# Rossini Fans - How can you tolerate that warbling?



## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

I just watched Barber of Seville for the first time.

That warbling is nice at first but gets so damned irritating

How do you endure it?

Maybe the performance - Berganza does it rather beautifully but I think Prey starting getting on my nerves with it.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

By "warbling" you mean the rapid coloratura? It's Rossini's style, or the style of the time, and I've always liked it. But I can see how it might annoy some. There's nothing wrong with not caring for a certain composer's style. I mean, I don't like Alban Berg.


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## Ginger (Jul 14, 2016)

For me it definitely depends on the singers. If they are good I think it's thrilling but if not it can be painful.... I love the coloratura in Comte Ory. Especially when it's sung by Diana Damrau.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

The 'warbling' is great. Called coloratura in real life. Requires immense skill of the singer. Of course, you have to have the right singers. Try this:









Cenerentola movie with von Stade! :kiss::kiss:


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

Couldn't resist, this always makes me laugh


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Here is a good one for heavy ornamentation:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

stomanek said:


> I just watched Barber of Seville for the first time.
> 
> That warbling is nice at first but gets so damned irritating
> 
> ...


My advice: if you don't like ... stay away from it, your loss in this case .


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

How can you *not* love Rossini?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

SimonTemplar said:


> How can you *not* love Rossini?


Most valuable answer .


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## JosefinaHW (Nov 21, 2015)

Pugg said:


>


This is my favorite so far. She makes it sound easy as if it were natural. (The word "warble" really does work--but I view it as a compliment. )


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

SimonTemplar said:


> How can you *not* love Rossini?


I like the opera - the music etc - just the warbling makes me want to laugh


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

stomanek said:


> I like the opera - the music etc - just the warbling makes me want to laugh


That's good, it's a comedy after all .


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

SimonTemplar said:


> How can you *not* love Rossini?


With remarkable ease I'm afraid!

Sits back with large drink and awaits torrent of abuse.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Barbebleu said:


> With remarkable ease I'm afraid!
> 
> Sits back with large drink and awaits torrent of abuse.


Abuse on this site.....never.


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I like Rossini's music and listen to some of it every few years. It's just that there are hundreds of other composers who are in the same category considering my preferences. I did attend a Rossini opera in Budapest about 10 years ago that was enjoyable, but I don't recall which one.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Must confess I'd swap the whole Ring Cycle for La Cenerentola.


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## Ginger (Jul 14, 2016)

DavidA said:


> Must confess I'd swap the whole Ring Cycle for La Cenerentola.


Never!  I wouldn't want to swap any of them...


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Loge said:


> Couldn't resist, this always makes me laugh


Couldn't quite see the point of this. As the closing credits state Miss Jenkins is not an opera singer so what are we actually comparing here. I've heard worse actual opera singers.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

DavidA said:


> Must confess I'd swap the whole Ring Cycle for La Cenerentola.


This is going to far for me, the only one Rossini I only like to watch and not to hear .


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## Fat Bob (Sep 25, 2015)

Barbebleu said:


> Couldn't quite see the point of this. As the closing credits state Miss Jenkins is not an opera singer so what are we actually comparing here. I've heard worse actual opera singers.


Maybe she hasn't claimed to be an opera singer, but I have seen her introduced as such on the telly, so as far as a lot of the general public is concerned this is what an opera singer sounds like. Pity really.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Fat Bob said:


> Maybe she hasn't claimed to be an opera singer, but I have seen her introduced as such on the telly, so as far as a lot of the general public is concerned this is what an opera singer sounds like. Pity really.



You would think the people making these announcements should do a little homework before they open their mouths to the masses.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

DavidA said:


> Must confess I'd swap the whole Ring Cycle for La Cenerentola.


I'd probably swap Cenerentola for anything you care to name so long as it's not by Rossini. :lol:


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Loge said:


> Couldn't resist, this always makes me laugh


What's this guy trying to prove? Anyone with any intelligence knows that Kat is a crossover singer and can't match the likes of Callas et al any more than Semprini could play like Horowitz.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Barbebleu said:


> I'd probably swap Cenerentola for anything you care to name so long as it's not by Rossini. :lol:


No jokes about Wagner


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

Pugg said:


> This is going to far for me, the only one Rossini I only like to watch and not to hear .


Watch and not hear? Not even the sextet?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

SimonTemplar said:


> Watch and not hear? Not even the sextet?


Non piu mesta the only highlight. :tiphat:


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Barbebleu said:


> I'd probably swap Cenerentola for anything you care to name so long as it's not by Rossini. :lol:


Bellini or Donizetti perhaps?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

DavidA said:


> Bellini or Donizetti perhaps?


That's blasphemy


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

Pugg said:


> No jokes about Wagner


Wagner is no laughing matter.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

DavidA said:


> Bellini or Donizetti perhaps?


Oooh! I forgot about them. But I do like Lucia so no Bellini.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Barbebleu said:


> Wagner is no laughing matter.


I wouldn't dare making jokes about Wagner.


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

Barbebleu said:


> Oooh! I forgot about them. But I do like Lucia so no Bellini.


