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Aria of the Day
The videos below have been posted as choices for my Aria of the Day on Facebook to showcase the best in classical singing. It is crucial that singers understand what wonderful singing truly sounds like. The best and most beautiful singing is also the most healthy singing, which ensures long, fruitful careers.
Here is the magnificent Dorothy Maynor singing a spiritual. I love the warmth her vocal technique adds that balances out her naturally bright instrument. By widening at the base of the pharynx and relaxing the larynx, she creates an elongated, open yet relaxed resonance chamber that produces a naturally warmer sound. Every singer should strive for this type of optimization of technique, in order to maximize every wonderful and unique vocal quality.
Here is the glorious Walter Widdop singing Wagner in English translation. Note what a beautiful legato he maintains, despite singing in English. He keeps the breath flowing and sings through the consonants, using them as links to the next vowel. This is a beautiful and a healthy way to approach the Wagnerian repertoire.
Here is the magnificent Elisabeth Rethberg singing Verdi. What an amazingly pure sound she has! Not only is the airstream meeting the vocal cords just as they come together for a perfect onset, but her vocal cords are approximating ideally - close enough to create any excess air from escaping as they vibrate. It is this relationship of the vocal cords that creates a pristine vibration for the resonators to amplify into glorious sound. A pure sound can be developed by working with an expert teacher and using exercises that help teach the vocal cords to approximate in a healthier manner.
Here is John Aler singing a Nietzsche art song. Note the lovely height and headiness in his upper range. By raising and widening his soft palate, he helps create the necessary resonance space for the higher pitches and by sending the tone back and up, he ensures that it will take advantage of the extra space. He is also mixing in enough head resonance to produce easy high notes, while still keeping a connection to his chest resonance. Beautiful!
Here is the scintillating Elena Cernei singing Saint-Saens. She clearly possesses the dark, haunting quality of a mezzo soprano, along with the faster vibrato characteristic of many mezzos. Even though her vibrato is faster, it takes a back seat to the other wonderful qualities in her voice - her amazing resonance, chocolatey color, absolute consistency and wonderful legato. Occasionally, the vowels in her low and middle voice are pulled just a little too far back, which alters the vowels. Otherwise, this is a flawless and magical performance.
Here is the wonderful Helen Watts singing Handel. Note her full, round sound, even when singing faster passages. Her voice never loses its characteristic dark timbre, because she keeps her oro-pharynx open and her vowel placement consistent. It is a singer's resonance that creates and amplifies vocal color, so that resonance space must remain open and expanded for maximum sound quality.
Here is Luciana D'Intino singing from the Verdi Requiem. What a magnificent voice! Most of the time it rings forth, enveloping the audience in a huge wave, magnified brilliantly by her resonance chambers. But several times, she doesn't trust that the sound is enough and adds extra air to be louder. When she does so, her vibrato widens or her tone loses clarity. Singers must trust they will be heard vs. pushing to create volume.
Here is Pasquale Amato singing a wonderful aria by Carlos Gomez. I love the amazingly consistent color he maintains throughout his range. This is exactly what every classical singer should strive for. His warmth doesn't dissipate as he reaches the top, but stays consistent with the rest of the voice, because his resonance chambers are remaining open and expanded. Beautiful!
Here is the wonderful Oralia Dominguez singing this charming Verdi aria. Note how open her throat remains throughout each phrase and each part of her range. Instead of trying to control the individual pharyngeal muscles, she is widening at the base of her throat. Doing so opens the same muscles, but ensures they open in a passive manner that creates a free and beautiful tone. Remember, the less effort you put in from the throat up, the better the results.
Here is the magnificent Tito Ruffo singing Meyerbeer. Note how amazingly strong his top is, ringing out and almost overwhelming the recording equipment. Many voices are like his, while others remain more even throughout their range. Ironically, when done correctly, high notes sound softer to the singers themselves. They only seem loud when there is some issue with them or singers hold the sound in to try to hear it. Singers should never try to hear themselves, but utilize the expert ears of a teacher and sensation as their guides.
Here is Enkhbatyn Amartüvshin singing Giordano. This is an impressive performance from a younger artist. His voice has a dark, creamy quality indicative of his relaxed and lowered laryngeal position. After each consonant he allows it to relax does, lengthening the pharyngeal space and adding to his wonderful color. I do agree with the commenters on YouTube that he sounds more like a bass voice singing as a baritone. If he continues with the dramatic baritone repertoire, I would like to see him develop more ring to create the required brilliance of the voice type and help balance out his back space.
