The Site is honored to have Berta Calechman, who has Juilliard among her many musical credentials, as one of our staffers. Besides providing reviews from an expert's perspective, Berta has agreed to answer questions relating to music in general, but especially on one of Anthony's favorite subjects...OPERA.
OPERA ARENA
Facts and figures, information and anecdotes, observations
and answers to your questions about operas, operettas,
and other musical offerings.
We've been asked if questions can be anonymous.
We've decided to make them all that way,
so don't be shy...ask away.
© All information copyrighted ......... Berta Calechman
I recently entered college and started voice lessons. My teacher is big on
the physiology of the voice and of singing and he keeps talking about the
Bernoulli principle. I really have no idea what he's trying to teach me...can you help? How does the Bernoulli principle apply to singing.
As far as I can determine, the Bernoulli principle has to do with fluidity,
air or liquid taken in, and the design of an airplane wing. Meaning, that
it's flat on the bottom, and curved on top. Air is taken in on the top and
bottom, and flows in slower on the bottom, and faster on the top, therefore
keeping the plane up. I guess I can vaguely see how that might have
something to do with the voice. My guess is that he means the physical
appearance of your mouth as you sing, is one of flat tongue, and lifted
soft palate. And air being taken in, would be the breath you need to
support the voice. I have never known anyone who used that principle in
the study of voice, and I can already feel my throat constricting, thinking
about air coming in and out, and airplane wings. It is important to know
about the placement of the voice in the "mask", and supporting the voice as
if on a column of air. But the throat needs to be relaxed to sing well, and
so do the shoulder muscles. To me, it seems as if thinking about all those
things would tie me up in knots. If you're going to continue to study with
this person, he needs to be clearer on what he wants from you, and how you
can achieve it. Ask him to go over it with you again, very slowly. And
ask him if there isn't another analogy he could use to give you a better
mental picture of what you need to do. Singing should be a joyous
release; it shouldn't tie you up in knots. Can you let me know how you
make out?
QUESTION:
ANSWER:
QUESTION:
It seemed Anthony's solos on the Sacred CD had too much vibrato,
especially on "If I Can Help Somebody." Can vibrato be overdone?
ANSWER:
I'll answer the second question first. Vibrato can be overdone, but not by choice. If a singer has too much vibrato, it tends to sound like a "trembling" in the voice. Hence, we use the term "tremolo", which means tremulous, in Italian. Tremolo is not a good thing, and singers definitely don't try to get it. I went back and listened to the Sacred CD, to see if I could hear too much vibrato in Anthony's voice. I don't hear it. I think his voice sounds much richer on some notes than it has, and maybe you're mistaking that for excessive vibrato.
Can training for opera darken the voice, or does maturity do this? Also,
I've read that if a tenor sings in the lower registers too much it can affect
his ability to do the higher registers. Is that correct?
The answer to the first part of your question is....both, actually. Maturity
can often darken the voice, just as a person's speaking voice may darken
as he gets older. Training can also darken the voice, if the singer and/or
the voice teacher has set out to do so. By singing certain vocal exercises,
a singer can consciously make his or her voice darker. And on certain
phrases or notes within a piece of music, a singer may darken his or her
voice. That would be "coloring" the voice. Continually singing in the lower
registers can affect a singer's (male or female) higher notes. This means
over time, if a singer concentrates on singing full voice in the lower range,
day after day, it may affect the ability to lighten the voice enough to sing
the highest notes. But with a good technique, a singer can sing all
registers which lie naturally in his or her vocal range, and successfully
jump from one range to another. A good example of a singer who wreaked
havoc on her voice by trying to sing everything, was Maria Callas. When she
first began to sing, she had the vocal agility to sing light, high pieces.
Had she worked within that window, her voice would have naturally
darkened, and she would have moved smoothly into the more lyric roles.
But she also wanted to sing the very heavy soprano roles, at the same
time. Consequently, she damaged her voice to the extent that her high
notes were very harsh, and her lower range had a tremolo, because she
pushed her voice too much. But she was a magnificent singing actress,
and her fans overlooked her faults. I hope this helps.
QUESTION:
ANSWER:
First of all, it would depend on who made the comment. If your
next-door neighbor made it, it might not mean as much as if a musician,
or voice teacher made it. The first thing to do is have someone hear
you, who is knowledgeable about music, has a good ear, and is a
good judge of voices. If you truly do have an excellent voice, and
are willing to do a lot of hard work to perfect the voice, and learn
your craft, you must find a good voice teacher.That's not as easy
as it sounds. Anyone can advertise herself, or himself as a voice
teacher. And a lot of promising voices have been ruined by people
claiming to be voice teachers, but who have no background, and
no clue about how to manage the voice, which is the most sensitive
of all instruments. You might listen to people who have voices you
admire, and ask them who their teacher is. Or inquire at the
local music school, about voice teachers, and if they give
auditions and/or private lessons. There would be a fee for the
audition, and unless you are the next Renee Fleming or Placido
Domingo, also a fee for the lessons. A career in music is not
inexpensive. The lessons are just the very beginning. That's
why The Anthony Kearns Music Fund is so important to Anthony.
Having gone through all this, and "paid his dues" as it were,
he knows what is involved in making a career as a singer.
If you are very good, and very diligent, a voice teacher may
take a special interest in you, and lower his or her fees. Anthony
has said all that Veronica Dunne did to help him. She recognized
the greatness in him, before anyone else did.
It's not always necessary to attend a music school, although
if you have been studying for years, and planning to make a
career, a music school, such as The Juilliard School, in New
York, can put the finishing touches on your presentation. A
good music school can teach you languages, acting, sight-
reading, operatic roles, enhance your vocal repertoire, stage
presence. But an extraordinary voice teacher can do almost
the same thing, if he or she decides you are extraordinary too,
and worth the effort. Years ago, Anthony made a statement
about "the fire in the belly." To make a career as a singer,
singing must be your passion. It must be a part of your soul,
and you must be willing and able to share that with your audience.
It's only by doing that, that you can achieve greatness.
QUESTION:
If someone has what they've been told is an excellent voice, how
should they proceed? What if they can't afford an expensive music school?
ANSWER:
