# Baroque Opera Question



## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

At the recent Giulio Cesare I went to, one of the most irritating aspects of the thing was the endless hohohohhohohohohoho hahahahahahaha that the performers executed, without (as far as I could tell) any significant difference between this aria's hahaha and that one's hohoho. But a few days ago I slipped a CD of some of Bach's cantatas into the player and the same hahaha and hohoho seemed awesome. What's the difference? Is it me, you think, or is there a real difference between how Bach is sung and how Handel is sung, or is there a way of singing that makes it all more palatable?


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Could it be the difference between a 40 minute mass and a 4 hr hour opera?


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

I couldn't resist 

maybe they didn't do their hohohos properly. The da capo should have its own extra ornaments, like these:









the conductor needs a spanking!

ultimately, you either like your hohohos or you don't -









I personally think they're awesome and would take them any day over steam whistle singing.


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## Marisol (May 25, 2013)

guythegreg said:


> What's the difference? Is it me, you think, or is there a real difference between how Bach is sung and how Handel is sung, or is there a way of singing that makes it all more palatable?


Handle's operas were the 17th century version of pop concerts, people would sometimes stand, cheer, boo and were ready to listen to the latest arias performed by the popular singer of the time. Bach's cantatas on the other hand were performed in church interwoven with the service.


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## ComposerOfAvantGarde (Dec 2, 2011)

guythegreg said:


> At the recent Giulio Cesare I went to, one of the most irritating aspects of the thing was the endless hohohohhohohohohoho hahahahahahaha that the performers executed, without (as far as I could tell) any significant difference between this aria's hahaha and that one's hohoho. But a few days ago I slipped a CD of some of Bach's cantatas into the player and the same hahaha and hohoho seemed awesome. What's the difference? Is it me, you think, or is there a real difference between how Bach is sung and how Handel is sung, or is there a way of singing that makes it all more palatable?


Could have something to do with vibrato as well, in HIP baroque singing it is usually customary to have a lighter vibrato and not a huge wobble from a Wagnerian soprano. Who sang in Giulio Cesare and what recording of the Bach was it?


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

Cavaradossi said:


> Could it be the difference between a 40 minute mass and a 4 hr hour opera?


An excellent suggestion, come to think of it. Although I also kind of think technique has something to do with it - David Daniels was doing most of the hohohoing that was irritating, and I didn't get nearly as teed off when Alice Coote was doing it. As I recall.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

ComposerOfAvantGarde said:


> Could have something to do with vibrato as well, in HIP baroque singing it is usually customary to have a lighter vibrato and not a huge wobble from a Wagnerian soprano. Who sang in Giulio Cesare and what recording of the Bach was it?


In the Giulio Cesare it was David Daniels, Alice Coote, Natalie Dessay, Christophe Dumaux (sp?) among others. The Bach Cantatas, I've long since discarded the box they came in but Joshua Rifkin's name is on the CD itself.


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