# Mado Robin



## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Whilst on a driving holiday recently, I stumbled across the Mado Robin Museum a few hours south of Paris. For those who aren't familiar with Robin, she was a French coloratura during the 50s. She's famous for hitting high notes...really high notes.

So high, that it's surprising that it's still head voice and not whistle register.
This video "only" shows her singing B6 but apparently she sang D7 frequently on stage - we just don't have a recording of it.
If you're not a musician and don't understand how insane a B6 is (let alone a d7). Watch the video and keep in mind that F6 is typical for Die Zauberflote "Queen of the Night".
Natalie Dessay's highest note was G#6 (which is about 2mins before this video ends).

Usually the volume tails off on really high notes. It's interesting that Robin manages to keep the power going.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

An amazing feat, certainly, but it's more of a circus act. It doesn't really have much to do with singing.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Coloratura is a circus act haha.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Couac Addict said:


> Coloratura is a circus act haha.


To a degree certainly. But actually, in comparison to a Sutherland or a Callas, or indeed a Dessay, Robin's coloratura was sketchy to say the least. She was a one-trick pony.


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

I made no mention of Robin's coloratura - only that she could sing high.


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## Figleaf (Jun 10, 2014)

Thank you Couac, for posting this. I can take or leave coloratura sopranos personally (mostly leave them, if I'm honest) but I like the purity of Robin's voice, and the museum looks fascinating. Gorgeous costumes!


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Truly freaky. What is "whistle register"? How does it differ from "head voice"?


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Couac Addict said:


> I made no mention of Robin's coloratura - only that she could sing high.


Actually it was you who mentioned coloratura first. Post #3


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

You gotta love the French singers... so elegant and that magic octave above too


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## Couac Addict (Oct 16, 2013)

Figleaf said:


> Thank you Couac, for posting this. I can take or leave coloratura sopranos personally (mostly leave them, if I'm honest) but I like the purity of Robin's voice, and the museum looks fascinating. Gorgeous costumes!


It's only a little place. One of those little museums that small towns have when they have nothing else of particular interest going on. I didn't know about it but saw it in a brochure when I was down there. It's not worth making a special trip for but if you were passing through the area, it's an interesting pitstop. I think it was only about 2 Euro to get in.



Woodduck said:


> Truly freaky. What is "whistle register"? How does it differ from "head voice"?


Apologies to singing teachers everywhere for this feeble explanation. 
The head voice is used for the highest notes without going into the falsetto register. With head voice, the vocal fold close and you get this big, fuller sound with more resonance. With falsetto, the vocal folds don't close but the edges vibrate. So you don't get that full sound or dynamics that you get with head voice. 
Beyond the falsetto register is the whistle register where the front of the vocal folds vibrate. Falsetto/Whistle doesn't allow that powerful, fuller sound that cuts through the orchestra and so it's not really used in opera. Some coloraturas will use her head voice to do all the work. then switch to higher registers doing a little ornamentation and then quickly go back to the head voice before the listener loses the sound amongst the orchestra. 
Pop singers use these higher registers all the time (Mariah Carey etc)...they have a microphone.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Couac Addict said:


> Apologies to singing teachers everywhere for this feeble explanation.
> The head voice is used for the highest notes without going into the falsetto register. With head voice, the vocal fold close and you get this big, fuller sound with more resonance. With falsetto, the vocal folds don't close but the edges vibrate. So you don't get that full sound or dynamics that you get with head voice.
> Beyond the falsetto register is the whistle register where the front of the vocal folds vibrate. Falsetto/Whistle doesn't allow that powerful, fuller sound that cuts through the orchestra and so it's not really used in opera. Some coloraturas will use her head voice to do all the work. then switch to higher registers doing a little ornamentation and then quickly go back to the head voice before the listener loses the sound amongst the orchestra.
> Pop singers use these higher registers all the time (Mariah Carey etc)...they have a microphone.


Thanks for the explanation. I'd like to try that in the shower, but perhaps I should warn my dog about it so that he'll keep his distance from the bathroom.

I can only imagine the absurd effect of sopranos singing at those pitches in opera. Could work for comedy, or something supernatural. But I suppose not many singers can do it anyway, so I think we and our dogs will be spared.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Couac Addict said:


> It's only a little place. One of those little museums that small towns have when they have nothing else of particular interest going on. I didn't know about it but saw it in a brochure when I was down there. It's not worth making a special trip for but if you were passing through the area, it's an interesting pitstop. I think it was only about 2 Euro to get in.
> 
> Apologies to singing teachers everywhere for this feeble explanation.
> The head voice is used for the highest notes without going into the falsetto register. With head voice, the vocal fold close and you get this big, fuller sound with more resonance. With falsetto, the vocal folds don't close but the edges vibrate. So you don't get that full sound or dynamics that you get with head voice.
> ...


Christina Aguilera is a winner of the high notes in today's world methinks.


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## BalalaikaBoy (Sep 25, 2014)

Couac Addict said:


> Coloratura is a circus act haha.


I must politely disagree


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