Lea Ann,
The number one thing it takes to have a beautiful sound, besides
perserverance, dedication, and a good natural instrument, is time.
When I first started, I too would listen to Cecilia Bartoli sing
those songs and despair because my voice was so far from where hers
was. You're just starting, and she has had many years to develop her
sound, so don't compare yourself to her in this way!
I wouldn't do "marathon practices" right now, if ever. Just 15
minutes at time, 2 times a day is a good way to start. If you are
anything like me, you are impatient and trying to "make" something
happen, so you think if you have these marathon sessions you will
hurry things along. It won't work, believe me! Your voice must be
coaxed out, not forced out! Treat your voice gently, give it room to
come out on its own. When you force, you're squeezing your voice
down and producing the complete opposite of what you want!
There is a nice little Dover paperback called Great Singers on the
Art of Singing (by Harriet Brower, not the Jerome Hines one) that
helped me a lot in figuring out how things were supposed to feel when
I was just figuring out my voice. You might want to check it out.
I'm sure others here can give you more suggestions and perspective as
well!
Take care,
Karena
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