Vocalist.org archive


From:  Nancy Fontana <cantabella_nf@y...>
Nancy Fontana <cantabella_nf@y...>
Date:  Mon Jun 4, 2001  8:16 am
Subject:  Re: Trill was Bartoli this, Bartoli that....


--- Sandra <sandra@b...> wrote:
--- Sandra <sandra@b...> wrote:

And there is one thing
> she does with her voice in her coloratura, I
> assume it is her version of a
> trill, that absolutely drives me nuts. It's
> not a real trill, it's some
> kind of little cheating technique or
> "short-cut"-anyone else know what I'm
> talking about?

Yes, I think you are referring to a "repeated
flutter" type of trill. I have used this myself
and picked it up from Marilyn Horne. It is very
helpful in the lower ranges where it is difficult
to project a traditional trill.
I don't use this much anymore however (my voice
has matured to the level
of thickness that I don't need these early
"tricks" to project the sound.) (I was a couldn't
decide High Mezzo/Spinto Soprano). And since I
had to be something I ended up in the
Mezzo Repertoire as my teacher felt I didn't
posses the natural beauty (competitively) to be a
soprano. At this point in the game I sing some
Mezzo Roles (the high stuff) and some
Soprano Roles (on the low side).
I feel Miss Bartoli has this same problem which
explains the criticism she gets about having a
smallish voice in the house.
I rather suspect she will perhaps cross over to
the Soprano Repertoire at some point in the
career (she definitely sings the high notes with
ease). Us inbetween singers can get REAL
frustrated with this.
Miss Bartoli will probably let go of some of her
current "tricks" (including her facial stuff) as
her vocal apparatus matures and changes. She will
find as she ages that the more "tension" free her
face and surrounding muscles are the better
her stamina and sound will be throughout a night
of singing. A good singer like any good
craftsman is constantly rethinking and adding or
ommitting concepts as the body and vocal
apparatus changes. I'm fairly sure that Miss
Bartoli's current facial contortions are a young
over zealous attempt at a larger more
encompassing sound. Young talented singers often
try to compensate for what they
feel they don't have. Those are my thoughts
Cheers.
N. Fontana

No matter how beautiful what
> she does up to that point, this
> trill-ish thing makes my hair stand on end. I
> wonder to myself why someone
> with such talent would use a "special effect"
> that sounds so bad. If ANYONE
> else knows what I'm talking about, please let
> me know what you think of it.
>
> I do feel that her sound is largely
> "manufactured". I don't know what
> "natural voice type" I would call her because I
> can't pick out her "natural
> sound" from the manufactured sound. That said,
> I respect greatly that she
> can so masterfully manipulate her voice to
> achieve the vocal timbre and
> colorations she wishes (exception- the trill
> thing).
>
> Having said that, I'd still take her voice in a
> heartbeat. She's much
> better than me ;> As for her faces, I could
> care less. I know this is
> going to sound like heresy, I'm very willing to
> tolerate contortions and
> gyrations for a beautiful sound.
>
> Sandra
>
>
>


=====
Nancy Fontana
The Rocky Mountain Woman



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