF pages http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Own Website http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + Singers are often so fired up after a + + a performance, they want sex instantly. + + - Jilly Cooper, SCORE! + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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