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From:  Oberon603@a...
Oberon603@a...
Date:  Mon Apr 2, 2001  1:49 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Re: Breath control of castrati


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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