Vocalist.org archive


From:  Greypins@a...
Greypins@a...
Date:  Mon Jan 8, 2001  7:08 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] op. v. pop- the crossover factor


In a message dated 1/8/2001 7:40:55 AM Eastern Standard Time,
dredeman@y... writes:
dredeman@y... writes:

<<
2nd: Wagner is a bit too heavy for Kollo, but many other things for a
lyrical tenor especially operetta, he has done very well, I think. And of
course everybody sounds very relaxed if one has to sing within approx. one
octave, like most popular songs require. >>

dre,

i agree that wagner is too heavy for kollo (imagine if ludwig suthaus
had been born with kollo's brain...). in his operetta singing, he displays
a wide range that is easy but, i find the tone still a bit strident (for some
strange reason, i like his voice anyway).

there are quite a few pop songs with wide ranges and quite a few that
sit high. conversly, there are quite a few opera roles and very many
classical songs that do not pose a challenge to the singer in terms of range.
what i'm suggesting is that the production of the operatic timbre itself
creates problems. analogously, any fool can get a sound out of a piano
without any trouble but, getting a sound out of a french horn is an entirely
different story. in fact, the main challenge in playing the french horn, as
i understand it (i can't even play a bugle), is in producing the sound well
and consistantly whereas, the challenge in playing the piano is all those
damn notes.

pop singers, largely, use the sound of their speaking voices to sing
with. operatic singers are doing something quite different. it is a lot
easier to produce a speaking sound than it is to produce an operatic quality
and with that ease, comes more flexibility. that flexibility, i believe, is
key to a lot of non operatic music. when an opera singer crosses over and
brings their operatic production with them, they are about as subtle as
grenade fishing.

mike

emusic.com