Battle... Norman... Stunning.

In "Somewhere over the rainbow" I think you'll understand what’s meant by talk of the "dome" of the voice if you’ve ever heard it.  It’s the idea that the resonance of a voice stays under a pretend sound umbrella so it never gets “woofy” or “spread.” Kathy exemplifies this idea.  Hers is actually a very light voice but it's both in her head and very clear - front and clear are not the same thing.  Let me know what you think.

The first video up, “Scandalize My name” a part of the “Spirituals in Concert” was so interesting, because there was so much to observe with such a small amount of text. You really get a sense of the performers, Jessye and Kathleen! And their singing seemed so free and easy, because they allowed their characters to really shine out because it was based in the music. The technique is so sound that it is really difficult to find flaw with either performer. I really especially enjoyed Kathleen’s coloratura at the end. It was so clean and done with precision!

Ride on! Ride Ride Ride! She does this song with such style, if it weren’t Jessye, I can’t say I’d be so interested in the way she scoops into the beginning of the song, but then, I’m sure it is stylistically acceptable, furthermore, it’s Jessye FREAKING NORMAN! Even with her gestures she stays in her body with the sound, and she breathes so low the sound almost seems to come down into her body as she stretches into the high notes. It is truly a fierce performance. Throughout the performance no matter the intensity she never comes out of her body and always stays on the voice.

Kathleen in this stunning performance really seems a little over-gesticulated when it comes down to it. 3:14 the vowel of “I” seemed a little spread. All things considered it certainly works for her, they way in which she delivers, and it comes to the charm of the performance. Again, with a song that fits a stylistic format such as this, I suppose it is acceptable to some time straight tone or do slight scoops. Overall it was a very effective performance with a very connected technique that allows her to achieve the the high notes. 

Jessye Norman and Kathleen Battle - He scandalized my name

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6EOXT6_inw

Jessye Norman - Ride on King Jesus

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmRII3UwX2c&feature=related

Kathleen Battle - Over the Rainbow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj9nvt45fIk

What the Stritch?!

1st Video—

And watch all of the acrobatics she goes through to try and produce a vocal character.  In the second video you get to see the take they’re so upset about.  Can you find anything wrong with it?

She looks CRAZED, and let’s be honest, that just isn’t what it’s about. Emotion is not something that you have to put all out at once. The emotion is what allows you move forward, you take the emotion through a sieve that you get that precious piece of golden voice! Really, it feels like the lack of the preparation was what made it worse! And she came in the next rehearsal and delivered. She says that she “planned” the whole thing, and this is really the meat of the situation which is that it’s so important to visualize the truth of the situation and let that follow you. Granted… it might have been a little bit different with all the cigarettes eh? You’re not going to get the gold with the acrobatics of production, it really comes from solid preparation. 

It comes down to the second video and I’ll admit, it’s an entertaining piece of film work! It just isn’t the recording we want to listen to over and over. And in the recording we all know and love she just doesn’t fall apart like she does in the recording. It’s difficult to watch a woman, a person, any person crash and BURN like she does! If that were done today, for one it wouldn’t have been done that many time, but I know my teacher would put a stop to it much sooner. The producer says “tension” and “flaccid” but it’s more than that, it’s that in her flamboyancy she fails to connect to anything transmutable. It’s all for her and not for anyone else. The hoops she jumps through adds absolutely nothing to her performance.

3rd Video

The original production of “Company” had around 700 performances and Stritch has probably sung the song a thousand more times since then by the time this video was made.  Does she seem to be phoning it in or does it still seem like it’s new for her?

It looks new to me. She looks so real in these moments, and it comes down to the production of the matter. As an artist it’s important to stay in the moment, and she certainly does. I can totally see the crazed-ness in her eyes though, instead it’s composed and contained. She uses the character to channel that energy through her successful vocalizations.

Documentary

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf52APstI0A&NR=1

First take

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo-UMJfRNWI&t=1m37s

Live performance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eSoM3s87FM&feature=related

Other piece

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=po9-NWhk1Qo&feature=related

Well here's Goerne and Pears!

What do you hear?  And I don’t want to know whether you liked them or not.  It doesn’t matter.  Get to the nuts and bolts.   

Hear – feel.

Goerne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gl4hV5b1U0

Matthias Goerne is quite interesting, even from the first note I was entranced— He never lets up with his breath support, this is the main thing I notice throughout, so that each note grows into the next. Even without turning up the volume he really makes the most out of these repeated phrases crescendoing in the b section He makes a three minute song feel 30 seconds. 