Here is the fabulous Lotte Lehmann singing Lehar. Note how effortless her voice seems here, and brimming with absolute clarity. There is not a hint of anything excessive or unnecessary. She is using only the top edges of the vocal cords to create her sound and singing small - not pushing excess air. This is the best approach for any singer, but is very difficult to achieve without an expert's help.
Here is Neil Shicoff singing Offenbach. In this amazing performance, he does an exceptional job of acting while maintaining his vocal technique. Many singers, used to standing still while practicing, find it challenging to navigate staging and keep their techniques consistent. Shicoff shows us here that it is entirely possible to retain an active support system in the torso while moving the whole body freely AND using the body language of the character.
Here is the amazing Leo Slezak singing Boieldieu. Note the great evenness and consistency of his voice. He has an almost imperceptible vibrato that helps create this consistency. It is certainly present, but stays in the background, only enhancing the great beauty of his voice. That is the ideal vibrato for every voice. The speed of vibrato may change, but it should always play a secondary role.
Here is Lucia Valentini Terrani singing Vivaldi. Listen to that fabulous resonance and color! She must have worked hard as a young singer to discover the right vowel placement that utilized her back space without changing or masking her vowel clarity. But her resonance and color are the outstanding characteristics that make her voice unique to her. It is important for singers to explore their resonance with the guidance of a knowledgeable teacher and use it wisely, in order to develop their talent to the fullest.
Here is Juan Diego Flórez singing Verdi. Even though his voice is naturally brilliant with pronounced frontal resonance, he also possesses warmth and color from back resonance. This is the chiaroscuro or "light-dark" that is highly desired in classical singing. In many singers, one resonator will be more pronounced, as the frontal resonance is here. In some, there is a balance between the two. To honor your unique instrument, it is important to make sure your training is including both and to the right degree.
Here is Dolora Zajick singing Cilea. Here her voice is lovely, round and warm, its color garnered from excellent use of the vocal cords and resonance spaces in the oro-pharynx. When the air is pushed through the vocal cords, they are not able to function correctly and the resonance suffers drastically as a result. It is tempting for singers to believe they have to "make" the voice happen It is actually a passive result of the air and vocal cords meeting. We just need to control HOW they meet, in order to create the most beautiful sound.
Here is Van Sarajishvili singing an Italian song by di Capua. Despite the limitations of the very old recording, it is still easy to hear what a master of dynamics he was. He crescendos and decrescendos easily, maintaining a wonderfully open and consistent sound when forte and pianissimo. His soft high notes almost seem to go into falsetto, but those could still have been connected to his chest resonance and simply not come across in such a rudimentary recording. This is a lovely example of Italian musicality and sensibility.
Here is the great Marilyn Horne singing a song by Rossini that showcases her amazing flexibility. To perform the coloratura passages, note how she lightens her voice and sings softer. These are two absolutely crucial steps toward excellent coloratura. The vocal cords have difficulty moving quickly with too much excess weight. Here, she allows her resonance to magnify the sound vs. trying to create a heavy sound from the cords themselves.
Here is a lovely performance of Peter Pears singing Britten with Britten accompanying. Note the wonderful freedom of his voice here. He isn't attempting to control the sound by manipulating the larynx and throat. Instead, he lets the larynx relax downward and leaves everything expanded and open, trusting in the sound. Trust is a crucial component of singing, but is rarely discussed. Every singer will produce a better sound by setting up the right conditions and then letting the mechanism above the vocal cords "do" itself.
Here is Angelika Kirchschlager singing a delightful Bach aria. Note the smoothness of each of her phrases, even in the faster passages. She is singing on the thin edges of the vocal cords, the most efficient and healthy use of them, which helps her entire range match up. Then, her quick passages are wonderfully balanced and her production is consistent and effortless.
Here is the amazing Eberhard Wächter singing Wagner. What a fabulous voice! His diction is incredibly crisp and detatched, but his voice remains consistently open, warm and resonant. He does not allow his breath to stop with the consonants. Instead, he keeps it going and maintains all of his oro-pharyngeal expansion throughout the whole phrase, whether he is singing or not. That keeps his sound uniform and unaffected by the diction requirements.
