Interesting question from my voice teacher the other day. She asked me
what I called myself when I did auditions, competitions, etc. At first, I
thought she meant my name - but what she meant is what voice category I
listed myself as.
I say interesting, because when I told her I called myself a mezzo-soprano
(or, when I needed to be more specific, a dramatic mezzo), her response
was that if it weren't for Marilyn Horne, she would argue with me: she
thinks I have all the earmarks of a true contralto - and that it's only
because Horne was so contralto-like, and still called herself a mezzo and
got away with it, that I should feel safe "getting away with" calling
myself a mezzo.
So here's my question: given how rare real contraltos are these days,
would it be a good or bad career move for me to start calling myself a
contralto? Is the world really ready for true contraltos, or are we all
so used to hearing mezzo-sopranos in the contralto roles that labelling
one's self (accurately) a contralto would be more of a hindrance than a
help?
There are only two singers I can think of who actually call themselves
this: Ewa Podles and Nathalie Stutzmann - the former is a lyric-coloratura
contralto, the latter is mainly a recitalist, though she does sing some
opera. No-one else seems willing to take the risk of using this rare (and
possibly outmoded) label.
Given that true contralto roles are routinely cast with
mezzo-sopranos these days - often those who haven't got the lower
registers to really qualify them for
the music (or the _fach_) - I'm not sure whether admitting to being a
contralto in such an environment would be to my benefit or not. Would an
auditor be turned off by the label, because no-one really wants contraltos
these days when mezzos fill the bill just fine (even though, to my ears at
least, they often really don't)? Or would it stimulate an auditor's
interest to have a real contralto auditioning for a contralto role? Would
calling myself a contralto disqualify me from the true mezzo roles
that I certainly have the good upper register and upper
extension/range to perform, regardless of where my "breaks" lie (I have a
very solid high B flat that I have no problem trotting out in public)?
Should I prepare two resumes, one that says "contralto" for when I
audition for true contralto roles, and one that says "mezzo-soprano" for
all others? And which label should I use for competitions? Could
"fach-schizophrenia" get me into trouble?
Does any of this really matter?
Advice please....
Karen Mercedes
=====
My NEIL SHICOFF Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Website:
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
-----
Es en balde, majo mio, que sigas hablando
porque hay cosas que contesto yo
siempre cantando:
Tra la la...
Por mas que preguntes tanto:
tra la la...
En mi no causas quebranto
ni yo he de salir de mi canto:
tra la la...
- Fernando Periquet
|
