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From:  James <bandb@n...>
Date:  Sun Jan 5, 2003  2:22 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] The Original Three Tenors.

At 02:30 PM 4/01/03 -0500, you wrote:
>Reg wrote:
>
>>His transition from one note to the next was instant and without any
>>portamento.
>
>Is that a fancy way to say "sliding"?
>
>John Link

Well John, that is the term used in the circles in which I mix
and the older some get, the more unintended sliding there is,
but a beautiful example of it used with taste is in an early
recording of Adelaide sung by Bjorling, 2nd last note. :)
Or perhaps you may prefer the "portamento" to the second
last note in Una furtiva largrima.

Many singers accidentally do a more or less brief, slide
onto the next note but in the recordings of the three
singers intercut, singing the same Dona non vide mai,
Caruso and Gigli actually either slid, of broke the line
to the next note. Bjorling did not. Many choirs
with which I have been associated actually request a
break between the words. This seems to me to be
contrary to good solo practice in many cases. The
tasteful and intentional use of the "slide," if you wish, :)
is another thing all together.

Reg.






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