Hi...
I know worrying about your Fach is silly...but I've had some really strange things going on this past year and I'm wondering if anyone else has had this kind of experience.
A brief history: 17-21yrs: Classical vocal training at university level, mostly singing light Mozart arias (Cherubino, Zerbinetta) and Handel arias (Messiah Soprano & opera arias)
21-27yrs: Intensive early music participation, development of a very strong, pure, straight ren/medieval tone. Usually sing soprano for partsongs, range approx 2 octaves: F(below mid-C) to G (just above staff).
Fall semester 1999: 27 yrs: Back to classical vocal training, arias: Erda's Warning(Wagner), Lascia chio pianga (Handel), Che Faro Senza Euridice (Gluck). Figured out how to sing an A (just off the staff). Originally fached contralto, however, opinions changed rapidly to "Verdi Mezzo"
Winter semester 1999: 28 years...continuation of "Verdi Mezzo" fach...singing "Stride la Vampa", "O Mio Fernando", Composer's Aria from Ariadne auf Naxos, Mon Couer from Samson et Dalila, and "Iris Hence Away"(Handel). Couldn't hit the high B flat in the composer's aria to save my life...hid it away and didn't work on it. However, about 1 month ago, something weird happened and my Strauss aria (which climaxed on a high f) lost its sparkle and the low note (a middle c) got all chesty and yucky. We switched to the high version which was a major third above and it sounded great....thing is that I'd tried the high version early in the semester and my teacher said it was bad. :) He said, "I don't know where your voice is going (meaning registers) but it's going FAST.
Well, he couldn't be more right...in the past 3 weeks I've gained a LOT on my top...I'm now able to vocalize to high C easily(haven't tried higher) and I can wham the B flat in the Composer's aria and the optional one at the end of Dalila's aria...
I'm just wondering if anyone else has gone through this kind of thing...it's frustrating to me that my voice is changing so quickly that I have to throw songs away mid-semester and freak about songs I get which seem impossible. "Iris Hence Away" has become practically a joke...I wham the low notes worse than Horne!
Any advice...repetoire advice, exercises, etc? I'm pretty much a free spirit with my teacher, so don't worry about interfering.
My big problem to this point is a shaky jaw which goes away when the jaw is completely open. My teacher's solution is to have me sing into the mirror (which I hate!)...and I was wondering if anyone's done exercises to work on this issue....
:) Kate Penney
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