# Saioa Hernandez: finally a modern soprano with a real chest voice



## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)




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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Solid top to bottom. Nice. How did you find her?


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Woodduck said:


> Solid top to bottom. Nice. How did you find her?


Heard about her on Mister Opera's channel. He is a devotee of the old schooling and likes women with powerful chest voices. Based on your tastes, you'd enjoy his channel.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

BalalaikaBoy said:


> Heard about her on Mister Opera's channel. He is a devotee of the old schooling and likes women with powerful chest voices. Based on your tastes, you'd enjoy his channel.


Thanks. ...............


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

@BalalaikaBoy I think you meant "This is Opera!" as "Mister Opera" is a channel dedicated to making fun of the former for some personal reasons. I discovered her there too.

I might go as far as saying she's the best soprano active today. Now in the video below she's "enhanced" (with microphones) like basically everyone today, but the quality of her sound as a whole is completely different. She sounds much more like the old singers and a lot less like the rest of today's singers. I think this proves the point about correct vocal production and the shortcomings of a faulty one that no modern technology can make up for.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

This is Opera! used to be called Mr. Opera. Not sure if the switch had happened when this was posted. She's got a great lower register, but problems in the head voice. Interestingly, when I showed her to some of my friends that like modern opera singers, they liked her head voice but were confused by the lower register!


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

vivalagentenuova said:


> This is Opera! used to be called Mr. Opera. Not sure if the switch had happened when this was posted. She's got a great lower register, but problems in the head voice. Interestingly, when I showed her to some of my friends that like modern opera singers, they liked her head voice but were confused by the lower register!


I agree, her head voice especially in bigger roles is more and more collapsed (à la Guleghina and such modern "dramatic" soprani) 
but when she sings with full chest voice like in Ballo she sounds really good. Of course she's not perfect, but a far cry from most singers today. She's the protégée of Caballé, and she does remind me of her in some ways.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Yes, even her head voice is _much_ better than average.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

Very impressive.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

But still.....


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## VitellioScarpia (Aug 27, 2017)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Yes, even her head voice is _much_ better than average.


I love the high notes and the low notes. I find the middle wobbly or out of focus which reminds me of Rysanek although with a brighter sound and stronger chest. Unfortunately, I am not engaged by her singing and the coloratura is rough. I attached links to the Macbeth scene (Act I, aria di sortita and cabaletta: 



), and the cavatina of Norma (



.


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## aussiebushman (Apr 21, 2018)

Excellent - thank you for this introduction. First time I have heard a "modern" soprano who can compare with the best of the classic ones


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Rosa Ponselle - Suicidio / with sub-title
She has a long way to go before coming even close to Ponselle.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Rogerx said:


> Rosa Ponselle - Suicidio / with sub-title
> She has a long way to go before coming even close to Ponselle.


True. But who doesn't?


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Rogerx said:


> Rosa Ponselle - Suicidio / with sub-title
> She has a long way to go before coming even close to Ponselle.


Rosa Ponselle could sing as low as a tenor. not a fair comparison or benchmark by any standard.


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