Here is the renowned countertenor, Russel Oberlin, singing Dowland. Note how, even though he has an unusual instrument, his voice has the qualities desired in any classical voice - clarity, brilliance, openness, warmth, an even vibrato. These are the hallmarks of healthy functioning of the vocal mechanism and are what you should look for in your own voice, no matter what your instrument is.
Here is Andrey Grigoriev singing Rimsky-Korsakoff. He displays here an extremely consistent sound throughout his range. He doesn't wait until his onset to initiate his support system, but instead starts to support slightly before he actually begins the tone. That provides a cushion of energy on which his tone can ride from the beginning to the very end of the phrase. This is a fabulous performance!
Here is the effervescent Rita Streich singing an Alabiev song. Note the wonderful clarity of her voice, a result of healthy vocal cord functioning. Her cords are approximating closely together, which helps prevent air from escaping and creating an airy, unfocused sound. By using only the top, thin edges of the vocal cords, she is able to produce this lovely, supple tone that works seamlessly from the bottom to the top of her range. A brilliant performance!
Here is the wonderful Thomas Quasthoff singing Strauss. Note how cleverly he manages his dynamics. Merely by altering the intensity of his resonance, he crescendos and decrescendos easily, while maintaining stable and flexible support in the torso. This is the ideal, because it allows for a full, colorful sound throughout.
Here is Elisabeth Schwarzkopf singing Mozart. Compared to Diego Flórez' voice yesterday, it is easy to hear that Schwarzkopf's voice has much more pronounced back resonance. That gives her voice a naturally rounder sound without a buzzy, pointed edge. Her frontal resonance is still engaged, however, and offers her voice a lovely spin and sheen.
Here is the stunning Eugenio Giraldoni singing Giordano. What a gorgeous voice! His unique color can't help but leap out, despite the age of the recording. His larynx relaxes down after each beginning consonant, which is one important element in creating all of that luscious color. And he does so while releasing excess vocal weight as he ascends. Each note is perfectly balanced and a treat to hear.
Here is the incredible Florence Easton singing "O mio babbino caro", the aria she debuted first in 1918, by Puccini. Even on this primitive recording, it is easy to hear the wonderful sparkle and spin she had in her voice. They are by-products of healthy functioning at the vocal cord level and correct utilization of nasal ring to both protect the cords and enhance resonance. You can't create sparkle and spin without other aspects of the vocal mechanism working well. So, stick to the basics and let these elements emerge in time.
Here is Elly Ameling singing a Debussy song. I love the fact that her soft palate remains high throughout her range. By doing so, the middle and low parts of her voice gain added warmth, color and beauty and are completely consistent with her higher notes. What a wonderful example for young sopranos!
Here is Bejun Mehta singing Handel. I like this recording, because he has a wonderful core to his sound. The legato connection he has in phrases with longer note values certainly reinforces that stable core. Only in a couple of places, mainly at the top and bottom of his range, does extra air escape the cords, creating an airy sound. These places require more energetic resistance in the body to manage the air effectively and keep the sound 100% consistent. It is heartwarming to see how much the audience adores this young singer!
Here is Richard Stilwell singing Gounod. Note how similar his color remains even at the top of his range. He never allows the sound to become overly bright. By covering his high notes, as men's voices are required to do, his sound keeps resonating in the back space, maintaining its height, color and beauty. A lovely performance.
Here is an early Renata Scotto singing Donizetti. Note the wonderful, undulating flexibility she displays in her dynamics. That requires first a base of strong yet elastic support. Then, the vocal cords need to utilize the thin edge function AND the whole mechanism must maintain the support while decreasing the intensity in the mask to create piano and pianissimo singing. This is a stunning example!
Here is the amazing Agnes Kimball in a song by Charles Wakefield Cadman. Note the wonderful purity and evenness of her tone. She is setting an expanded, relaxed soft palate at the beginning of each phrase, enough for the highest note, and maintaining that raised position throughout the phrase. This helps keep it absolutely even and resonant throughout and helps her high notes spin and shimmer.
Here is Lawrence Brownlee singing Donizetti. Note the wonderful ease of his high notes. That is due not only to the correct bodily support to keep the oro-pharynx open, but to his ever-present ring. When used correctly, a consistent ring in the voice reduces the distance between notes, making your range feel much shorter and more accessible - even in a very difficult aria like this one.
