07-08-2009, 01:07 AM | #81 | ||||||
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
||||||
07-08-2009, 11:57 AM | #82 |
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
OK this is just a random 'happy' about singing....
Today during practice, i don't know what happened, but i had some sort of breakthrough. I had big, resonant, nearly effortless high D's and E's I wish i knew what was happening like this on a 'good day'... and i wish my teacher were not on vacation!!!
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
07-13-2009, 10:52 PM | #83 |
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Tessar, How is the opera workshop going?
I was talking with someone else who knows about singing, who has heard me, and knows my range - she said i might be something called a "lyric coloratura". I thought a soprano was either a lyric or a coloratura. I guess technically, one can be both? Of course, you haven't heard me so i'm not asking for your opinion Just wondering whether you've heard of this before. Do you know of any singers i could listen to that would fall into this category? I consider Fleming a "lyric" and Dessay a "coloratura" but i can't imagine who might be called both. I'd just want to hear an example. Who knows, it might explain once and for all why some teachers have called me a lyric soprano and others have at times thought i was a coloratura.
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
07-15-2009, 10:45 AM | #84 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
|
Well, one thing they've mentioned in the workshop is that you don't call yourself a soprano unless you have the high notes, or a mezzo if you don't have the low notes... Similarly, I expect that you would not call yourself a lyric coloratura unless you can sing all of the coloratura -and- lyric rep. If you want to specialize as a coloratura then I would personally leave the 'lyric' off.
Fleming has formerly sung coloratura rep., although I believe she now sticks to purely lyric stuff, but she doesn't call herself a coloratura. It's just something she did... so if you were to sing some lyric rep but mainly be in the coloratura rep then I would expect that you'd probably stick to calling yourself a coloratura. The workshop's going great... lots of things to think about, but I have very, very little free time and certainly almost none to actually sit down and write stuff out. I will be abuzz with new topics as soon as this thing is over, though . |
07-15-2009, 02:08 PM | #85 | |||
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Quote:
Quote:
I think perhaps my friend may have said "lyric coloratura" because i can sing either like a lyric or like a coloratura either fuller or lighter/higher. My registers are connected so it's not that. But now since i've found this higher/lighter placement, which feels like nothing at all but is still connected (if that makes sense), i think i may have discovered where my voice "should be". So perhaps all those people who have said "coloratura" were right after all. Time will tell! Quote:
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
|||
07-15-2009, 05:23 PM | #86 | |
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Hmm, i found this definition of "lyric coloratura" from Wikipedia (not always the best source, of course but it was interesting):
Quote:
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
|
07-16-2009, 01:42 PM | #87 |
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Tessar! Sorry for all these posts in a row (i'm giving you way too much to respond to when you get back, i know!) but i've got more happy voice news!
I've been working with some standard coloratura music today. I just sang through the B section of Queen of the Night's O zittre nicht about 13 times - each time, the F was right there where i needed her !!!!! In fact, the F isn't even the hardest part! Oh i am loving this technical breakthrough!!!
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
07-16-2009, 02:19 PM | #88 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
|
I am so happy for you!!!! Congratulations!! I really can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear about your breakthrough.
Zittre nicht is probably my favorite Queen of the Night aria. I mean the big Holle Racht is fun to hear, but I don't think anything beats the coloratura sections of O Zittre Nicht. About the lyric coloratura thing--you will, of course, have to do what you feel is most appropriate for your voice. In my opinion, I think 'lyric coloratura' might be a bit confusing. Then you could have people thinking, "Wait, is she a lyric or is she a coloratura?" I believe that if you are going to label yourself you should do it as simply as possible. Does it even make much of a difference? Whether you call yourself a "lyric coloratura" or a "light coloratura lyric soprano with an extension to the F who also sang lyric rep in college and did that one subrette aria at the piano bar last Friday" does it change your rep.? |
07-16-2009, 02:51 PM | #89 | ||||
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
How is the modern opera coming? I know that kind of music can be a pain! It's not quite the same thing, but i won't forget the time in college when four of us were assigned to the quartet from Der Rosenkavalier (i was the Sophie). Boy was that hard to learn!
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
||||
07-16-2009, 04:23 PM | #90 |
Princess of the Noldor (and Administrative Empress of the Lone Islands)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Imladris (and sometimes Norway)
Posts: 3,304
|
Congratulations to both of you!
Which is the most famous of the arias of Queen of the Night? Meaning - which is the one I'm likely to have heard on the radio as a single item? I think I've only heard one, and if coloratura is what I think it is (again, a text board isn't always the best for these discussions ), there's plenty of that in it. Is that the one you're singing? Wow ...
