# O Mio Babbino Caro - Puccini



## arts (Jun 17, 2011)

My new (and improved!!) "O Mio Babbino Caro". 
I used the old video (One year ago) with new audio. 
I hope you like it.


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## Itullian (Aug 27, 2011)

wonderful video, arts
and beautifully done.
thank you


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## arts (Jun 17, 2011)

Itullian said:


> wonderful video, arts
> and beautifully done.
> thank you


Thank you very much!


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## katdad (Jan 1, 2009)

First of all, you've obviously received some pro training and you should in NO WAY take what I'm saying here as any advice that supersedes what your vocal instructor tells you. I do wish you to however think a bit about what I'm saying and if you wish, ask your instructor about it. After all, you are asking us for feedback so I'm giving it. As they used to say on the old Goon Show, "It's all free, folks!" Okay...

Very nice performance. A question... was the vocal dubbed or recorded live onstage as you were there? I assume it's dubbed as there are minute discrepancies in the sound track and the image. Which is okay.

Fine tone control, good pitch with a very small amount of "searching" for the note but only a teeny amount. That goes away as you concentrate on hitting that note spot on at the outset. Good stage presence and pretty decent acting, which always helps add verisimilitude to any role. After you've "nailed" the actual vocal part of the aria (something that all singers are always working to improve constantly, as you are doing), you'll want to do a bit more "realistic" acting by keeping in mind that you're the character, not the singer, and as the character, you've got genuine emotions of love and such, and are really really trying to express what's truly in your heart.

Projection apparently quite good, nice mouth & lip control, mouth open wide vertically but not horizontally, and letting the notes "break" across the upper front teeth to increase sharpness and resonance. Pronunciation is a little "soft" but this is perfectly okay, as this is a love song, not the Queen of the Night revenge aria! ha ha

Breathing is pretty good, a slight over-concentration upon the chest and shoulders, which move upward with your higher notes, something that you might try to control more, being more relaxed in the upper body and focusing most of the energy on the diaphragm. However you're also "pushing" nicely there, so it would only require a very small adjustment in the posture. As you begin to concentrate more on the diaphragm and less on the upper torso for breath, you'll find more "wind" than you thought you had, and be able to sustain your high notes and passages more easily and you'll be able to add more volume to the highs -- right now you seem to be taking too many breath-breaks, but this will not be needed as much as you learn to depend more on the lower torso for air.

The fact that you're a fairly slender young woman is not a factor. You're about the same size (and about 5-7 years younger) compared with my former girlfriend, also a lyric soprano, and she could part hair in the back row with her volume! You shoulda heard her in Cara Nome. Petite or slender size does not prevent volume if you use that ol' diaphragm. Just listen to Teresa Stratas in "Il Tabarro" (Met video) if you doubt this.

Variation in volume is excellent. Too often a newer singer will come at the aria with the same power throughout, but you've added good texture to the phrases. You might wish to place a little more "bite" on the key words of some phrases, which will further add texture and help the syntax -- remember that Italian isn't that "mushy" of a language, instead with fairly crisp consonants. However, as I said, it's a love song and you're not threatening to kill anybody, so a light, graceful "soft attack" is very much okay.

That's all I can add right now. Please ask questions should you have them. And thanks for sharing the lovely aria!


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## katdad (Jan 1, 2009)

I'll add one more comment on your breathing. If you watch the video you'll see how your shoulders and upper arms rise (along with the chest) just as you're preparing for a high note. And there's a distinct pause as you "gather yourself" for that note.

Mind you, you did superbly and the notes were fine.

However, with better diaphragm breath and less upper torso breath, you will be able to "sail" straight into those notes without hesitation, and the whole aria will be smoother. This comes from being able to have that reserve lower torso energy to spare. And you'll have less tension in the upper torso which will add to your projection and tone envelope. Suggestion: check YouTube, Renee Fleming, singing "Let the Bright Seraphim" (amazing and thrilling baroque masterpiece) and "Depuis le jour" (which I consider the most lovely of all soprano arias) and watch her shoulder movement -- or lack of it.

