Category Archives: Classical Singing

Beginner’s Guide to Opera

You’ve just started lessons and want to learn more about music history, opera singers and classical song. Good for you! This is the great historical tradition behind all western singing.

You might start with the vocabulary list at Vocal Terminology, and then read through “Singing” on Wikipedia. Lots of good information there. Need to know more? Opera for Dummies is a really good introduction – fun, informative and easy to understand. And remember: You need to read up on the story before hearing or seeing an opera, unlike music theater, which is usually easy to follow. And don’t be surprised if the stories sound familiar. There are operas based on Shakespeare (Othello, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Falstaff), fairy tales (Hansel and Gretel, Cinderella), Bible stories (Salome,  Susannah) and historical figures (Richard Nixon, Ann Boleyn, Julius Caesar, Harvey Milk, Ghandi, Lucrezia Borgia). Some are funny, like the one with aliens subdued by a music teacher (Help, Help the Globolinks!), or the one where a man can’t get his girlfriend off the phone (The Telephone). Gianni Schicchi is all about a family arguing over a will. The part of the dead man is sometimes “played” by a non-singing personality, like a local politician. Opera is not scary!

Note: You may not want to use a name before you’ve learned how to properly say it. If you let people know you’re new to opera, they’ll help you out. But pretending you’re well educated in this field could backfire. That being said, here are some names to get you going. I hope you will look them up for more background and listen to the singers on YouTube.

Classical Singers You Should Know

Beauty of tone is frequently more important than acting, in opera. I think as you continue your voice studies you will begin to appreciate the operatic voice.

I may have missed your favorite singer, but, hey – it’s my list.

Opera Singers

Names are linked to YouTube, where you can hear these greats. In most of the clips you can go to the end if you’re anxious to get to the high notes.

  • Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) – Often called the greatest tenor of all time. Hard to tell, since the recordings are from the earliest years of phonographs.
  • Luciano Pavarotti (1935-2007) – No one ever accused him of being an actor, but Man! could he sing. I think he’s better than Caruso. Listen through to the end of this one for one of his thrilling high notes.
  • Maria Callas (1923-1977) – A revelation in that she proved one can sing opera and act at the same time. Sometimes that took her over the edge vocally, though.
  • Beverly Sills (1929-2007) – Probably my favorite coloratura soprano. Beautiful singing and always full of personality on stage. She really showed her fun side when singing with Carol Burnett.
  • Joan Sutherland (1926-2010) – Australian coloratura.
  • Lily Pons (1898-1976) – Very famous French/American coloratura from the 30’s,40’s and 50’s. She sang in Hollywood movies and was quite popular. In this clip she is wearing a very daring outfit that most sopranos could not pull off!
  • Placido Domingo (1941-    ) One of “The Three Tenors.”
  • Jenny Lind (1820-1887) – “The Swedish Nightingale” A 19th century soprano that P.T.Barnum brought to the U.S..
  • Feodor Chaliapin (1873-1938) – Perhaps the first Russian opera singer to be a familiar name in the west. I don’t know if any other bass ever became a household name.
  • Marian Anderson (1897-1993) – Broke the color barrier at the Metropolitan Opera when she appeared there in 1955.
  • Anna Netrebko (1971-    ) – A Russian soprano with a dark sound and movie-star looks.
  • Fritz Wunderlich (1930-1966) – Who knows what he could have done if he hadn’t died so young? A beautiful tenor voice.
  • Leontyne Price (1927-    ) – Had a very successful career when black opera singers were still uncommon.
  • Bryn Terfel (1965-    ) – Since he’s still in the middle of his career I’m not sure if history will rank him with the others, but I think he’s got a wonderful voice.
  • Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (1925-2012) – Yes, he sang opera, but may be better known for his Lieder (German song) singing.
  • Natalie Dessay (1965-    ) – A fine french soprano who could sing the spots off of the hardest coloratura roles while delivering very fine acting. Things get very interesting in this clip at 4:55. Unfortunately, she has retired from the operatic stage. No one can sing those coloratura notes forever.
Not Exactly Classical
  • Florence Foster Jenkins (1868-1944) – Famous, not good. Recordings of her singing are available from the 30’s and 40’s, and you will probably howl with laughter. The sad part is that she believed her audiences were filled with people who came to adore her, not to laugh.
  • Anna Russell (1911-2006) – A wonderful comedienne who sang her way through Wagner’s famous Ring Cycle singing every part and cracking jokes all the way. What Victor Borge did for piano she did for opera.
  • Mary Schneider, Australia’s Queen of Yodeling (1932-    ) Not a classical singer, but the CD is all classical orchestral music. I don’t know if I like yodeling, but this is jaw-dropping.
Classical Singers Best Known for Films
  • Paul Robeson (1898-1976) – Famous for singing “Ol’ Man River in the 1936 film Showboat, but he was also known for “straight” (spoken) shows and political activism.
  • Jeanette MacDonald (1903-1965) – Sang many film operettas with Nelson Eddy in the 30’s and 40’s.
  • Mario Lanza (1921-1959) – Perhaps best known for The Great Caruso.