__________________
Signature picture art - Bard the Bowman - by vigshane Avatar art - Footsteps of Spring (a young Luthien) - by Henning Janssen Last edited by Varnafindë : 07-16-2009 at 04:25 PM. |
07-16-2009, 05:40 PM | #91 |
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Thanks, Varnafindë!
The very famous Queen of the Night aria is Der Holle Rache. That's not the one - i was singing her less-known aria, O zittre nicht. I think out of the two, O zittre is easier. Here's a clip for you She starts the coloratura section at 3:45. Yes, "coloratura" is a high, fast, ornate passage of singing. A "coloratura soprano" is one who is capable of singing this stuff. Usually this music requires the extension to high Eb, E, or F. This one goes to the F.
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline Last edited by Voronwen : 07-16-2009 at 05:45 PM. |
07-17-2009, 01:50 AM | #92 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
|
Tonight during my dress rehearsal I got a complement from a very hard-to-please director who has not seen me act before, so I was grateful for the complement. I've worked particularly hard on that scene because the person who is directing it has given me so much help. It's the Figaro duet.
Geeze. I really just wish I could have a class like this at my school, because this is all of the technical stuff that no one ever bothers to tell you. Things as 'simple' as "start your movement just before the musical phrase begins," or, "gesture at what you're talking about just before you actually say what it is." The biggest thing I'm having to work to break is that I want to make double handed 'expressive' gestures... which of course just come off as silly and comical rather than expressing what I want to show. The greatest encouragement I've received is to learn that someone with a voice like mine CAN sing at the Met... but I have to learn to become a fantastic actor. The coach pointed out that it doesn't matter whether you have an okay voice or an extraordinary voice. Once you get to the Met EVERYONE can use what they've been given to its maximum potential. The deciding factor is whether you can make people believe what you sing. I feel as though I'm getting new doorways opened to me for success. Before I thought I worked hard... and now I know that not only was I not working hard, I didn't know HOW to work hard and effectively. All of the rehearsal and practice techniques that I've learned for memorizing and performing music have helped me SO much already and I can say with some confidence that I will probably never be the same musician that I used to be. For instance last Friday I practiced some music for a half hour and I improved to a degree that would have taken me at least an hour and a half previously. One of the coaches has also helped me with my posture... I'm concerned because I don't think I'm doing it totally right, but basically she took my (hard worked for!) ability to expand/float my ribs when I sing and then jammed them up an inch higher so that they actually stay fully off my lungs and it seems to allow me to support much better. She called it the 'greyhound' position. I'd been putting my sternum up too high and it was causing my ribs to collapse just enough to cause a difference. I'm very excited to get back to work on my voice when I get back home on Monday and have a lesson on Wednesday, because the biggest thing I've discovered is that the technique I have perfected is the technique I'll be using. All of the experimental stuff my teacher and I were working on does nothing for me when I'm having to watch the director out of the corner of one eye, keep my mind on my blocking, be aware of the set around me, listen to the music, sing my part, AND keep half an eye on the pianist to make sure that I'm not behind his beat. It's only the stuff that I've perfected that works automatically. It seems to be a common thing, too... some of the girls are WONDERFUL singers when they're practicing in a room before they go on stage. But the minute they have to focus on everything else that's also going on their voice gets breathy and loses its focus and placement. So much more to talk about... but now I have to hit the hay because it's almost 2 a.m. here and I have rehearsal at 11:30 tomorrow. I probably should've gone straight to bed when we got home an hour and a half ago, but I needed some time to unwind. |
07-17-2009, 12:15 PM | #93 | ||||||||
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
||||||||
07-18-2009, 10:07 PM | #94 |
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Vocal randomness: Is it just *wrong* that i've discovered i can hum on high E (E6) ..????
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
07-19-2009, 02:21 AM | #95 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
|
Nah. I know some girls who can do stuff like that. The voice is weird... for instance I can lip bubble up to the Tenor C, and then once I've done that I can do a vocal 'stretch' thing up to this really nasal, tense Tenor C... but it's not my 'real' voice, it's just a vocal stretch I can make (which I haven't done in months because I'm sure it's not healthy).
