# Female Chest Voice: Old Schooling vs Modern Singing



## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

So I stumbled across the channel of a youtuber called Mister Opera, and he's posted some fascinating clips relating to female chest voice, specifically how it was used in the first half of the 20th century vs the way it is used in modern times with a preference for the former. Some of his favorite examples are Elena Obraztsova, Fiorenza Cossotto and Maria Callas, but he also posts a number of lighter voices as examples.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you prefer the softer, more "one voice" style of modern opera singing, or do you share his preference for a stronger, chestier sound in the lower register?


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

For the most part, I prefer the older style of singing, which reminds me a bit of the many Eastern European singers I listen to today. With that said, I think some of the earlier recordings could use a little less chest voice, in particular when portraying ingenues and more girly characters (Juliette is supposed to be like 13. she's not supposed to have this big, womanly chest voice). I guess I prefer singers who can switch back and forth a bit depending on the needs of the piece, but I favor the chestier sound about 70/30.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

I think in general singers don't seem to work the weaker part of their voices as much today. For most men this will be 'head' voice and women 'chest' voice. That's also why there aren't as many singers around with full ranges who can do justice to bel canto and Verdi where you need range, strength, flexibility and a wealth of vocal colours at your disposal.

This is a very interesting topic and I have quite a few observations, but I will leave it there and see how this thread develops.

N.


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

I mean, do we need a comparison video to tell us that Tebaldi and Callas had better bottoms than Gheorghiu?


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Stefan Zucker did some wonderful recorded interviews with golden age and earlier sopranos on the subject of chest tones.
Simionato, Olivero, Cerquetti are a few. 
And speaking of "the old sound", how about how our sweet little Anna Netrebko of the Bel Canto tradition grew up and developed her voice into a most gorgeous rich and full sound that almost mimics a mezzo. Her new "Aida" employs it wonderfully.
No more bel canto for her. Now it's more like "can belto."


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

nina foresti said:


> Stefan Zucker did some wonderful recorded interviews with golden age and earlier sopranos on the subject of chest tones.
> Simionato, Olivero, Cerquetti are a few.
> *And speaking of "the old sound", how about how our sweet little Anna Netrebko of the Bel Canto tradition grew up and developed her voice into a most gorgeous rich and full sound that almost mimics a mezzo. Her new "Aida" employs it wonderfully.*
> No more bel canto for her. Now it's more like "can belto."


I'll just....politely agree to disagree :/
She is acceptable in Puccini and lyric roles, but bel canto or Verdi...nope. sorry.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

howlingfantods said:


> I mean, do we need a comparison video to tell us that Tebaldi and Callas had better bottoms than Gheorghiu?


it's more than that though. he uses other examples of extremely light singers like Roberta Peters and Luisa Tetrazzini who employ the same engaged chest register technique.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Christine Goerke always has had a marvelous chest voice as has Renee Fleming, even in the Norma I heard her sing live 15 years ago.. Callas, Tebaldi and Milanov all had spectacular chest registers as did Nilsson ( sometimes) Flagstad and Traubel. The absolute BEST, though, was Jessye Norman's. It could be positively enormous and of unearthly beauty. She rivaled the power and sound of the contralto Ewa Powdles.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Christine Goerke always has had a marvelous chest voice as has Renee Fleming, even in the Norma I heard her sing live 15 years ago.. Callas, Tebaldi and Milanov all had spectacular chest registers as did Nilsson ( sometimes) Flagstad and Traubel. The absolute BEST, though, was Jessye Norman's. It could be positively enormous and of unearthly beauty. She rivaled the power and sound of the contralto Ewa Powdles.


I've always felt that Traubel and Norman could just as well have billed themselves as mezzos. As for Flagstad, it's hard to speak of her as having a chest voice; her perfectly even column of sound - powerful and smooth from top to bottom in her prime - gave no evidence of having registers at all. I've always wondered whether she was born with a perfectly equalized range or whether she had to work for it.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> I've always felt that Traubel and Norman could just as well have billed themselves as mezzos.


for all intense and purposes, I consider them mezzos, though in the case of Traubel, I'm grateful that her glorious voice recorded so much Wagner even if most of it had to be transposed down.



> As for Flagstad, it's hard to speak of her as having a chest voice; her perfectly even column of sound - powerful and smooth from top to bottom in her prime - gave no evidence of having registers at all. I've always wondered whether she was born with a perfectly equalized range or whether she had to work for it.


I've asked myself the same question many times. Never have I seen such an effortless, natural voice able to sing the heaviest repertoire for the soprano with the grace and femininity of a bel canto master.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> I've asked myself the same question [about Flagstad] many times. Never have I seen such an effortless, natural voice able to sing the heaviest repertoire for the soprano with the grace and femininity of a bel canto master.


The grace and feminity, but not the agility. Remember, she was asked to sing Norma, studied it, and decided against it. Frida Leider did perform it, and I'll bet she sang it superbly, trills and all. Pity she never recorded any of it.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> The grace and feminity, but not the agility. Remember, she was asked to sing Norma, studied it, and decided against it.


True. She has a few recordings with a trill and some brief-but-respectable coloratura, but she was certainly no Joan.



> Frida Leider did perform it, and I'll bet she sang it superbly, trills and all. Pity she never recorded any of it


The 3 great tragedies of humanity
1) The burning of the Library of Alexandria
2) The Fall of the Roman Empire
3) the world was deprived of a recording of Frida Lieder's Norma


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> True. She has a few recordings with a trill and some brief-but-respectable coloratura, but she was certainly no Joan.
> 
> The 3 great tragedies of humanity
> 1) The burning of the Library of Alexandria
> ...


Other than adding the felling of all of the very best old growth forests in the Northwest, I'd say you list is very good.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Seattleoperafan said:


> Other than adding the felling of all of the very best old growth forests in the Northwest, I'd say you list is very good.


you know what? I'm gonna run with this. we're up to 4 so far, so let's do the top 10 great tragedies 
5) (gonna cheat and combine two here). the death of the contralto voice, first in the 50s with the death of Kathleen Ferrier, next in the 80s with the death of Karen Carpenter. in both cases, incredibly untimely deaths
6) the extinction of the neanderthals 
7) mass extinctions of ice age mega fauna across 
8) the rise of the Beatles, and with them, the metastasizing of the male voice via the rise of the whiny, teenage boy-sounding tenor and the death of manly, dark bass and baritone voices like Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole
9) the career of Elena Souliotis cut short by vocal damage 
10) 3rd wave feminism and identity politics


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> 10) 3rd wave feminism and identity politics


I think we'd rather hear a dissertation on fachs.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> I think we'd rather hear a dissertation on fachs.


I mean....if you really want me to :lol:

In the meantime, another superb example of the old schooling of chest voice.


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> you know what? I'm gonna run with this. we're up to 4 so far, so let's do the top 10 great tragedies
> 5) (gonna cheat and combine two here). the death of the contralto voice, first in the 50s with the death of Kathleen Ferrier, next in the 80s with the death of Karen Carpenter. in both cases, incredibly untimely deaths
> 6) the extinction of the neanderthals
> 7) mass extinctions of ice age mega fauna across
> ...


You go!!!!! :tiphat:


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