# Tremolo or Recording Quality?



## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

In some old recordings such as the ones listed below, we can hear what I don't want to call tremolo because I find it hard to believe that these excellent singers had caprino to this degree.

Does anyone have any idea what's causing this?


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

De Lucia had a moderate tremolo, but it was on top of a well developed voice. Often tremolo comes with a small, reedy, weak voice because it is a sign of tension/constriction. So, De Lucia would have been better without it, but was still a great singer. Tamagno also had a tremolo, but again had a huge voice. Of course, the incorrect transfers of de Lucia's (not the video you posted, but some on YouTube) voice make it even worse and totally unlistenable. His student Georges Thill had a fine vibrato, so I wonder whether this was an affectation by de Lucia to the taste of the time, which bizarrely briefly favored this sound in Italy?

Lina Bruna Rasa only had a tremolo when she was young. She fixed the problem as she got older. 12 years later, the vibrato (and the rest of the voice) is perfect.





This was also true for Lauri-Volpi, although just as he fixed his tremolo he developed a wobble on top.


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## vivalagentenuova (Jun 11, 2019)

Though now that I compare the two Bruna Rasa recordings side by side, the older one sounds like it's in a higher key. I have no idea if this is do to transposition or being played back at the wrong speed.


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## gorable (Jul 29, 2020)

vivalagentenuova said:


> Though now that I compare the two Bruna Rasa recordings side by side, the older one sounds like it's in a higher key. I have no idea if this is do to transposition or being played back at the wrong speed.


Yes! This is too high. I have this record and does not sound like this. It is much closer to the 38 and 40 versions, (lack of) tremolo included. But I do think it's common for the verismo singers to invest in these very marked vibratos so depending on the expression or the note, they won't mind the wild effects they can achieve in the quicker side of things


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