Mike, (and others interested in this argument)
I don't understand how you can call the female classical voice "falsetto".
You said in an earlier email:
"i have never really seen an example of something that i
would call falsetto being actually connected to something i would call 'real'
voice, with one exception - nicolai gedda's singing of the last note of the
aria 'magische tone' from goldmark's 'die konigin von saba'"
Now I must admit, I haven't heard this recording... but are you saying that
female classical singers never sing with their "real" voice? This is
perposterous to me. Are you saying that my only real voice is my chest
voice??? This would give me the range of a tenor at best. I also happen to
speak in the voice in which I sing (I know, you're thinking, oh, typical
singer...she probably speaks really high and breathy. On the contrary, I
have a very deep, resonant speaking voice. But it is not in my so called
chest voice. I can promise you that) So, does that mean that I speak in a
fake voice? This is the voice that I feel most comfortable with, and I must
admit, it has served me very well in both the operatic and musical theatre
fields. It is more resonant than my chest voice, has 100 times as much
flexibility, agility, range and I can sustain it longer than I could ever
sustain my chest voice. I would assume that if pop singers would learn to
incorporate this voice into their singing, there wouldn't be so many ruined
voices/careers.
I believe that your comment on 'pop singers not having to resort to a
falsetto, so why should classical singers' is purely subjective. First off,
YES, it is the style -- there are very few people in the world who can sing
past about a C above middle C in chest voice healthily, or even comfortably.
Now, there is a whole spectrum of notes far beyond this point. If it is
negative to use this so called falsetto voice, how else would we reach these
notes? Plus, I believe many composers compose vocal music with an
instrumental quality in mind -- that of a cello, violin, flute, etc.... and
ironically, most chest voices that I have heard sound, in my opinion, like
the equivalent of a hurdy gurdy. Heh, heh. The things that come out of your
mouth after 11 hours of rehearsal and teaching.
At this late of hour, I can't put together any more rational thoughts (I
don't even know if the ones that I made can count as rational), but I would
be very interested to hear more on this subject from you (or from anyone
else, of course)
Lauren (you were looking for a fight???)
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