# Vibrato in opera singing, good or bad



## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

As newbie, I am interested in knowing your views on vibrato in opera singing. Some critics love it others just hate it.

What's your views on it?
Can you provide some recent CD recordings of arias and short pieces in which I can compare a vibrato interpretation versus a non-vibrato (is there a specific term for it?) one.

I have been listening to Nebresko singing Verismo and I ma undecided whether to like her vibrato singing throughout or not.

https://www.google.it/imgres?imgurl...t7WAhVICsAKHdJQAAoQMwgmKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

It doesn´t bother me much but if I have to choose I prefer without vibrato it sounds too wobbly. 
I prefer when the singing sound straight.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

There is no such thing as vibratoless singing in opera, except when it's employed as a special effect. Vibrato is a natural, spontaneous secondary oscillation of the vocal chords which occurs when the breath and muscles are properly coordinated and functioning freely and easily. The natural vibrato can't be faked, but it can be suppressed at will. It can also become distorted by improper use of the vocal mechanism, including excessive or inadequate pressure of the breath, muscle strain and wear, or aging. That's when we get the dreaded "wobble" - the slowed-down, pitch-distorting pulsation that some people incorrectly call vibrato. Natural vibratos differ in quality and prominence; a desirable vibrato gives life to the tone (which would otherwise sound like a wail or a siren) and doesn't draw too much attention to itself.


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)




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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

Tuoksu said:


>


Thank you, Tuoksu! Indeed interesting.

From the example of Leoncavallo made by the teacher in the video, I infer that Verismo Opera has vibrato as part of its style. Hence Nebresko's interpretation is in line with tradition.


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

Woodduck said:


> a desirable vibrato gives life to the tone (which would otherwise sound like a wail or a siren) and doesn't draw too much attention to itself.


Spot on Woodduck as demonstrated by the teacher's singing without vibrato:tiphat:


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## Tuoksu (Sep 3, 2015)

Napodano said:


> Thank you, Tuoksu! Indeed interesting.
> 
> From the example of Leoncavallo made by the teacher in the video, I infer that Verismo Opera has vibrato as part of its style. Hence Nebresko's interpretation is in line with tradition.


I'm glad it helped  
Franco Tenelli's videos are often very insightful.


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## nina foresti (Mar 11, 2014)

When done properly there is nothing more delightful.
Examples are: Joseph Calleja whose sound is reminiscent of the Golden past 
Sondra Radvanovsky
Rolando Villazon
Magda Olivero - Queen of the Verismo sound


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## Barbebleu (May 17, 2015)

When done badly you get Lance Ryan - King of the yodellers. :lol:


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## Bonetan (Dec 22, 2016)

There is no opera singing without vibrato. The question doesn't make sense.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Bonetan said:


> There is no opera singing without vibrato. The question doesn't make sense.


The question makes sense in the context of someone who does not know the answer. I'd have asked the same question had I thought of it. But now I know a lot more about vibrato than I did five minutes ago and I haven't watched the posted video yet.

Actually, I am more concerned with the question: To trill or not to trill? If that is even what it is called. Most Senta's do it when they start the high note of Senta's ballad of the Dutchman (example). A few don't (example) and that is what I prefer.


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## The Conte (May 31, 2015)

Florestan said:


> Actually, I am more concerned with the question: To trill or not to trill? If that is even what it is called. Most Senta's do it when they start the high note of Senta's ballad of the Dutchman (example). A few don't (example) and that is what I prefer.


A trill is an ornament written in the music by the composer, therefore I would suggest trill if he wrote one, don't if he didn't. Having listened to your examples and looked at a score of Senta's aria, there isn't a trill written there and in fact listening to your examples it sounds more like a wobble in the first one which is _excessive_ vibrato and may be what some people are thinking of when they say 'vibrato'.

N.


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

Florestan said:


> The question makes sense in the context of someone who does not know the answer. I'd have asked the same question had I thought of it. But now I know a lot more about vibrato than I did five minutes ago and I haven't watched the posted video yet.
> 
> Actually, I am more concerned with the question: To trill or not to trill? If that is even what it is called. Most Senta's do it when they start the high note of Senta's ballad of the Dutchman (example). A few don't (example) and that is what I prefer.


Thank you Florestan.

The two examples are instructive: the first one could be a vibrato with a slight 'caprino' as demostrated in Franco Tenelli's video.:devil:


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

The Conte said:


> A trill is an ornament written in the music by the composer, therefore I would suggest trill if he wrote one, don't if he didn't. Having listened to your examples and looked at a score of Senta's aria, there isn't a trill written there and in fact listening to your examples *it sounds more like a wobble in the first one which is excessive vibrato *and may be what some people are thinking of when they say 'vibrato'.
> 
> N.


