From: Tako Oda
To: VOCALIST <vocalist>
Subject: RE: Baritone Upper Register Hook
Send reply to: VOCALIST <vocalist>

Ernie Valenzuela wrote:
> Milnes had a magnificently unique voice that produced glorious sounds
> in the upper reaches of the baritone stratosphere. Even in 1986 -
> when it was evident that he was having difficulties in his middle
> register - he could bring the Met house down with the climactic,
> interpolated high Ab in IL PROLOGO from I PAGLIACCI. And his
> interpolated high Bb from Ezio's monologue from Verdi's ATTILA
> was something to experience

I remember a Cb5 -> Bbb -> Ab appogiatora at the close of one of his
Rigoletto's, too. There's a rumour he had a C natural at one point, but
I've never heard a recording of it. Anyone out there know of one?

Thanks!

Tako Oda
Graduate Student in Composition
Mills College Music Department
http://www.mills.edu/PEOPLE/gr.pages/toda.public.html/music/singer.html