At 4:56 PM 02/19/03, Richard Yates wrote: >>>>> 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. [...] > >Makes sense to me. Maybe, in a wide vibrato, such as is often >(unfortunately) heard, the pitch is off key most of the time and that helps >it stand out better among the on-pitch instruments.
I've heard of singers intentionally singing a tiny bit sharp during a climactic moment in order to beat the orchestra. It strikes me as very improbable that anyone would adopt a wide vibrato as a deliberate tactic to be heard over the orchestra. On the other hand, I can certainly see how the two are indirectly related, in that the general habit of singing with a big sound that will carry tends to encourage vibrato -- first because healthy full-bodied singing naturally results in a moderate vibrato which might sound "wide" to a listener accustomed to hearing a more controlled style of singing, and second because those opera singers who habitually oversing in an effort to give more than they've got will eventually experience weakening of their vocal musculature so that the vibrato widens prematurely as they age. mdl _______________________________________________ Finale mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://mail.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/finale
