In a message dated 4/1/2001 8:59:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time, snide76258@a... writes: snide76258@a... writes:
> I saw it, but there is > some music where there are melismas that go on for what seems like > FOREVER. (And you thought "Rejoice" was bad!) >
True indeed. I have these 2 books called "The art of the Castrati" volume's 1 & 2. An upcoming Countertenor put these books together as an anthology for the male Alto/Mezzo & women who like to sing trouser roles. Some of the coloratura passages in these arias are so freaking long that I couldn't imagine anyone making it though them without sneaking in a catch breath somewhere. But I guess all that training combined with the fact that they were cut really paid off. I wonder if there are any singers today with breath control that might be the equivalent of what the castrati were said to have.
Ken
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