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From:  Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Margaret Harrison <peggyh@i...>
Date:  Sat Feb 3, 2001  12:28 am
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] Re: Questions?


emmashapplinrules@h... wrote:

> Thanks Gina for the info. Do most sopranos have 2 or 3 octaves
> then, is that the norm? I'm thinking how in the world are these
> people counting the notes? Seems far out to me.

Like Isabelle said, there's a difference between squeaking out any type of
sound and being
able to really sing. And in any case - so what? The composers whose music is
sung by
classical singers write for the typical range of a trained voice. If a singer
has more
notes, or even octaves on either side, what good would it do the singer or the
audience?
Now in pop singing, there might be a market for the freak value of an
extraordinary range,
because people don't put as much value on the quality of the tone, and because
of
microphones.

> Yeah, I was thinking Celine was more of a lyric than dramatic, if
> she were to sing opera. She doesn't even have that dark timbre to
> her voice. I guess when I heard her sing just scales. I think she
> has the same voice specialist or teacher as Pavarotti. I don't get
> how people can say stuff like that, if they heard true dramatic
> sopranos like Birgit.

I can see where someone with little opera-going experience might use the term
"dramatic"
to refer to Celine Dion - I think someone like that might be using the term
because of the
feeling of drama they get from her singing - that terrific intensity she has -
rather than
what we who know opera think of - the sopranos who sing roles like Brunhilde or
Isolde,
etc.

Peggy

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


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