# Horrid male singing style...?



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I am just listening to a recording of Purcell's _Indian Queen_ & noticing what I have noticed in the past - that sometimes British men, supposedly 'good singers', produce a sort of wobbly, over-emphatic tone that at times even sounds out of tune. Is it maybe just because they are not 'top rank'? But yesterday I listened to some Mahler lieder, with German singers, and thought the men singing there were overly arch, wobbly, and almost not hitting the note - or not *at once*.

I don't get the same impression from female singers.

Has anyone else ever thought this, or *is* it just me?


----------



## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Ingélou said:


> I am just listening to a recording of Purcell's _Indian Queen_ & noticing what I have noticed in the past - that sometimes British men, supposedly 'good singers', produce a sort of wobbly, over-emphatic tone that at times even sounds out of tune. Is it maybe just because they are not 'top rank'? But yesterday I listened to some Mahler lieder, and thought the men singing there were overly arch, wobbly (hwor-hwor-hwor) and almost not hitting the note - or not *at once*.
> 
> I don't get the same impression from female singers.
> 
> Has anyone else ever thought this, or *is* it just me?


This is the second time you've brought this up but you must include the singers names or comment can't be made.


----------



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

moody said:


> This is the second time you've brought this up but you must include the singers names or comment can't be made.


A fair point; I wanted to keep it general, though, because it doesn't seem right to single out one person when it's the style phenomenon that is puzzling me. It isn't quite the same point this time, though, as I've noticed that it isn't just British singers. The ?basses in a French production of Lully's *Cadmus & Hermione* seemed to have the same problem.

It's a bit exciting today trying to post things; will it work, or won't it? 

Edit: it did 'post', then immediately went offline again; so let me take this window of opportunity to say, I don't mind if it is 'just me'. I only wondered...


----------



## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

Ingélou said:


> A fair point; I wanted to keep it general, though, because it doesn't seem right to single out one person when it's the style phenomenon that is puzzling me. It isn't quite the same point this time, as I've noticed that it isn't just British singers, though. I noticed the ?basses in a French production of Lully's *Cadmus & Hermione* had the same problem.
> 
> It's a bit exciting today trying to post things; will it work, or won't it?
> 
> Edit: it did 'post', then immediately went offline again; so let me take this window of opportunity to say, I don't mind if it is 'just me'. I only wondered...


No,no,no, this isn't a game of tennis--you can name names because it may be poor singing. But it may be correct in which case you have to learn why.
As for British male singers ,many of them are very bloodless but I don't suppose these were British.


----------



## moody (Nov 5, 2011)

This is crazy, I thought it hadn't gone with all the nonsense happening--but it did TWICE.


----------



## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

Well there is an article here about vocal "wobble" which may be what you are asking about. It's interesting that the author says that wobble is more common in German singers compared to Italian due to training and the types of vowels they are expected to produce.

http://www.voiceteacher.com/wobble.html


----------



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

:tiphat: Thanks very much, quack - I think this indeed may be the problem.


----------

