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From:  Greypins@a...
Date:  Sat Jan 19, 2002  12:24 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Re: Charlotte

In a message dated 1/18/2002 7:03:06 PM Eastern Standard Time, sopran@a...
writes:

<< her voice is not fully on the breath and
therefore would probably not be heard above even a small orchestra in a
small
hall. It has nothing to do with timbre--it's technique--and poor Charlotte
has none. >>

any instrument's ability to be heard is dependent on its timbre. it is
generally accepted that production of the 'singer's formant' is required if a
voice is to be heard over an orchestra, without effort. the two reasons for
this are that the orchestra produces little activity in this range and that
the human ear is particularly susceptible to noise in this range. so, a
voice that produces such a sound does not need to do so at the same decibel
level it would have to if it did not have the 'singer's formant'.
analogously, the piccolo part in souza's 'stars and stripes forever' sticks
out despite being surrounded by blaring brass. as the piccolo is a low
resistance instrument, compared especially to brass instruments, it doesn't
quite have the potential for high decibel output in the same fashion as brass
instruments. it is heard by virtue of its timbre.

if by 'on the breath' you are refering to sub-glottal pressure, that only
limits church in producing the decibel level she might optimally be capable
of. however, if her timbre is set up in such a way so that she produces a
sound that is easily distinguishable from the orchestra and has enough
decibels to be heard, it is possible she meets that requirement for being an
opera singer.

mike



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