Here is Mihoko Fujimura singing Wagner. This is a lovely rendition of this short aria. Her voice is warm, shimmery and has the ping to cut through the large orchestra. Her performance isn't faultless, however. When we have a chance to see her breathing, it is appears high and her vibrato is slightly wide. Otherwise, this is ravishing.
Here is Piotr Beczala singing Lehár. Note his wonderful legato. Not only does he elongate the vowels, but he uses the consonants well, too. The voiced ones (the vocal cords vibrate) he continues until he starts the next note and the unvoiced ones (the cords do not vibrate) he performs and then moves directly on the next sound, consonant or vowels. Thus the consonants become an active, vibrant link between the vowels, helping to keep a continuous train of beautiful sound.
Here is Julia Hamari singing Bach. In this deceptively difficult piece, she does a wonderful job energizing the many long, held notes. Her tone on those never loses vitality or goes flat. One way to accomplish that is to think of singing a number of shorter notes without re-articulating them versus simply holding a note. The concept of the individual notes keeps the pitch buoyant and lively. With practice, your sustained notes will stay as energized as faster note values.
Here is Kiri Te Kanawa singing Franck. Her lovely, shimmery high notes are due to a number of factors. First, she is releasing excess weight as she moves up the scale, allowing more and more head voice mechanism at the vocal cord level. Second, she has a high soft palate, which creates the larger resonance space necessary for higher pitches. Third, she has ring, which creates the high overtones that give sparkle to her sound. Fourth, she is not pushing or pressing the tone out, but setting up the optimal conditions and letting it happen. These are technical elements that every voice type can utilize to create stunning high notes.
Here is Ferruccio Tagliavini singing Cilèa. In this charming rendition, he performs remarkable dynamics, going from an exciting full voiced approach to an extremely light, heady pianissimo. His approach to soft singing is so extreme that he might even lose connection with his chest voice, creating an almost falsetto sound. There is a fine line between singing softly with the core of the voice (including a chest connection) and singing falsetto. Classical singing teaches us to use our WHOLE voices. In Tagliavini's case, we would have had to hear him live to determine if he truly loses that essential core or not.
Here is the fabulous Frida Leider singing Wagner. Note how she sings with such wonderful legato and a clear tone. The best Wagnerians of the past sang the repertoire with this approach - as if singing the Italian operatic rep. This is quite different from today's Wagnerians, who tend to use a heavier approach and not employ a true legato. Singing a seamless line is easier and therefore healthier for the voice, so it is wise to utilize it as much as possible, especially when singing more difficult rep. In this recording, it is possible to hear how wonderful a true legato sounds in Wagner.
Here is Franco Fagioli in a heartfelt rendition of Handel. This is an interesting example of the singer's challenge of balancing technique and emotion. Clearly, a wonderful technique is necessary to allow a singer's true instrument to shine, but singers must be able to feel the emotions of the words they sing and express them. The stronger the emotions, the more they can affect the technique adversely. Here, Fagioli walks the fine line between the voice and the emotions, occasionally erring on the side of emotion. However, the listener can sense his performance is imbued with feeling, making listening a wonderful experience.
Here is the great Tito Schipa in Donizetti. Note how he maintains a small kernel of his chest voice, even as he adds more height and head resonance through each passaggio note into his top. That helps ground his voice and keeps it connected and healthy, as well as making the voice function better as a whole. Every chest voice note has some small measure of head resonance and every head voice note should have some small measure of chest resonance.
Here is a fun and lively rendition of the famous Falstaff quartet. The singers are Stella Doufexis, Adrianne Pieczonka, Larissa Diadkova and Dorothea Röschmann. Each of these women is singing very well, but not attempting to overproduce sound. They are singing on the thin edges of the cords, which keeps their individual voices full, but flexible, exactly what is needed for a quartet of this type. It brings a delightful crispness and accuracy that is rare to find. The men do join in at the very end in this recording, expanding the quartet.
Here is a ravishing quartet from Rigoletto featuring Joan Sutherland, Isola Jones, Luciano Pavarotti and Leo Nucci. Sutherland has lost some of the frontal ring of her earlier years, but is still an inspiration with her easy, huge, high notes. Isola Jones sings with a lovely warmth and consistency and does a fine acting job. Pavarotti is his usual bright-sounding self (listen to his earliest recordings for a hint at the dark color he was truly capable of), but occasionally sounds a bit pushed at the top. Nucci has few solo moments, but comes across as solid foundation on which the quartet can rest. It is a classic version and one worthy of attention.