I sang two of my scenes today. The first one was the one act opera, Gallantry, and I got SO many wonderful comments about it. Apparently I was pretty funny, which is such a relief . I pushed my voice a little hard though, and I'm afraid to listen to the recording I got of it because I'm afraid I may not have sounded all that great, particularly on the F's. This morning though I was warming up to some pretty awesome F's, if I may say so myself. I feel like my voice is settling a little easier into the higher tessitura than it was two weeks ago. Then I did Figaro, and I think the voice was pretty okay, but I was very disappointed with myself as far as the acting went. I felt like for the amount of help I received I should have done a better job of overcoming some of my quirks (like collapsing my ribs, gesturing with both hands, etc.) but oh well. I'll do better next time I'm on stage, I hope. Tomorrow I get to do Papageno, which I'm VERY excited for but I'm also very sad because the wonderful, wonderful director for it had to leave tonight to get to the next job she's directing and she wont get to see me to it. She said to e-mail her and let her know how it goes, so I definitely will. Now SHE is a character. Apparently she got her master's degree on a full ride from some conservatory as a mezzo. She specialized in early music like Purcell and Josquen[sp], THEN she got a job singing opera arias on a cruise ship back before it was a common thing to have that... so she was sort of one of those 'pioneer' entertainers. She said that she didn't have much of a voice, but her big thing was that she had presence and I can believe it. During rehearsals she was always so sweet and friendly, and seemed very mild-mannered and a little whacky... but you ALWAYS noticed when she entered a room. She just draws attention by her presence... I don't know how, but she's one of those people that if she started singing you wouldn't be able to look away even if her voice wasn't the best you'd ever heard. I truly hope that I get to work with her again, because she is just WONDERFUL . Good God, I can't BELIEVE it's only been two weeks. It feels like a lifetime. I don't want to go back to my lame school now where people are unmotivated and the teachers are (I hate to say it, but it's true...) not as good as the directors at the workshop. It makes me wish I were good enough to go to a better school on a scholarship. You know what I LOVE, though? Back home when I tell people that I'm getting an education degree as a safety net, and also because I do love to teach, I get a lot of, "That's ridiculous, if you want to perform get a PERFORMANCE degree." Where as here when I say that people unanimously have said that it's a really smart idea, and in fact quite a few of them are doing the same thing. Especially the 'older' singers (27+ years old) will tell me that it's a smart thing to do because they know how hard it is to make a living as a performer. Last edited by Tessar : 07-19-2009 at 02:24 AM. |
07-19-2009, 08:04 AM | #96 | |
Princess of the Noldor (and Administrative Empress of the Lone Islands)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Imladris (and sometimes Norway)
Posts: 3,304
|
Quote:
I know a guy who tried to become a ballet dancer - he did dancing during his school years, and he was probably good enough to perform at the opera (his class did, occasionally). But by the time he was to go to college, he had realised that he wasn't up among the very best, and in Norway, only those very few top male dancers can expect to do it for a living. He then trained as a physiotherapist, and later as a school teacher. Probably wise of him.
__________________
Signature picture art - Bard the Bowman - by vigshane Avatar art - Footsteps of Spring (a young Luthien) - by Henning Janssen |
|
07-19-2009, 11:04 AM | #97 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
|
It's sort of tough... because there is a sense of compromise. I recognize the fact that I might never be good enough to fulfill my dream... but it's balanced out with the determination that nothing is going to stop me from trying.
Plus there is the simple fact that some people get into the business and after a few years realize that they just can't handle the life, so they have to find a way to get out of it. If that happens to me, then I'll have my way out (hopefully!) without needing to feel desperate. |
07-19-2009, 02:24 PM | #98 | |
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Quote:
I don't really understand what you mean by this 'stretch' thing but no, it doesn't sound like it's healthy. Ouch! I assure you that's not what i'm doing, though. Whatever i'm doing just feels very light and without tension or pressure at all. I need to step out for now but i'll respond later to the rest of your message!
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline Last edited by Voronwen : 07-19-2009 at 02:28 PM. |
|
07-19-2009, 05:39 PM | #99 | ||||||
Lady of Andúnië
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Andúnië
Posts: 572
|
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
__________________
" ...But the Exiles on the shores of the sea, if they turned towards the West in the desire of their hearts, spoke of Mar-nu-Falmar that was whelmed in the waves, Akallabêth the Downfallen, Atalantë in the Eldarin tongue." "Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient, Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion, List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest ... " ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Evangeline |
||||||
07-21-2009, 04:11 PM | #100 |
Cardboard Harp of Gondor Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: IM IN UR POSTZ, EDITIN' UR WURDZ
Posts: 6,433
|
I'll write more later, but one thing that's been on my mind was probably the saddest moment of the entire workshop.
During cleanup I was helping one of the acting teachers carry a heavy coat-rack back to the room it had come from, and in the course of the conversation I mentioned that she still had a really big voice. She laughed and said, "Yes, I used to." I asked what sort of rep. she sang, and this look of intense sadness came over her and she said, "Well, I used to have a very rich soprano voice, but there isn't much left of it. I was a great Musetta when I was young." Mind you this woman is at least 70 (if not older), but it was incredibly sad the way she said it. I didn't really know what to say, so I changed the subject. |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Fellowship of the ringwraiths discussion thread | Butterbeer | RPG Forum | 551 | 07-21-2006 10:44 PM |