Voice

[Lily]

There's a quote from that cheesy movie, "Pretty Woman"....  Where Edward says that people either love the opera at first sight, or hate it , and that he's sorry for the latter.

I'm afraid I am one of the sorry creatures.

I consider Operas boring, and I cannot stand most of the female singers, don't care for the males. A pet peeve of mine is too much vibrato. Sometimes, and it's worse with mediocre singers and older ones, they use so much vibrato you can't even guess what note they are trying to hit (if the piece is famous, at least you know what it is supposed to be, that helps).

I also detest Lieder.

At least I like choral music, especially the religious kind, also renaissance and baroque stuff like madrigals.


Now try to cure me of my negativity  :dance:

[Kernos]

That makes 2 of us, Lily, though I will listen to Arias and really like some of the Overtures. I only like voice when it is used as an instrument, rather than telling a story or praising a deity...

Two vocal pieces I like are Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Berlioz' Requiem. Of course Beethoven's 9th is a favorite, but that is different, and not my favorite Beethoven symphony.

[Lily]

I forgot to mention I hate recitatives. I had to play along them in our school orchestra and they are such a pain to play. And to listen to.

[pobble]

I'm with you in disliking too much vibrato, especially in the female voices and especially in contraltos but there you go.  I don't like too much vibrato in violin music either.  I've never really been an Italian opera fan.  I have been quite enthralled by some of the Wagner operas however.  I also enjoyed one by Britten when I went to see it some years back.

Much baroque and earlier music is now performed with much less vibrato in the voice.  However, I think this was not the case going back 30 years or so.

[pobble]

Two vocal pieces I like are Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Berlioz' Requiem. Of course Beethoven's 9th is a favorite, but that is different, and not my favorite Beethoven symphony.

I can never quite become fond of Beethoven's 9th.  Mahler's 8th has grown on me since trying to sing (badly) in it - although my favourite Mahler symphony is probably the 2nd or the 5th.  Favourite Beethoven symphony is the 5th - without peer IMO.

I like Faure's Requiem, which is a shorter and gentler, more mediative setting than most.  Don't know the Berlioz - but I've generally found his music difficult, except for Symphonie Fantastique which I used to know back to front and have played in the orchestra.

[Miranda]

I've actually grown to like some opera. It depends on the voice, if it's too sqeaky. And on violin vibrato, it also depends. Some pieces sound better with and some w/o. It also depends on the style of vibrato people use. I personally like slower vibrato better than faster, but then again, it just depends on the piece being played.

[Night Hawk]

That makes 2 of us, Lily, though I will listen to Arias and really like some of the Overtures. I only like voice when it is used as an instrument, rather than telling a story or praising a deity...

Two vocal pieces I like are Beethoven's Missa Solemnis and Berlioz' Requiem. Of course Beethoven's 9th is a favorite, but that is different, and not my favorite Beethoven symphony.

Let's hear it for Beethoven's 9th!!! *Starts singing loudly: "Joyful, joyful, we adore thee..."*


I don't like Opra either.  :old:  :gloomy:

[Robb Hawklord]

Just as a pointer, there is a Swedish Rock band called Therion who are putting CDs out which blend perfectly Rock with Full Symphony Orchestra's and 70 Voice charal ensembles and Trained Operatic Lead Vocals.  The Opera singers are not part of the the trio who are composing the music/songs but are guest vocalists.  The songs are sung in English, and are Pagan/Deity based subject matter.

If I was to compare the style to any famous composer it would be Wagner.