On Fri, 22 Jun 2001, Dolphin aura wrote:
> ok here it goes: another question... :)
> I was just wondering what aria's or songs go above a
> high f (above a high c) for sopranos?
I'm not sure how high these go, but they are noted for being very high
(i.e., for soprano acuto sfogato):
"Mein Herz ist mir so schwer" - Marie's aria from Zimmerman's DIE SOLDATEN
"I am the wife of Mao Tse-Tung" - Mme. Mao's aria from Adams' NIXON IN
CHINA
There are, of course, the two arias for the Queen of the Night from
Mozart's THE MAGIC FLUTE, both of which have high Fs.
"Pale et blonde" - Ophelie's aria from Thomas' HAMLET, has a high E.
"Ah! non giunge uman pensiero" - Amina's aria from Bellini's LA
SONNAMBULA, has a high E flat.
Lakme's Bell Song ("Ou va la jeune Hindoue?") from Delibes' LAKME has a
high E.
Olympia's "Les oiseaux dans la charmille" from Offenbach's LES CONTES
D'HOFFMANN has a high E flat, and is often done with alternate higher
notes (Roberta Alexander, for example, sang the aria in the 1988 Met
production and interpolated a high G!).
"Je Suis Titania" - Philine's Polonaise from Thomas' MIGNON has a high E
flat.
The cycle CHANSON POUR LES OISEAUX by Louis Beydt don't go as high as an
F, but the song "L'oiseaux bleu" does build to the high E, and also ends
on a pianissimo high D.
Zerbinetta's aria from Strauss's ARIADNE AUF NAXOS has a high E (or F if
you sing the original version), and also a high tessitura. It's also
devilishly hard.
There are a few songs by Ned Rorem for extremely high soprano: "Song for
a Girl," "Pippi's Song," and "In a Gondola" most notably.
Also, look at "The Nightingale and the Rose" by Saint-Saens, and "Amor"
from Richard Strauss's BRENTANO-LIEDER, and Bach's Cantata 199. Also the
Mozart concert arias composed for his sister-in-law Aloysia Lange -
"Vorrei speigarvi, oh Dio" (K418) and "Mia speranza adorata" (K415) which
have high Ds, Es, and Fs to spare. And most notable of all, "Popoli de
Tessagli" (K316), also written for Lange, which has a high G (!). His
"Sperai vicino" (K368) was not composed for Lange, but has similar
characteristics - dazzling fioratura and a sustained high F.
There are also cadenzas out there that extend the actual ranges of arias.
Ellen Beach Yaw, the American acuto sfogato (rough translation: very high
light and flexible - a kind of superextended leggero) soprano of the turn
of the 20th Century, was reknowned for both her extreme high range and her
creation of cadenzas to show off that range. There is a recording of Beach
Yaw on Gemm/Pearl that features some of these "cadenza-ized" arias -
perhaps you could get that recording and "borrow" her cadenzas (by ear).
Also keep in mind that it's a soprano tradition to interopolate high notes
where none were written - for example, there's a tradition of substituting
the high E (or E flat) for the "come scritti" high C at the ends of many
Bel Canto arias. Similarly a high F at the end of the "Ernani, involami"
cadenza (from Verdi's ERNANI), high E at the end of his Bolero from I
VESPRI SICILIANI, and a nigh E flat at the end of the standard cadenza to
"Ah fors e lui" from his LA TRAVIATA (i.e., on the "croce e delizia") and
a high E flat at the end of "Sempre libera". And Maria Callas (God bless
her) sang a high E flat at the end of Aida's triumphal scene during a
performance in Mexico City early in her career.
Keep in mind also that when a light lyric coloratura sings a high C, it
seems higher to the ears of the listener than when a dramatic soprano or
mezzo sings the same note. And notes above that all seem simply HIGH to
most listeners, so it really doesn't matter if "that note" is a high D or
a high F - it's going to be equally impressive to the average listener.
Also, I'd much rather hear a good, beautiful high B flat than a pinched,
squeaky, pointless high F that exists only to say "I can sing this high".
If you can't sing the high notes beautifully, don't bother. Singing should
be about artistry, emotion, and musicianship. The mechanics (technique)
are simply an enabler for these things, not an end in themselves.
KM
............................
NEIL SHICOFF, TENORE SUPREMO
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Own Website
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ I sing hymns with my spirit, +
+ but I also sing hymns with my mind. +
+ - 1 Corinthians 14:15 +
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