Here is a lovely rendition of the famous quartet from Faust. The singers are: Faust - Marcelo Giordani,
Marguerite - Soile Isokoski, Dame Marthe - Martine Mahé and Mephistopheles - Ferruccio Furlanetto. This is a complex piece with many nuances, but the singers do an excellent job of bringing to life the disparate motives and emotions of the characters, not an easy task. While working hard on developing an excellent vocal technique, it is incumbent on you the singer to also develop your emotional connection to the music and acting skills. Vocal technique only brings to the world your best, most ideal vocal instrument. More is needed to touch an audience.
Here is the wonderful Piero Cappuccilli singing Verdi. As with so many native Italian singers, he adapts the language brilliantly when singing. Note how long he sings on each vowel, using the consonants as a bridge to the next vowel. However, he never stops his breath flow. Even when a pause is required or he performs one for dramatic effect, underneath it all, his breath is still moving. For each phrase, the breath should be like a wave, not stopping or being held.
Here is Lawrence Brownlee singing Donizetti. Note the wonderful ease of his high notes. That is due not only to the correct bodily support to keep the oro-pharynx open, but to his ever-present ring. When used correctly, a consistent ring in the voice reduces the distance between notes, making your range feel much shorter and more accessible - even in a very difficult aria like this one.
Here is Mihoko Fujimura singing Wagner. This is a lovely rendition of this short aria. Her voice is warm, shimmery and has the ping to cut through the large orchestra. Her performance isn't faultless, however. When we have a chance to see her breathing, it is appears high and her vibrato is slightly wide. Otherwise, this is ravishing.
Here is the wonderful Ingvar Wixell singing Verdi. Note how present his voice is, even though he isn't pushing to create sound at all. He has a wonderful ring that projects his tone outward for him, allowing him to sing freely and easily. On top of that, he does a fabulous job bringing this complicated character to life.
Here is Sumi Jo in Johann Strauss. Note how easy and floaty her high notes are. She isn't doing any extra work to create those notes, because the vocal cords themselves simply come together to create any pitch. HOWEVER, to maintain an open, big and beautiful sound, a singer needs to use energy in the torso to control the breath-flow, open the oro-pharynx, raise the soft palate, etc. It is important to remember that the cords do very little actual work, as can be heard in this charming example.
Here is James Morris singing Wagner. I love his approach in this rendition. Even though it is Wagner, he doesn't feel the pressure to sing full-voice. Instead, he matches his volume to the orchestra. His piano singing is well-supported and his vibrato (which, let's just be honest, has been known to be rather wide) is narrower, controlled and healthy-sounding. Alternating between full-voiced and softer singing is important, even in the midst of an aria. Famous singers have always chosen their places to "rest" or sing a little less. It is an extremely healthy practice for vocal longevity.
Here is Shirley Verrett in a gorgeous, acapella performance of a spiritual. What make this so interesting is her absolute consistency throughout. It is like an advertisement for what classical singing training can accomplish. Her voice is ravishing with that haunting, mezzo quality to it, her resonators remain completely open, her pitch is wonderful and her voice seems to be of one consistent piece from top to bottom. This results from the best vocal technique and is what any singer should strive to attain.
Here is Martti Talvela singing Mozart. I love how expressive he is with the music. He phrases delicately, sings emphatically, does staccatos, and employs various dynamics throughout, but his real nature of his voice remains completely unchanged throughout. This is the goal of a singing artist - such a consistent, flexible support system that all of these changes are possible with a beautiful, balanced, resonant voice that carries to the back of the hall.
Here is Gerhard Stolze in Wagner. It is important to emphasize wonderful singing in character voices, as well. This is a fabulous example of an extremely accomplished character tenor. Note how smooth and even his voice is and how quickly and dramatically he is able to change color and character. Without a supple support system to keep the vocal cords working optimally and his pharynx open, that wouldn't be possible. With it, he is able to make intelligent choices about altering his mouth resonance and vowel placement to bring about the results he desires.
