Vocalist.org archive


From:  Greypins@a...
Greypins@a...
Date:  Thu Apr 19, 2001  9:29 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Mozart in falsetto/ how styles change (was: grumpy mozartians)


In a message dated 4/19/2001 4:44:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
linda@f... writes:
linda@f... writes:

<< "Let's take these as a given" - well! Considering the epithets that are
usually attached to Ms Kirkby's singing, ("sublime" is the one I keep
reading - I think millions of people would be quite simply astonished to
hear anyone describe her as "horrible") I think you have no right to
take them as a given; in fact I think you'd certainly be in a minority.
>>

linda,

one cannot take 'sublime' as a given either. you yourself made the
distinction between ms. kirkby and cheryl studer. prefering one over the
other is probably more common than liking both. what is 'sublime' to one
might well be 'horrible' to another.
and i'm sure there are singers who sang duets with ms. studer in college who
might be offended by your comments on her (i don't criticize your loyalty).

if a singer's recordings have to be altered in order to detect vibrato,
then it is right to assume that it is fairly unnoticeable to the naked ear.
lloyd might have to amend 'straight-toned' to 'pretty darn close to
straight-toned'. on the other hand, one did not need to perform a spectral
analysis on the singing of beverly sills towards the end of her career to
tell if she had a wobble or not.

when i was in high school (early 70s), a bunch of us were discussing the
harnoncourt recordings of bach cantatas. my friend ray was saying how
horrible they were. a teacher of ours countered by saying "of all the
recordings currently available, these recordings are closest to bach's
intent." ray responded "oh! i guess i don't like bach as much as i thought
i did."

mike

emusic.com