Hey ! Barytenore is not such an exotic species in this huge vocal zoo of ours ! It's a lush one, best favored by the Belcantist Masters, a true blessing of a voice ! Enrico Caruso was one. Yet it means extra work for the happy endowed, since its hues are so manifold, the Xtra large stream of richness demanding a lifetime of damming and sifting to yield its various gems. Indeed, hastily going panning for tenor gold is far less rewarding. The wonderful lower range potential, with its unique natural blend of warmth and clarity, simply deserves proper heeding. Absolute range is not so relevant, the subtle spectral variations in the "pastosa" texture (plain "vanilla"?) throughout registers being the true trademark here. On the other hand, this overly flexible instrument lacks the rigidity say, a "Wagnerian tenor" role, though covering a similar extension on average, would require. Perhaps this accounts for the strikingly limited use of the barytenore voice in a classical context, let alone The Great Napolitan Songs where it works wonders. No doubt its character is unmistakable. I am proud to be one of them ! (in B flat) Regarding my vanguard vision of the human voice as a natural transposing instrument (see first Bart mail), I shall be more precise, playing guinea pig myself (some, among which Karen Mercedes, think I am a pig, period), though my own voice is far from being the only convincingly usable sample : As I said, I am a "Barytenore in B flat". The barytenore feature having previously been elucidated, we can now discard it, and focus on the range itself. ON ANY VOWELL (absolute prerequisite to the experiment), my high F, G, A flat, B flat are pure effortless jewels, whereas F sharp, A and B sound naturally harsh (even... shrill, or squeaky, yeaks!) and require awareness to be improved. Amazingly enough, my counter D flat is easier than my counter C. Similarly, in my "medium" range, B flat, high D and high E flat sound fuller than B, C and high E. And the bottom of my resonance is normally low F (exceptionally E flat when I am smashed), my low B flat and medium F being mostly trouble-free. Now, I am NOT raving, this is safe-as-houses, solid-as-a-rock, ascertained fact ! What's more, my younger brother, having a different type of voice (rather a high breathy baritone than a barytenore), nevertheless displays identical note by note characteristics... So I am inclined to think a serious study conducted on a large number of subjects may not prove my hypothesis all that wrong. Besides, I have also tried setting the highest proper frequencies of my home doorbell (located in a corner of the ceiling in my entrance hall) into vibration, using different bi-formantic vowels (such as "eh") : well, only a couple of "B flat notes" did the job.. As a direct consequence, I have noticed that applying conscious technique to the notes where it is not needed, the way I have no choice but to do it for the "bad notes", only ruins them. In absolute, the only option thus suitable to "good notes" is...to let go. Now imagine the difficulty of smoothly welding it all together... And now, these conclusive poem dedicated to Karen Mercedes, one of my early Vocalist misconstrueresses ! Is it because your surname is... Mercedes Like the car constructor Benz That you were speeding when you chose... to read us Braking far too stiff and tense ? Is it because they christened you... Karen That you think it's making sense To show the world a mind that's too... barren To discern what's not offence And wrongly accuse me of a "rude...screed" In a manner of defense ? What if I did instead read "screwed"... 'ndeed, Would a raging war commence ? Gleefully yours, ***Bart***
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