Here is the wonderful Easter chorus and solo from Cavalleria, featuring the magnificent Jessye Norman. I was exposed to the chorus as a freshman in college and found this version shortly afterward. Norman has sung both soprano and mezzo repertoire throughout her career, since her voice could be classified as a zwichenfach. Not every voice fits neatly in the available fachs and many a fine singer has suffered for not being exactly what is expected. But it is important to develop your unique instrument and not attempt to fit yourself into any prescribed boxes. Only when you sing with YOUR instrument will you reach the heights of vocal achievement.
Here is Håkan Hagegård in Wagner. This is a tender, expressive version of this gorgeous aria. He does not sing full voice all the time, but instead uses dynamics to shape the phrases musically. I love the fact that he is treating Wagner's music in the same way he would an art song. Singing with support and ring will help a voice "cut" through an orchestra, so singing as loudly as possible all the time isn't necessary and isn't in fact healthy for the voice.
Here is the enchanting Pilar Lorengar singing Massenet. Even though her voice sounds light and frothy, it has a solid base underneath that allows her to have a full-throated, womanly and free sound. That base consists of a flexible support system, a relaxed larynx and a continued connection to her chest voice throughout her range. This combination is necessary for any serious singer, but it does take time and study to learn the necessary coordinations and then to make them work together.
Here is part of the wonderful quartet from The Abduction of the Seraglio in English. The singers are Rosalind Keene, Rae Cocking, Donald Smith and Gino Zancanaro. All of these talented singers have beautiful, open and consistent voices. No one is straining or pushing to produce a larger sound, but trusting instead in their resonance to magnify their voices. Everyone's high notes are well-supported and easy. The resultant experience is an exhilarating quartet that could grace any international stage.
Here is a fabulous quartet from Fidelio featuring Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Kirsten Flagstad, Josef Greindl and Anton Dermota (in order of entry). Both Schwarzkopf and Flagstad, who are highlighted, are in fine voice and singing with open, fully-supported techniques. The same can be said for the bass Greindl and tenor Dermota. It is amazing how well these four individualistic voices blend together. An excellent technique not only allows the true, complete beauty of your unique instrument to shine through, but it also helps your voice blend better with others, while still maintaining your voice's individuality.
Here is the indomitable Florence Quivar in the Verdi Requiem. She sounds magnificent here with a luscious, full chest voice. But she is singing easily and not pressing to create the sound. It is very easy for singers to push in their chest registers, expecting a bigger, fuller sound in return. The reality is that approach actually creates tension at the vocal cords and impedes the voice from working properly, shutting down the sound. It is only by singing easily as Ms. Quivar illustrates here that you can maximize the chest register you truly possess.
Here is Olga Borodina singing Rossini. In this rendition, she uses tiny puffs of air in between the notes of the coloratura passages, one approach to accomplishing them. The other approach is simply to sing the lines as is. Both approaches require considerable practice for the vocal cords to manage the speedy runs. The thin edge function that Borodina employs so well here is also extremely important, because it keeps too much weight from being added to the voice, making fast passages cumbersome, heavy and dulled. This is a wonderful performance!
Here is the radiant Montserrat Caballe in Puccini. Note what a silvery tone she possesses. Throughout the aria, her naturally small vibrato is even and a subtle highlight to enhance her beautiful voice. The only time it changes is for the final high note, when the vibrato widens and slows down considerably. That is because she is pushing and doing unnecessary work for the high note. Had she trusted her technique a little more, her high notes would have been glorious and the vibrato undisturbed. However, this is still a wonderful example of excellent singing.
Here is the wonderful Piero Cappuccilli singing Verdi. As with so many native Italian singers, he adapts the language brilliantly when singing. Note how long he sings on each vowel, using the consonants as a bridge to the next vowel. However, he never stops his breath flow. Even when a pause is required or he performs one for dramatic effect, underneath it all, his breath is still moving. For each phrase, the breath should be like a wave, not stopping or being held.
Here is Raina Kabaivanska in Verdi. In this lovely performance, it is easy to hear the openness and space in her floaty high notes. She is lifting and expanding her soft palate, but in a manner that keeps it soft and relaxed. It is also possible to raise the soft palate by forcing it up and holding it in a higher position. Unfortunately, this makes the muscle tight, which decreases the beauty of the sound drastically. If you approach lifting the soft palate as you would do a yawn, you will maintain the requisite softness and ease.
