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From:  Isabelle Bracamonte <ibracamonte@y...>
Isabelle Bracamonte <ibracamonte@y...>
Date:  Fri Feb 16, 2001  6:54 pm
Subject:  pianissmo -- how did Milanov do it?


Who can give me a "how-to" opinion on pianissimi?

I'm experimenting with a bunch of different things
lately -- and the bottom line may be that I'm just too
young to have it all together yet -- but I'd like to
know how all you singers or teachers make a pianissimo
happen. A high one, I mean.

To my ear, there are two different types of pianissimi
out there. One is a fluffy, floaty soft tone I have
no use for -- Sumi Jo is the epitome, as are Ruth Ann
Swenson and Fleming. It's a nice, pretty sound, but
it's not my conception of an operatic pianissimo; it's
just breath and space.

The other is a cored, whittled-down, pinpoint of sound
that makes you gasp for breath and lean forward in
your seat, a tiny thread of sound that is quiet but
not soft. I heard Ana Catharina Antonacci do one last
year. Tebaldi, Milanov, Callas have all recorded good
ones.

Unfortunately, most of the singers' comments I have
heard go along the lines of, "How do you achieve your
divine pianissimo that makes the fans go wild?" "I
was born with it." Except Milanov. She says that she
had to work for it, which gives me hope.

If you go to this web site, you will hear (if your
computer browser auto-loads .wav files) a clip of
Milanov to see what I mean:
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/handelmania/

I know Dr. Diane studied with Milanov... did she
share?

Or the rest of you -- how to you do/teach a good
pianissimo? And do you agree with me that there are
two different types out there?

Isabelle B.

=====
Isabelle Bracamonte
San Francisco, CA
ibracamonte@y...
ibracamonte@y...




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  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date Size
9548 Re: pianissmo -- how did Milanov do it? Ernie Valenzuela   Fri  2/16/2001   3 KB
9562 Re: pianissmo -- how did Milanov do it? dclark   Sat  2/17/2001   4 KB
9579 Re: pianissimo -- how did Milanov do it? Lisa M. Nuske   Sun  2/18/2001   5 KB

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