And the impression that "wobble" gives me is that the singer is incapable of jumping into that high note smoothly. Ruins an otherwise good Hollander recording. And thanks much for looking into it for me. I appreciate it.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Napodano said:


> Thank you Florestan.
> 
> The two examples are instructive: the first one could be a vibrato with a slight 'caprino' as demostrated in Franco Tenelli's video.:devil:


You are welcome! We are here to learn and there are some very knowledgeable folks at this site more than happy to help.


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## Bellinilover (Jul 24, 2013)

A wobble (when the vibrato is inconsistent and affects the pitch) is one of my big pet peeves, but I love vibrato. Of course, there's "rapid" vibrato and "slower" vibrato. I prefer the former, though some acclaimed singers (e.g., Pilar Lorengar) had the latter.


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## howlingfantods (Jul 27, 2015)

Florestan said:


> Actually, I am more concerned with the question: To trill or not to trill? If that is even what it is called. Most Senta's do it when they start the high note of Senta's ballad of the Dutchman (example). A few don't (example) and that is what I prefer.


It actually sounds like you're talking about scooping from listening to these two examples - when you say starting the high note, I'm pretty sure you're talking about the "traft" in the line "traft ihr das Schiff im Meere an". Stemme scoops up to that note, that is starts a semitone or so lower than the note value and slides up to the note, where Norman starts right on the true tone. Neither Jessye nor Nina has a trill or a marked wobble here.

I'm ok with singers that scoop occasionally for expressive purposes but not when singers do it excessively. This is the main reason I can't listen to most of my many many Varnay recordings now.


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## VitellioScarpia (Aug 27, 2017)

Netrebko's not in line with tradition: she does have a fierce wobble, not a vibrato. The lady shot her voice already by continually trying to sing "big" when she does not have the chops for "big sings". Too bad, she was a nice lyric soprano at one point.


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## Woodduck (Mar 17, 2014)

Bellinilover said:


> A wobble (when the vibrato is inconsistent and affects the pitch) is one of my big pet peeves, but I love vibrato. Of course, there's "rapid" vibrato and "slower" vibrato. I prefer the former, though some acclaimed singers (e.g., Pilar Lorengar) had the latter.


Interesting fact: the average rate of vibrato pulsation in singers 100 years ago was faster than it is now. Anyone widely acquainted with recordings of that era will have noticed this. Samples:

Mattia Battistini, before 1915 (?): 




Laurence Tibbett, 1935: 




Leonard Warren. 1957: 




Sherrill Milnes, 1970: 




Dmitri Hvorostovsky, 1990: 




Some authorities suggest 5 to 8 beats per second as an acceptable range for a good vibrato. Faster than that, we get the tremolo or "caprino" (from the Italian word for goat, "capra," hence "Capricorn"); slower, and we're getting into wobble territory. We don't want to be tempted to count the beats, which is unfortunately possible with a lot of operatic bellowers!


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

VitellioScarpia said:


> Netrebko's not in line with tradition: she does have a fierce wobble, not a vibrato. The lady shot her voice already by continually trying to sing "big" when she does not have the chops for "big sings". Too bad, she was a nice lyric soprano at one point.


VitellioScarpia, thank you for your critical input. Also my inexperienced ears were unconvinced about her vibrato. Now thanks to this thread I have started building 'the what to listen for in music'.


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## Napodano (Sep 18, 2017)

Woodduck said:


> Interesting fact: the average rate of vibrato pulsation in singers 100 years ago was faster than it is now. Anyone widely acquainted with recordings of that era will have noticed this.


 Woodduck, would the reason be a change of taste by the public or regrettably a current decline in talent?

I take this opportunity to ask all of you to suggest me 'young' sopranos and tenors worth listening to. Besides Nebresko, I ma now seeking recordings of Sondra Radvanovsky and Rolando Villazon whom ninaforesti suggested in this thread.


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## VitellioScarpia (Aug 27, 2017)

Napodano said:


> VitellioScarpia, thank you for your critical input. Also my inexperienced ears were unconvinced about her vibrato. Now thanks to this thread I have started building 'the what to listen for in music'.


Prego.

It is unfortunate that more often than not singers have wobbles because they push too hard to sing big without focusing on making their voices "penetrating" instead of "big".


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