On Fri, 6 Jul 2001 Greypins@a... wrote:
> what? while there are long running passages in both composers' music, > they require no more breath than less ornate passages of the same length > unless, you are one of those 'ha-ha' singers. additionally, in a lot of the > longer passages, both bach and handel wrote in 16th note rests that allow for > a quick refueling.
Would that Herr Bach had been so kind, when writing that fiendish run in the "Esurientes" from his MAGNIFICAT, or, indeed, Mr. Handel when writing that extended passage (a' pia-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-anti miei) in "Cara sposa". Or, indeed, Herr Mozart, when he wrote "Parto, parto" in LA CLEMENZA DI TITO. My former voice teacher suggested that the thing the latter two of these pieces had in common was that they were composed to be sung by castrati who, by the peculiarities of their physiognomy - child-sized voice in man-sized body (with man-sized lung capacity) - were able to sing endless phrases on a single breath (I'd be interested in other people's thoughts on this theory). But that still doesn't explain Herr Bach's expectations, because I don't believe he wrote for castrati.
KM ............................ NEIL SHICOFF, TENORE SUPREMO http://www.radix.net/~dalila/shicoff/shicoff.html
My Own Website http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + To hell with life as snug as hand in glove. + + - Ho Xuan Huong + +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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