# Which singers do you prefer? Bright sounding ones, or dark sounding ones?



## MarieTregubovich (May 13, 2013)

There are some really nice sopranos who have bright voices, for example, Mado Robin, and others like Renée Fleming, have a lot of darkness to their voice.
What do you prefer?


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

The "dark" or lower register, like mezzo. My favorite of today is Elina Garanca. Joyce DiDonato isn't as "Dark" but her sound(esp. in Handel)is very dramatic in the lower register. At times these 2 can almost sound like a Baritone.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

When it comes to basses, the darker the better. I absolutely love the basso profundo voice.


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> When it comes to basses, the darker the better. I absolutely love the basso profundo voice.


Same, Same. My favorite bass is NICOLAI GHIAUROV. May he RIP. I morned for days when he passed in 04.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

^ I like Ghiaurov a lot as well. Also mostly dark voices for me, too.


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## TrevBus (Jun 6, 2013)

TrevBus said:


> Same, Same. My favorite bass is NICOLAI GHIAUROV. May he RIP. I morned for days when he passed in 04.


Make that MOURNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry.


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## earlybard (Sep 4, 2013)

*Not just being contrarian*

I have to say it's bright voices all the way for me! Give me Mady Mesplé or Emma Kirkby and I'm a happy camper. I think a lot of it is identifying with the bright forward placement in their voices, I gravitate towards the Evangelist light tenor sound.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> When it comes to basses, the darker the better. I absolutely love the basso profundo voice.


Same with me. I have practically fallen in love with Kurt Moll recently.


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## JCarmel (Feb 3, 2013)

Well, good for Kurt Moll...as it's brought you out of your semi-retired state?!


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Good for me too, maybe I will learn to appreciate other opera apart from Wagner, after all.


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## jvardon (Apr 22, 2013)

earlybard said:


> I have to say it's bright voices all the way for me! Give me Mady Mesplé or Emma Kirkby and I'm a happy camper. I think a lot of it is identifying with the bright forward placement in their voices, I gravitate towards the Evangelist light tenor sound.


I'd have to agree, but that be be because all my favourite repertoire is written for bright, agile and high voices.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

I tend to like bright voices, or voices that have both "dark" and "bright" in them.


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## Volve (Apr 14, 2013)

Darker voices for sure. Regarding basses, I prefer them to sound really evil and menacing rather than purely dark. For example, Salminen's Hagen.


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## SteveSherman (Jan 9, 2014)

Great opportunity to compare three very different low male voices: the final trio from Don Giovanni with Fischer-Dieskau, Flagello and Talvela, Böhm conducting: 




You Tube has quite a few renditions of this scene, some with video (e.g. Ramey/Furlanetto/Moll), but I like this one best.


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## lupinix (Jan 9, 2014)

I guess I like dark sounding better but my preference goes to pop/jazz music singers to be honest 
The hard and piercing dominant melodramatic voice of classical sopranos with loads of vibrato sounds mostly (not always) a bit insincere to me personally, other kinds of singing feel more natural


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## Vinyl (Jan 22, 2014)

I am charmed by a sense of effortlessness, whether light or dark.


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## Marschallin Blair (Jan 23, 2014)

Light and silvery as a bell-- a la vintage Joan Sutherland; when I'm in a frivolous mood.

http://www.amazon.com/Joan-Sutherla...0&sr=1-2&keywords=joan+sutherland+prima+donna

-- or --

Pure stentorian declamation-- like say, Birgit Nilsson in Gotterdammerung mode.

http://www.amazon.com/Wagner-Gotter...0524367&sr=1-1&keywords=gotterdammerung+solti


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