Dear Justin:
Rosa Ponselle (189?-1981) recalled that Enrico Caruso (1873-1921), certainly one
of the greatest operatic tenors of the 20th century, was a chain smoker! She
entered his dressing room at the Met on the night of her debut in Verdi's "La
Forza del Destino" and found the room filled with cigarette smoke!
Contralto Sophie Braslau (1892-1935) smoked, according to one of my sources, and
died of lung cancer.
Contralto Louise Homer (1871-1947) smoked cigarettes after her retirement from
singing while her composer husband puffed away on his pipe. The Homers would
sit on their porch sipping Old Fashioneds and smoking.
One of my college professors told me that "the best church choir altos and
basses smoke!"! I have to assume that this old wives tale had something to do
with the plumping of the vocal chords that comes as a result of the smoking.
Few of my church choir sopranos and tenors have smoked thru the years. I don't
recommend smoking to any of my students and I live in North Carolina where
tobacco is a major industry.
Can't remember which tabloid I saw in the grocery store, but there was Charlotte
Church puffing away on a cigarette in a large color photo...
Ed
Pure vowels, long phrases and elaborate embellishments are the three principles
of "bel canto...Tone supports breath and not breath the tone!
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