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From:  Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Date:  Thu Mar 6, 2003  9:50 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Re: Baritones and Contraltos

I think perhaps one reason we may have (or appear to have) fewer
contraltos and basses is that modern vocal technique tends to discourage
"covering" to artificially darken the voice.

If you listen to a lot of the old contraltos like Gervaille-Reache, Clara
Butt, Marian Anderson, etc., you will note that a lot of the "darkness" of
their sound was created by covering. The way you can tell is that you
don't hear a similarly dark, foggy quality when they sing in their upper
register. Often these singers sound fairly ordinary in their top
registers, and only sound distinctive in their covered lower registers.

Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
________________________________
O music, that openest the abysses of the soul!
Thou dost destroy the normal balance of the mind.
- Romain Rolland, JEAN-CHRISTOPHE





  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date  
23147 Re: Baritones and ContraltosSteve Fraserdstevenfraser Thu  3/6/2003  
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