Plenty of warbling in Lucia - and mad warbling at that! :lol:


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

DavidA said:


> Plenty of warbling in Lucia - and mad warbling at that! :lol:


But superior mad warbling!


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Barbebleu said:


> But superior mad warbling!


As is all of Beverly Sills' warbling!


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## Sonata (Aug 7, 2010)

stomanek said:


> I like the opera - the music etc - just the warbling makes me want to laugh


There's a three disc set of his complete opera overtures that should do you nicely 
Conducted by Neville Marriner and performed by the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields


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## Scopitone (Nov 22, 2015)

Pugg said:


> Non piu mesta the only highlight. :tiphat:


Stop that. You know we don't speak Mexican.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Florestan said:


> As is all of Beverly Sills' warbling!


That's called sinning by a nightingale , bless her.


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## PlaySalieri (Jun 3, 2012)

I watched the remainder of the opera last night (I only watched half of it when I posted this thread)

I withdraw my warbling critique as I now realise it is herman prey that annoys me - the rest of the cast is excellent.

My only other point is that the opera itself does not stand up to comparison with Mozart's installment of the beaumarchais trilogy. There are 2 famous arias at the beginning - some nice music along the way and one or two good ensembles - but overall I was a little disappointed in the whole. When I think about the wealth of delights that there are in nozze di figaro. Four acts of sheer heaven from start to finish.


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## BaritoneAssoluto (Jun 6, 2016)

Florestan said:


> Here is a good one for heavy ornamentation:


I've ALWAYS hated that transposition of that aria for the "Soprano" voice. The one in E major is so much easier on the ears and it is the COMPOSER'S original wishes. Now, G major to some others might be nice but in this case for Rossini, the "Una Voce poco Fa" sounds much better to me, in E Maj.


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## BaritoneAssoluto (Jun 6, 2016)

There's really only one good aria I like for Rossini (and surprisingly, it's not the Baritone arias either). "Nac'qui Alla fanno... Non Piu Mesta" from Le Cenerentola. You get a good dramatic mezzo capable of excellent coloratura and fioritura singing that piece, and it's heaven. Von Stade doesn't cut it for me in that respect but she does...


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## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

stomanek said:


> I watched the remainder of the opera last night (I only watched half of it when I posted this thread)
> 
> I withdraw my warbling critique as I now realise it is herman prey that annoys me - the rest of the cast is excellent.
> 
> My only other point is that the opera itself does not stand up to comparison with Mozart's installment of the beaumarchais trilogy. There are 2 famous arias at the beginning - some nice music along the way and one or two good ensembles - but overall I was a little disappointed in the whole. When I think about the wealth of delights that there are in nozze di figaro. Four acts of sheer heaven from start to finish.


Not many operas stand comparison with Figaro do they?


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## BaritoneAssoluto (Jun 6, 2016)

DavidA said:


> Not many operas stand comparison with Figaro do they?


I don't know about Opera but I DO know of an Opera SINGER:


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

BaritoneAssoluto said:


> I don't know about Opera but I DO know of an Opera SINGER:


I see another movie coming up after the Florence Foster Jenkins one.


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

BaritoneAssoluto said:


> I don't know about Opera but I DO know of an Opera SINGER:


Now we're talking. :lol:

If you can hear a high pitched whine, that's Verdi spinning in his grave!


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## Loge (Oct 30, 2014)

Warbling can sound really nice, this one has a nice Fifth Element feel about it.


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2016)

stomanek said:


> I just watched Barber of Seville for the first time.
> 
> That warbling is nice at first but gets so damned irritating
> 
> ...


You might give an example so that those unfamiliar with the warbling can experience it.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

BaritoneAssoluto said:


> I've ALWAYS hated that transposition of that aria for the "Soprano" voice. The one in E major is so much easier on the ears and it is the COMPOSER'S original wishes. Now, G major to some others might be nice but in this case for Rossini, the "Una Voce poco Fa" sounds much better to me, in E Maj.


I like having both. Here is one of my favorites with the Mezzo:


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Rossini wrote Rosina's parts for a contralto, but I have not been able to find one recording that features a contralto for Rosina. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

Florestan said:


> Rossini wrote Rosina's parts for a contralto, but I have not been able to find one recording that features a contralto for Rosina. If anyone knows of one, please let me know.


I do thinks that Bartoli is the nearest to your question.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Pugg said:


> I do thinks that Bartoli is the nearest to your question.


I could not stand Bartoli and had her on Cenerentola but got rid of it. I still think she is not suited for Cenerentola. But in Barber of Seville I was very surprised at her performance on DVD so had to check out the CD. In both cases she is young and her voice I think must have been better then, not so much flutter in it as she now seems to force into it with great and grotesque facial expressions. My favorite Rosina so far seems to be Jennifer Larmore, but I think Cecilia Bartoli may be better.


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

What about Berganza?


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

SimonTemplar said:


> What about Berganza?


I personally thinks she is the best Rossina (lower register that is)


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

SimonTemplar said:


> What about Berganza?


I have that one on CD and DVD. Will have to give it another listen. They are all good and this is such a wonderful opera that it is worth having many performances to listen to.


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