Observing
the classical singing community, it could seem that there is a consistent
competition among vocal groups and soloists in the oratorio
and early music world today to sing with THE Baroque style; yes, the authentic
one. It can be a fascination to witness the concept of what many consider
proper style. Listening to videos and recordings, it might inspire one to
wonder if some individuals really use hearing ability to judge whether or
not a sound is healthy. Are they looking for a true aesthetic of beautiful
sound or are they overly concerned with whether they are authentic enough.
What about the priority of making music with healthy vocalism? What about
creating beautiful moving sound to the point of bringing an audience to tears
of joy or inspiration? Is it appropriate to think for one moment that these
composers would want to rob their audience of such an experience in the name
of authenticity? The answer to this question is, absolutely NOT! There are
many examples of excellent singing coordinated with appropriate Baroque style.
One wonderful example of a singing artist who could interpret Baroque music
fully, expressing its fullest beauty and musical fervor is the American Soprano,
Arlene Auger. After witnessing her present several wonderful master classes,
inspiring young singers to become the best technically and musically, it
is easy to see her true ability to create a marriage of vocal health and
style. Several of her recordings express Baroque arias to their ultimate
beauty through excellent technical tools. She was indeed a very special singing
artist who could create Baroque style AND beautiful sound to the point of
touching and moving her audience. This kind of experience cannot be denied.
When witnessed first hand, it is unforgettable. Because of her pre-mature
death only a few years ago, Ms. Auger is greatly missed among the singing
community today.
First of all, allow me to say that some of
the music closest to my heart is that of the Baroque era, a style of music
that I personally believe requires an excellent vocal technique in order
to express the music clearly and appropriately. One of my University voice
teachers was a very high light tenor who often performed in oratorio concerts.
He also was a soloist for the Robert Shaw Chorale on many occasions. From
a technical standpoint, to say that my early training was inferior would
be quite an understatement. This is mainly due to the fact that I was trained
as a tenor when in actuality I was and still am a lyric baritone. (See article
on "Vocal Fach".) This teacher made the common mistake of hearing
high-larynxed singing as light and healthy vocal production. Over time, it
damaged my voice. However, this inferior training could not discourage the
development of my love of Baroque music. One thing I did learn from this
teacher was how to gain an understanding of Baroque ornamentation and style,
something that I find rare in many singers today unless they specifically
specialize in Baroque music exclusively.
Christmas Day, 2002, I watched two broadcasts on the New York Arts Channel
of two Baroque performing groups. Unfortunately, the first Baroque group
fell into the Baroque specialty trap, consistently compensating for a
lack of technique by going much too far with the musical phrasing. One
could
begin to feel quite seasick listening to such exaggerated phrasing. The
excess was so great that it would almost bring any listener to the brink
of laughter
or at least a broad smile. This kind of singing saddens me. I suppose
many think that exaggeration gains attention when trying to attain the
title
of
Baroque specialist. Beyond over-phrasing, the largest frustration for
me as a singer and vocal pedagogue was the consistent vocal abuse that
I witnessed
throughout the performance. This included wide open passaggios (including
spread embouchures and forward jaw positions), high-larynxed singing
in order to squeeze the throat tighter and tighter to create a straight
tone,
and
singing in a belted style (voce aperto) through the mouth. This mouth-singing
must be fueled with tremendous breath pressure, rather than using any
nasal resonance to protect the throat. This concert was like watching the
vocal
destruction of at least 30 singers. The sad and obvious truth is that
they had to perform in an extremely live acoustic in order to create any
good
quality of tone at all. This quite famous group could have produced much
more music by singing on a healthy vocal technique with a balance of
registration, breath control, and rounded passaggios. It would not have
cost them their
Baroque style at all. In fact, it would have enhanced vocal control and
the singers would not look so pained during the act of singing. An added
benefit
would be increased vocal longevity as well: extending the singing career
to as much as 15 to 20 years longer. In addition to vocal health, it
is quite important not to dismiss the fact that style is a high priority.
It is
not appropriate
to sing Baroque style with the sound of Puccini. But there is a medium
balance that is necessary for vocal health to be present in one's production.