This small raising of your shoulders and arms to "get ready" for a high note is inadvertent but should be consciously un-learned. Those high notes should soar right out of your abdomen and "magically" emerge, almost effortelessly. Of course, you're actually putting quite a bit of lower abdomen effort into the note, but that becomes automatic. If you can learn to eliminate that tightening of the shoulders prior to a high note or phrase, your singing will become more lyrical overnight.

Understand, my suggestions are only those from my fevered brain and I'm no pro. I'm just giving the asked-for advice.

Regarding how the upper chest should not be a factor in your singing, my voice teacher once gave me a demo. He was a big, muscular, solid baritone with boxes of trophies in body building to match his singing awards. Once he sang an aria for me while doing one-armed pushups! This was to demonstrate how the upper body needs to be neutral while singing.


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## arts (Jun 17, 2011)

katdad said:


> I'll add one more comment on your breathing. If you watch the video you'll see how your shoulders and upper arms rise (along with the chest) just as you're preparing for a high note. And there's a distinct pause as you "gather yourself" for that note.
> 
> Mind you, you did superbly and the notes were fine.
> 
> ...


Hi katdad
Thank you for the advice! The video was filmed a year ago and I recently redid the audio. I believe I am better at breathing with my diaphragm and not lifting my shoulders now but am (of course) still working on it Here is an example of a recent video and recording of mine:






About your former girlfriend...I guess that confirms the saying "Big things come in small packages!" LOL!
You've made me feel a lot better by reading your replies. I do gymnastics and martial arts and have heard from some people that working out is bad for your support (especially ab work out) but I suppose your teacher proved that false! And by the way, I would love to see a video of him doing one-armed pushups while singing an aria!!!
Thank you very much for your advice!


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## katdad (Jan 1, 2009)

I'm very happy to provide some advice. And remember, I'm just a semi-pro baritone who loves classical music, opera, and who's been so very fortunate to have a few years of opera performing joy.

No, working out is in no way detrimental to your singing. The only thing I could imagine is that such activity takes time from your singing study, but otherwise being in good shape can only augment your singing. After all, as you know, opera performing is exhausting and if you've got the reserve of energy and health to draw upon, you'll be better able to perform in a matinee followed by an evening show, and be rehearsing the next opera at the same time. You'll have fewer sick days, too, and with the usual close confines of the dressing room and rehearsals, and the influx of singers from all around, chances for catching a bug are increased. It makes good sense to be in better health.

My former girlfriend wasn't quite as petite as you but she was definitely slender and athletic. She'd run track in college, was a licensed massage therapist, and jogged all the time. Some of my opera pals and I used to go to the gym for weight lifting and quite a few of the singers would go for group runs after rehearsal.

There's this myth that singers have to be hefty to sing well, focused mainly on Wagnerians but it transfers to other operatic venues too. We've discussed this in other threads but I think some of this comes from the fact that opera became world famous and spread across the Western world mostly during the 19th century, and at that time, successful people were generally considered "healthy" if they were hefty. It wasn't till the 20th century that "healthy" meant more slender.

Today, of course, we have many very athletic opera singers, male and female. Some of this comes from the general aspect that overall health standards have changed for a more slender physique, and also from the increasing theatrics of opera, particularly TV and video performances, with lots of closeups, and that opera fans are more receptive to singers who "look the part".

Of course there are plenty of terrific singers these days who are hefty. But girth is no longer thought to be requisite. Heck, Teresa Stratas proved this years ago -- she was a teeny gal and had an immense voice.

As I need to insist, don't take what I'm saying as gospel. Follow what your teachers and coaches tell you. I'm certainly no pro. I've taught computer programming, tech writing, and short story composition, but never singing, ha ha. My principal comment on your singing was how you were hunching your shoulders and lifting your chest and arms in prep for a note or sequence, relying too much on upper body posture for your air. Therefore my suggestions for focusing more on the diaphragm and lower torso for breath, leaving the shoulders and chest relaxed.

Thanks for the lovely videos, by the way! And keep us informed of your work.


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