Vocalist.org archive


From:  Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Date:  Thu Feb 1, 2001  1:33 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] What's in a name?


SMSchneider wrote:
>
> Doris wrote:
> Your teacher is right! Marilyn Horne is a contralto.
>
> So how come she has called herself a soprano over the years?

Perhaps because she started her career as an official soprano? I agree with
those who say
Horne is not a contralto as we currently use the term. However, it appears
that many
years past (19th and early 20th century), they used the term contralto more
freely than
today - see Peter Davis's book on American Singers. Based on the roles the
"contraltos"
performed, they seemed to be what we today call dramatic mezzo-sopranos.

Peggy


--
Margaret Harrison, Alexandria, Virginia, USA
"Music for a While Shall All Your Cares Beguile"
mailto:peggyh@i...


  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
8960 Re: What's in a name? Jeffrey Snider   Thu  2/1/2001   3 KB
8961 contralto/mezzo, was Re: What's in a name? John Alexander Blyth   Thu  2/1/2001   2 KB
8992 Re: What's in a name? Lloyd W. Hanson   Fri  2/2/2001   3 KB
9006 Re: What's in a name? Jeffrey Snider   Sat  2/3/2001   3 KB
9037 Re: What's in a name? Lloyd W. Hanson   Sun  2/4/2001   2 KB

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