# Vocal Experts: What is Ponselle doing with her voice here. Help for a speech



## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

I'm doing my third speech on Ponselle in 12 years to my Toastmasters group. There is a point in her 1929 Casta Diva recitative where she softly hits a high note and then completely morphs the sound. After over a 1000 listenings it never fails to blow me away. I just can't explain what it is that she does. It sounds like she amplifies the resonance in the tone towards the end. To me it is a very unearthly effect!!! What do you hear? It comes at the 1.24 mark. 



 . Thanks for any explanation you can offer. John


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

If it's the high note on 'Io MIE-to' then I'm not sure. She hits the note piano (softly) and then holds it. There is a diminuendo at the end, perhaps you mean that? (And it is delicious.) This is done by adding more head voice whilst keeping the chest voice back. Quiet sounds aren't done with less breath as some state, but need more support and are made by changing the nature of the sound and adding more head voice and it's much harder to do than many think. (The old teachers saw it as a skill that was pretty much the last a singer would acquire.) Instinct would have us lessen our support or to stop projecting the voice, but that just results in not being heard, singing flat or having a weak tone. Ponselle's piano would have no doubt been heard right at the back of the top tier of the old Met!

N.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

I am anything but an expert and I have only my ears to discover what you are trying to say.
If by "morphing" you are referring to 1:24 in the aria, I simply believe she has discovered a unique technique in holding a note in a most attractive and attention-getting way which I find very appealing.


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