Lea Ann,
The number one thing it takes to have a beautiful sound, besides perserverance, dedication, and a good natural instrument, is time. When I first started, I too would listen to Cecilia Bartoli sing those songs and despair because my voice was so far from where hers was. You're just starting, and she has had many years to develop her sound, so don't compare yourself to her in this way!
I wouldn't do "marathon practices" right now, if ever. Just 15 minutes at time, 2 times a day is a good way to start. If you are anything like me, you are impatient and trying to "make" something happen, so you think if you have these marathon sessions you will hurry things along. It won't work, believe me! Your voice must be coaxed out, not forced out! Treat your voice gently, give it room to come out on its own. When you force, you're squeezing your voice down and producing the complete opposite of what you want!
There is a nice little Dover paperback called Great Singers on the Art of Singing (by Harriet Brower, not the Jerome Hines one) that helped me a lot in figuring out how things were supposed to feel when I was just figuring out my voice. You might want to check it out. I'm sure others here can give you more suggestions and perspective as well!
Take care, Karena
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