Pears

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gHTw9XjKMc

Having never heard Mr. Pears before this video, and only having herad of his quote “weirdness” I found his voice, from the very beginning, to be quite captivating, without anything more strange than one might find in a recording with Ian Bostridge. Here is another singer who is very much in touch with the text and the breath. He truly believes in every word, and that is very evident in the sound. The evenness of his tone presented with the intimacy of dynamics is quite staggering and incredibly touching for the listener. 

Purcell and Bach's technical brilliance.

First is the aria Aus Liebe will mein Heiland sterben from Bach’s “St. Matthew Passion” as sung by Helen Donath.  Helen is and American soprano who is 70-ish years old and is still singing. Don’t ignore how the flute ends his phrases as well.  A translation is on the video.

At first I didn’t know if I enjoyed the sound of the Bach, and her somewhat strange facial expressions along with the unflattering camera angle made it a little difficult to be engaged. From the side it seems there is a lot of extra movement, as a dabbler in extra movement, what I didn’t enjoy was how sometimes her shoulders raise up really high in order to sink into a high note. Only a very few times I didn’t here a secure entry— The sound is very fluid (the flute too) and it is carried to the end of the phrase, which is denoted almost entirely in the beginning with the t consonant. By minute 4, I’m really into it, she’s won me over with her long lines and commitment to the text, not to mention sheer musicality. I would have absolutely loved to hear this performance live, I bet the performance was absolutely amazing.

Secondly is an English soprano called Catherine Bott.  The aria itself is over after about 5 minutes and 5 seconds but leads right into a chorus that is worth listening to.  If you’ll allow yourself the time you won’t be disappointed.  What do you hear? 

Upon the third listening I still can’t seem to find anything wrong with her technique. She stays intimately grounded along with full breath support throughout. She really uses the orchestration to her advantage in flourishes and artistic choices. Overall, this is an incredible recording and I’m lucky to have heard her. There is an ounce of flatness in the very beginning— the inconsistency of her vibrato creates a confusion somewhat to my ear, though it is really objective, this thought of artistic choices versus technique. 

At the “when I am laid section” there is a little airiness to begin with, but she really settles into her voice— the distinction is really a matter of opinion. The straight tone is very baroque I presume, and she does it very well. Sometimes she fills out a thinness to her tone, and perhaps with a different singer this would not work, but Bott seems to excel at this. Thank you for sharing this recording!

Bach

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e0YHer1-hYQ

Purcell

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQ8r3J85rwE#t=44m11s

Joyce&Nathan

First up is Joyce DiDonato — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3damaS03KgY

Does she seem grounded at all times? Where does her energy seem to be going?

Having heard this video multiple times, and being a huge DiDonato fan, To be honest with you, it doesn’t seem like she comes out of that pocket, from the deep and resonant low notes to the quick moving high notes and flourishes that she accomplishes with ease. 

On 2:47 she makes a slight intentional affect that I suppose could be considered outside her body but then she goes right back inside. At 3:27 she does a slight ascension that has a similar sound to it. 4:37 she does another affect where she comes slightly off her voice. All of these moments seem measured and intentional.

The energy, however, seems always to be carrying the line, no matter what the notes are the energy is always forward, as well as up and out. I never get the sense of there being any kind break from the very beginning to the end. It stays so well in the sound pocket!

Also, it’s a good chance to watch Nathan’s breathing which is full and relaxed – like a bellows.  What else do you notice?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3xyp54bZqs&feature=related

The breathing is really relaxed, and it isn’t apparent that there is much tension in the face that would demonstrate any kind of tension. Nathan really pulls his breath all the way forward when he wants to reengage the the sound, and immediately comes back to the voice. The consistency is also really appealing when it comes to the regularity with which the breathing takes place.

EllaEileenCHETElla?

Here she sings Un bel di vedremo from Puccini’s “Madam Butterfly.”  It’s an unbelievable performance where she keeps her warm mezzoish tone from bottom to top and has a legato line like nobody’s business.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_D2iGTo49bs

What do you think of it?

Well first thought hat comes to mind is WOW. The way that she navigates this song makes me think not of pitches and rhythms, but words and pure vowels. The legato is surely stunning, while she balances the low notes very securely and tenderly. She sings into them while not pressing for a color change but allowing the space and focus to resonate into the lower notes.

Here Ella sings My Funny Valentine, a song from the musical “Babes in Arms” by Rogers and Hart.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk7EKKJcQS4

How are her vowels? 