Famous Operas

Opera is usually sung in the original language. Experts will tell you that it is never the same if the words are not what the composer had in mind, but it may not matter much, in the end. Opera singers must be able to sing in at least Italian, German and French.

Some operas are equally well-known by their English title.

  • La Boheme, 1897
  • Tosca, 1900
  • Aida, 1871
  • La Traviata, 1853
  • Die Fledermaus, 1874
  • Le Nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro), 1786
  • Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute), 1791
  • Candide, 1956
  • Porgy and Bess, 1935
  • Tristan und Isolde, 1865
  • Carmen, 1875
  • Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville), 1818
  • I Pagliacci, 1892
  • Madama Butterfly, 1904
  • Eugene Onegin, 1879

Famous Arias

I’m guessing you’ve heard these, even if you’re new to opera. Don’t believe me? Look them up on YouTube.

  • “O mio babbino caro” from Gianni Schicchi
  • “La donna e mobile” from Rigoletto
  • “The Toreador Song” from Carmen
  • “Habanera” from Carmen
  • “Largo al factotum” from The Barber of Seville
  • “Der holle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen” from The Magic Flute
  • “Letzte Rose” from Martha

Famous Oratorios

Oratorios are similar to operas, but usually on a sacred story and not staged. Cantatas and classical settings of the Mass are usually categorized here.

Messiah

Elijah

Carmina Burana – Not very sacred!

Some Famous Composers of Vocal Music

  • Verdi
  • Puccini
  • J.S. Bach
  • Handel
  • Schubert
  • Schumann
  • Wagner
  • Mozart
  • R. Strauss
  • Debussy
  • H. Purcell
  • Rossini

Do I Have What It Takes?

So you want to be the next big thing, the singer everyone’s talking about. Or maybe you just want to improve your chances of being able to make a living doing what you love – singing. There are three basic areas where you will need to evaluate yourself and set some goals. They are musical ability, personality and opportunities.The first musical element to consider is Voice. Do you really have the range and kind of sound that your style of music calls for? If you have a pleasing folk sound and want to be an opera singer, then you have to ask yourself (and your teacher) if it’s possible for you to get from point A to point B. Quality of voice is very important for the classical singer, as is volume, since they generally sing without amplification. If you have a classical sound and want to sing heavy metal, we may have a problem.Do you have the truly special, one of a kind voice that gets noticed? It’s very possible that you sing jazz quite nicely, but if there isn’t something unique about your voice, you may have a strike against you. That’s okay, though. Forge ahead through the other  considerations. It may be that good-but-not-unique will work for you in the right place and time.

Another musical element is Musicality. It encompasses the shapes of phrases and the putting across of a style correctly, as well as Expressiveness, or the ability to act with your voice. Do people notice what you’re saying and feeling, or do they just notice your voice
(or mannerisms, or something else)? Do you touch them with your singing? There
are different ways to do this, depending on the musical style, but it is most important, of course, to the musical theater actor/singer.

What are the elements of personality that relate to making a career in performing? You must have a Presence which commands the stage, that says, “I’m the soloist and I really know what I’m doing. You don’t want to miss a thing I sing or do.” You also need a Look, especially in popular music. If you sing rock, it’s best to develop a “Notice me” style
that’s sort of outrageous. There’s the wild hair and the funky outfit to consider, and maybe a walk, a dance move or a pose. Which isn’t to say that a producer somewhere along the way won’t want to change it all. But at least you got noticed.

Opportunities may be the area you can influence the least. Boldness helps, as you will need to approach people and create your own opportunities. A Tough Skin and Persistence are essential, or you won’t go through with that 37th audition. Location is important, so you’d better be willing to move. If no one in your town likes the music you
are committed to doing, you may not get those all-important first gigs, which give you experience and connections. And if you’re not Willing to Travel, you limit your possibilities later on, when a tour would be just the thing to get your career charged up. A positive Attitude that’s easy to work with is one way to get someone to recommend you, and believe me, the people with hiring power do talk to each other. And hopefully you’ll have a lot of Luck, but there’s no way to know that at the beginning. Better plan on making your
own.