# Voice Flaws



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Corelli-lisp
Bergonzi-sheesh sound
Fleming-swoops and jazz inflections
Pertile-nasal in the mask
Bjorling-inverted glottal attacks (sucking in a sob)
Callas-wobbles on high notes
Domingo-transposed highs
Milanov-short highs
Lanza-a shade above the high note
Tebaldi-a shade below the high note
Del Monaco-a shade below the high note
Sutherland-mushy middle
Price-swoops
Olivero-glottal attacks
Bartoli-aspirating
Gencer-glottal attacks
Gheorghiu-occasional off-key
Pavarotti-nyah sound
Tucker-sobs
Gigli-sobs
Albanese-grandma sounds on highs
Hvorostovsky-loud intake of breath(from smoking?)
Beczala-pushed 
highs
Fabiano-pushed high


----------



## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> Corelli-lisp
> Bergonzi-sheesh sound
> Fleming-swoops and jazz inflections
> Pertile-nasal in the mask
> ...


Apart from that how do you like their singing?


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Barbebleu said:


> Apart from that how do you like their singing?


Actually, I like all but Bartoli, Milanov and Albanese.


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> Corelli-lisp
> Bergonzi-sheesh sound
> Fleming-swoops and jazz inflections
> Pertile-nasal in the mask
> ...


No distinction is made here between a technical aspect of voice production, a quality of timbre, an aspect of musicianship, and a stylistic choice or mannerism. A list like this could include every singer on record, and would be limited only by one's level of nitpickiness or general grumpiness.

One question: what is an "inverted glottal attack"?


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

One could have a field day or two nitpicking the singers one dislikes. As Woodduck says, every singer is likely to have some sort of vocal deficiency one could pick on. Except, of course, *my *favorites! :lol:


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Woodduck said:


> A list like this could include every singer on record


...except Pavel Lisitsian, who was perfect.


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

wkasimer said:


> ...except Pavel Lisitsian, who was perfect.


Odd vibrato, a super-fast tremor, as if a recording were speeded up. Also rather grim. Thoroughly admirable technically, but not warm or endearing.


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> No distinction is made here between a technical aspect of voice production, a quality of timbre, an aspect of musicianship, and a stylistic choice or mannerism. A list like this could include every singer on record, and would be limited only by one's level of nitpickiness or general grumpiness.
> 
> One question: what is an "inverted glottal attack"?


Oh my dear! How very serious of you! Actually, I know all of your queries. It was supposed to be funny. A bunch of us years ago sat around and nit-picked for fun and laughter the above singers "flaws". At least WE all thought it was funny.
I happen to love all but 3 of the singers above. Some are among my very top 5 favorites.
A few more smiley faces might be a wonderful antidote for getting old and crotchety.
Life's too short (at least for little 'ol' me!):tiphat:


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

Woodduck said:


> Odd vibrato, a super-fast tremor, as if a recording were speeded up. Also rather grim. Thoroughly admirable technically, but not warm or endearing.


Whew...tough crowd!


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I have just been alerted that perhaps I should not have posted my comedic post above because there are too many posters here I am really not personally that familiar with. I know this website tends to be on the more serious side and I think I have possibly overstepped my bounds without thinking it through.
So please accept my apologies for being non PC. It's not normally a part of my lifestyle, being that I tend to be a bit more satirical at times. 
If the director wants to delete my post, that will be fine with me.
Mea Culpa.


----------



## wkasimer (Jun 5, 2017)

I think that neither apology nor ex post facto deletion is necessary....


----------



## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

^^^Agreed. Nothing to apologize for. It's just that the premise of the thread isn't clear to some people (hand raised here). Based on your subsequent remarks, it might have been titled "What I don't like about singers I like," and no one would have been confused. Or am I still off-base?


----------



## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> ^^^Agreed. Nothing to apologize for. It's just that the premise of the thread isn't clear to some people (hand raised here). Based on your subsequent remarks, it might have been titled "What I don't like about singers I like," and no one would have been confused. Or am I still off-base?


I am not quite sure I understand what you are getting at Woodduck. "What I don't like about singers I like" seems like a strange title to me because I frankly can't imagine almost anyone (not just me) thinking that any of those above "flaws" are a positive trait in any singer (but then who am I to judge the opinion of others?)
However, the important point for me is that if even one member wasn't clear in my post then obviously I failed in my joking manner to express myself. 
In my defense I might add that this list was made up years ago when we all sat around and contributed with lots of laughter behind it. 
I just thought maybe some other opera lovers might have gotten a kick out of it too -- but obviously I was wrong. 
Some comedians would call it "flop sweat".


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

nina foresti said:


> I have just been alerted that perhaps I should not have posted my comedic post above because there are too many posters here I am really not personally that familiar with. I know this website tends to be on the more serious side and I think I have possibly overstepped my bounds without thinking it through.
> So please accept my apologies for being non PC. It's not normally a part of my lifestyle, being that I tend to be a bit more satirical at times.
> If the director wants to delete my post, that will be fine with me.
> Mea Culpa.


We are only serious about serious matters. I think some of us definitely have a sense of humor, even of humour, seriously! 
I myself am serious only about Callas and Corelli on my good days. I *can *make fun of things occasionally. I also place my tongue in cheek oftener these days. Maybe it doesn't translate.

I don't see why they objected to your post, it was not disrespectful or political or off topic (opera). Carry on!


----------



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Mostly these are spot on, yet many of us love many of these singers. They all have some short comings. Milanov had a great top in the 40's but tended to go sharp. She was more on key in the 50's. She sang Turandot in Bratislava early. One either loves her or one doesn't. I grew to be fond of some of her singing.


----------



## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Mostly these are spot on, yet many of us love many of these singers. They all have some short comings. Milanov had a great top in the 40's but tended to go sharp. She was more on key in the 50's. She sang Turandot in Bratislava early. One either loves her or one doesn't. I grew to be fond of some of her singing.


I think a lot of us heard Mme. Milanov rather late in her career when some of the things she did were comical. In her day, she reigned at the Metropolitan Opera as *the * dramatic soprano in Italian repertoire. She brooked no rivals - *Norma * was hers, *Il Trovatore* was hers even though she eschewed some of the florid music in both operas. In parts like *La Gioconda*, or *Aida*, or *Tosca*, where there was no _coloratura _ she shone, especially if she could deploy her famous _pianissimi_ here and there. I never heard her live, but an old friend said it was truly magical. To me, she could sound like Cavaradossi's aunt rather than his lover. She was an old-fashioned singer.


----------