Her vowels throughout have a tendency to be a little shallow and spread. Overall, they are clearly an affect of her voice.

— “stay” and “day” with an open e instead of an open a. 

—The “weak” “speak” “greek” all of them are a little spread [i] instead of a more open e.

— “valentine” and “yet” have a real bite to them

— “figure” is also strange with the schwa instead of a natural oo vowel.

How is her tone as she gets higher and lower?

She gets more spread and softer as she gets higher, and when she’s lower it suddenly becomes more fluid and heavy.

Lastly there is Eileen Farrell again singing My Funny Valentine.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-byePFpqHPQ#t=19m49s

How does she stack up against Ella?  

To be completely honest it sounds fuller but there is a flutter in the vibrato that comes from the pressure, as well as less legato sounding in the entirety of the song— it sounds more vertical in its approach.

How is this different (vocally) from the Butterfly aria?  

Tremendously different! Different because the voice doesn’t sound even through the upper and lower register, it is more affected and pinched sounding on the top. Also, the vocal line just isn’t the same.

How is her [a] vowel in both songs?  

To me it sounds like the [a] vowel is fuller and rounder in the Butterfly. In the jazzy piece it sounds somewhat unsupported because there is more evident in the sound a flutter.

How is it different than Ella’s?  

It is much louder and broader in dynamic approach. Ella tends to use less voice which makes for a softer recording, I’m sure what Eileen brings to a performance, however, is a completely different approach to the stage presence.

Which do you prefer and why?  

Of the two I probably would say that Ella’s is more pleasant to listen to, despite the vocal tendencies of being spread, it sounds like Ella understands the lyrics with more clarity, while Eileen more or less seems to affect the voice a simple but more.

Or do you?  

OK, the truth is that for this song I’d say is Chet Baker or alternatively the Sinatra version, they really captures the best of it, but in Chet’s case the arrangement is more sparsely populated which allows his voice to really shine through— he doesn’t try to hard but lets the smoothness just ride into your aural cavities. As great as Ella is hailed to be, I guess I just simply haven’t listened to enough of her to form an accurate opinion or say I REALLY like her. But hers, of the two, were probably the best.

CHET BAKER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvXywhJpOKs

What are your thoughts?

As a classically trained singer, it can be difficult in the case of contemporary music and jazz where to put your technique aside. Personally, the whole point of the training is to aid it in making decisions, not throwing it all out of the window. If one is singing musical theatre, for me, it becomes more about choices and colors than straying from technique. In my estimation people like better quality singing if it makes sense in the context of a performance. As always, as a performer in a show, it’s definitely always easier to dial down the classical than the otherwise if a director so chooses. 

Connolly & Allen -- Battle of the Wayfarer.

“Their voices don’t get lighter as they get higher or softer nor darker as they get lower or louder.  There are different colors used but the balance remains the same.  They are connected.  They are down.  They are in their body and under their tone.”

Do you hear it?  

What I can hear through Allen’s performance is how the voice doesn’t flow as clearly as when his concentration is built. It sounds a bit more forced or pressed because he didn’t have as much time or focus to set up or release tension because his mind is still focused on the previous thought.

Can you tell?  

To be honest, it’s evident with Connolly when she comes off her voice slightly, but at the same time, the affect is well received and doesn’t deter the listener from the line. Another affect is the straight tone at times, but again, it doesn’t cause the line to lose energy or vitality. It is very difficult with both singers to tell if there are so much vocal difficulties, especially Connolly, she really stays in the performance.

What do perceive they’re doing? 

It seems to me that what keeps the line is the constant breath support in which both singers engage. In every breath should exist the relaxation that allows them to continue the phrase. Overall, in Allen’s case, it seems that the disengaging of the energy and breath is the noticeable difficulty.

Incidentally, notice how Allen looses focus and concentration at times.  

Doesn’t it throw you out of the performance?  

Definitely throws me out of the performance to see his shoulders raise at :35 of the video, and at 1:58 as he goes up for the high notes. Another notable instance is in 1:01 and other places where his eyes are shifting in different directions to the conductor— It does really distract me from the meaning of the phrase because I’m thinking about what may have aided his loss in concentration or what he may have possibly been attempting that didn’t succeed.

How is she by comparison?

Connolly is fantastically engaged in the text. Something she does especially well is to capture the mystical essence with her informative gestures and dynamics. She increases them at the appropriate places in volume and energy but she doesn’t seem to raise her shoulders at any incident. 

Sarah Connolly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPGfdAwsalY&feature=related

Sir Thomas Allen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU-g6DeFMm0&feature=related