Dr.A.S.Weinstangel
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
From: John Howell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: [Olist] Giving orchestras the shakes
Date: Wed, 19 Feb 2003 14:41:42 -0500
Smith, Kile wrote:
>I had one question, related to
>Norrington's quoted comment connecting vibrato to "Gypsy" music, I believe
>it was: How does this relate to volume, if at all?
"Gypsy" vibrato, loosely defined, is very wide and very fast. But what it
provides is intensity of emotion (think "melodrama") rather than volume.
I've heard it argued that the reason opera singers use--and get away
with--such big vibratos is so they can be heard over an orchestra. Unless
someone can provide me with evidence to the contrary--preferably
experimental--the thought of vibrato increasing volume strikes me as so
much piffle! 8-) If anything, a pure, straight tone should be capable of
exciting standing waves in a resonant hall, whereas a tone with a heavy
vibrato would defeat just such an effect. There's a reason for English
cathedral and chapel choirs using a straight tone and "cathedral diction."
The standing waves keep sounding as they decay even when the choir has
moved on to the next chord.
One of the discoveries that HIP players and singers have made is that
non-vibrato allows chords to be played or sung perfectly rather than
approximately in tune, and once you get use to the purity of that sound
it's hard to go back to business as usual.
>Certainly many instrumental refinements, and indeed many instruments
>themselves, were introduced mainly from the need to be heard: in larger
>halls, outside, in different venues.
Of course. For example, the military band is what it is because of the
need to be heard and followed on large parade grounds. And the jazz band
developed as it did and has the instrumentation it does because it needed
to be heard clearly in large dance halls and inside/outside pavillions.
Which is why I shake my head and walk the other way when I see a jazz band
set up with a dozen microphones and a full sound system ready to pump the
sound up to rock levels. Yes, the vocalist and the announcer and the flute
player needed a little reinforcement, but mic the trumpet section? C'mon,
now!
John
John & Susie Howell
Virginia Tech Department of Music
Blacksburg, Virginia, U.S.A. 24061-0240
Vox (540) 231-8411 Fax (540) 231-5034
(mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED])
http://www.music.vt.edu/faculty/howell/howell.html
_________________________________________________________________
MSN 8 with e-mail virus protection service: 2 months FREE* http://join.msn.com/?page=features/virus
_______________________________________________
Finale mailing list
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