For a low-key start to the week, here is Martti Talvela singing Mozart. Note his almost imperceptible vibrato throughout his range. This is a sign of a very healthy technique. It is absolutely present, but never detracts our attention from the round, dark, luscious beauty of his tone. It is like the frosting on the cake. A vibrato that is pronounced or seems too fast or too slow is most often an indication of incorrect breath pressure, which affects the vocal cords' ability to work precisely as they should.
Here is Elena Cernei singing a famous verismo aria. I love how she possesses such an amazing line in her voice. Listening to her, I get the sense of an unending flow of air, gently vibrating her vocal folds at the optimal speed. Of course, she is controlling that air with breath resistance, but in such a masterful way that the listener only experiences a great sense of openness and ease. This is a brilliant example of what great singing is.
Here is the immortal Jessye Norman singing an exquisite rendition of one of the Four Last Songs. I vividly remember sitting at the back of Symphony Hall in Boston during a concert by La Norman when I was young. Every so often, she would create exactly the right resonance for a certain note and the very air around me would shimmer and vibrate. Usually, it wasn't even on a high note! It just goes to show the power of resonance to magnify and transport the voice to an audience. The vocal cords vibrate and make only a small sound. Our resonators do 98% of the work.
Here are Mirella Freni and Luciano Pavarotti in one of my favorite duets by Mascagni. In fact, I listened to this very rendition often in college and grad school. Both singers are young here with fresh voices and ideal techniques. As Italians, they know how to use the language to sing flawless, connected phrases without stopping the airflow. This a masterclass in singing legato and an example of what every singer should aspire to. Once this type of connection is achieved, it is then possible to learn to sing detached with the same sense of unimpeded legato.
Here are Philippe Jaroussky and Andreas Scholl in a delightful Purcell duet. This is a real treat! Both are singing extremely well with a pure core to their sound, which is enhanced by warmth and resonance. Even though they both occasionally sing straight tone, their base sound contains vibrato. Consistent, even vibrato is a symptom of a healthy voice and is appropriate even in early music. Straight tone is created by tightening the cords, which does not further a classical technique and, if overdone, can hinder proper vocal development.
Here are Mechthild Gessendorf and Sona Ghazarian in a charming version of this Der Freischütz duet. Both singers have a lovely sounds with plenty of height and spin throughout their range. They are keeping their soft palates relaxed, raised and widened to produce that beautiful lift and engage their nasal resonance. The higher overtones originate in the nasal resonance, which then creates spin and add additional beauty to the voice. This is a beautiful duet and definitely worth a listen!
Here is a riveting Verdi duet with Fiorenza Cossotto and Franco Corelli. They both are singing wonderfully with tons of resonance and squillo, creating warmth, space and the ring to cut through the orchestra and carry their voices to the back of the hall. Using the ring, their voices can run seamlessly from the bottom of the range to the top, as if along an invisible inner track, making the entire range more easily accessible and helping create the glorious high notes they display here.
Here is Sylvia McNair singing Mozart. In an aria that positively encourages oversinging, she still manages to employ a lovely, lyric approach. By resisting the impulse to push for dramatic effect even while entering into the martial aspects of the piece, her voice is able to stay free and open as she handles its demands. It is critical that singers ensure their technique is healthy when combining it with dramatic text, because it is incredibly easy to lose a beautiful, unimpeded sound.
Here is Léopold Simoneau singing Rossini. In this lovely recording, note how much height his tone has leading up to and going through his passagio. Instead of pushing up only chest resonance from the bottom as far as it can go, he gradually increases the mixture of head resonance as he ascends. This mixing aids in his seamless transition through the passaggio and the great sense of space and easy in his tone quality.
Here is the amazing Mario del Monaco singing Verdi. He possesses an exciting, visceral voice that you feel in your body. He is not attempting to create this sound - it is inherent in dramatic voices. He is essentially singing with the same type of technique as a lyric voice and this heroic sound is what emerges as his unique sound. Luckily, no one tried to tamp down his talent or change the nature of his instrument by telling him to sing softly or more lyrically. Uncovering the true, unique beauty of a voice is the real job of a voice teacher.
Here is the wonderful Kurt Moll in an amusing Mozart rendition. Note how amazingly consistent his voice is, even when jumping between registers. By maintaining his flexible support and using the thin edges of the cords, he can easily bounce back and forth and still keep the sound even and matched from high to very low. The thin edge function allows for optimal functioning of the cords and enhances flexibility and higher overtones. It does not mean singing lightly or off of the voice in any way.
Here are Frederica von Stade and Jose Carreras singing a duet from Werther. Von Stade employs lovely, long lyric lines, never straying from her technique. She doesn't push to create more sound, but trusts her voice will be heard. Carreras sounds young and fresh and a little like an exuberant puppy, which suits Werther's devoted yet unstable character. Although Carreras does a little extra on several high notes, he too sings with the beautiful, melting legato so wonderful in the French repertoire. This is a treat!
Here are Paul Plishka and Jerome Hines in a magnificent rendition of this famous Verdi duet. This is a fascinating study of a voice well-used. Plishka is mid-career with a wonderful, balanced technique and a lovely tone. Hines, with a similar instrument, has been singing for almost 35 years. The bloom of freshness is off of his voice, but he still retains a technique any bass today would envy. It is open, free, even and booms through the opera house. This is why singers need the very best singing technique possible - to protect your vocal future.
Here is the marvelous Giulietta Simionato singing Donizetti. She is one of my very favorite mezzos - an amazing instrument combined with a flawless technique. Note how balanced her voice is - open with a full-throated sound, but focused; plenty of height that allows the voice to bloom along with rock-solid depth and warmth; energized and producing a flood of sound, but easily produced and flexible. This is the challenge. The goal is develop all of these aspects, not just a few. All are required to be the best in classical singing... and for a healthy voice.
Here is Riccardo Bosco singing Handel. His sound is lovely and free throughout his range, because he isn't attempting to push more air through his top notes, a common fault in singers. Too much air overwhelms the vocal folds and impedes their delicate functioning. Instead, he intensifies his breath resistance in his torso, which provides the energy required to keep the oro-pharynx open AND controls the air at the vocal cords.
Here is Hans Braun singing Bach. I adore how sweet his voice sounds, especially for a bass. Because he is not pushing in an attempt to create more volume, but instead is drinking in the sound, his vocal production is free to remain easy, colorful and reflect the unique nature of his instrument. Pushing actually robs the voice of warmth and resonance vs. enhancing it.
Here is the fantastic Christa Ludwig singing Wagner. In this excerpt, note how easy, round and full her sound is. She isn't trying to push or make her voice larger for the Wagnerian repertoire, but is singing within the normal limits of HER voice. This is incredibly important for large-voiced singers to grasp. If you are meant to sing the repertoire, you won't need to push! A healthily produced voice with ring and depth will not only be heard over the orchestra, but an easy production will actually create MORE volume than pushing. This is counter-intuitive, which is why singers need to work with experienced teacher to reassure them that less really is more.
Here is Jochen Kowalski in a delightful version of Strauss. Note how lovely and even his vibrato is. Regularity is the sign of a healthy vibrato, as is falling within a certain range of speed. Vibratos that are too fast or too slow are signs that the flow of breath pressure going between the cords is wrong. Too much breath pressure, insufficient support or a fixed rib cage are some possible reasons, but problems manifest in each voice differently and can't be generalized.
Here is the wonderful George Shirley singing Mozart. Note how his voice is sweet, yet also possesses innate weight, warmth and color. Voices can be very complex, but it is only possible to hear the complete voice when the support system is working properly. It has to provide enough energy to keep the voice completely open, so that the jaw, tongue, lips and throat can relax and stay out of the way. Otherwise, they "help" provide enough energy and shut down the voice in the process.
Here is Mario Basiola singing Verdi. He sings both lyrically and in a declamatory fashion in this aria. It fascinating to hear how little he changes between the two. Even when declaiming and almost shouting, he still maintains the same support, expanded oro-pharynx, high soft palate, ng ring and vowel placement. As a result, his declamation has the same energy, color and vocal protection as his lyrical singing. This is an excellent example of the way to combine the two.
Here is the amazing Luisa Tetrazzini, singing two versions of the same Bellini aria (senza cabaletta). Her high notes are incredibly easy and assured. Of course, she has sufficient support to keep them open, but more than that, each one is trained to slot into the perfect place with exactly the right combination of resonances (head and bell registers). This is aided tremendously by the fact that she is allowing the high notes to be free vs. pushing on them.