In contrast later that Christmas Day, I was fortunate to see and hear another
Baroque Choir Concert originating from England. It was obviously a well-trained
church choir, using some boys in addition to women for the soprano and
alto parts. One of the first things I noticed was how the group was singing
with
a blended ringing and warm tone, produced with a rounded embouchure and
relaxed jaws (slightly down and back). The choral blend was exquisite,
yet the Baroque
style was not sacrificed in the least. If the singers used occasional
straight tone, they did so by using healthy air flow and nasal resonance
simultaneously
rather than holding a squeeze at the glottis. Bravo to this conductor,
who did not fall into choke hold of the Baroque style trap: a false sense
of
authenticity that can also be a way of justifying bad singing. The truth
of the matter is that no one really knows exactly how Baroque singers
produced vocal sound. To be sure, these British singers will keep their voices
for
years to come and the music will be well served because the beauty of
tone was not sacrificed for a false concept of Baroque sound. Singing Baroque
music with vocal beauty in a contemporary society where most recordings
are enhanced makes for a much more enjoyable experience for the audience.
While singing under the teacher I mentioned before, I developed a technique
that I also saw employed with the Baroque group #1: a high-larynxed
way of singing that shortens a singer's vocal life by at least 15 to 20 years.
Personally,
I suffered from intonation problems, breath problems, and registration
problems as a result of this terrible technique of singing. I was only
22 years of
age when my vocal cords simply could not sustain proper pitch any longer.
I know of several famous Baroque singers who have dropped out of their
career by age 35 to 40 because of high-larynxed singing: a technique
which places
tremendous pressure directly on the vocal folds. This is NOT healthy
or acceptable vocalism. Rather it is vocal abuse to be clear and simple.
In
addition, it
is important to note that high-larynxed singing can only be effective
in a live or active acoustic. Otherwise, the audience simply experiences
a
sound that is quite harsh, unflattering, and often under-pitched. With
all of this
said, many audiences tolerate this justified sound as authentic. The
truth is that any singer who learns an excellent technique can sing
any
style
of music without vocal fatigue or abuse, yet serve the style appropriately.
About 1984, a Baroque soprano in New York developed quite an extensive
singing career. In fact she became so popular that it could be challenging
to attend
an oratorio, early opera, or early music concert without hearing
her as a primary soloist or character. This singer's musicianship was tremendous;
a tool that many singers lacking a solid vocal technique use to disguise
the issue of dancing around vocal difficulties. Sadly, early in her
career, she began to sing quite flat and out of tune because of her
high-larynxed
technique of singing. She looked for any way to disguise the issue
of bad
technique including lower and lower cut gowns to distract the audience.
I
remember hearing her sing an entire first half of a concert about
1/4
tone flat. It was indeed shocking to consider how low the musical
standards had dropped because of political pressure overriding talent. Of
course
the destiny
of this soprano is typical of most high-larynxed singers. She had
to stop
singing and abandon her career because she just could not force the
voice in tune with breath pressure any longer. When hearing her sing,
it was
easy to hear the obvious slamming of breath pressure under the larynx
to try and
force the upper passaggio to tune. She also tried the smile technique
which just closes the throat MORE. These techniques did NOT work!
Unfortunately, this soprano then went where many ex-singers go when they
loose their
voice:
to teach at a University in order to teach others to loose theirs
as well. There is a disease here. It is called "carrying on the generations of
vocal abuse instead of breaking the chain". All of this is due to a
general lack of awareness in the training of vocal professionals, a problem
that has become more and more chronic with younger teachers who have not
studied healthy vocal pedagogy deeply and passionately enough.
As stated before, many Baroque singers depend upon their musical
training to attempt to get through a performance. True, this training
is definitely
the core of what makes this music work in the modern world. Last
June I was contacted by a professional Baroque soprano who was
suffering re-occurring nodules on her vocal cords. She was considering
making
the decision to
quit
singing at age 32. This is yet again the same old tragic story:
high- larynxed
singing until finally the throat muscles just will not sustain
pitch any longer. This young lady was and is an incredible musician
and
was
performing
a great deal. This, in spite of her need sometimes use cortisone
to handle the swelling of the vocal cords. Of course the re-occurring
swelling
was caused by the high-larynxed singing and wide spread passaggio.
Most often,
the cords do not approximate properly when the larynx is too high.
Therefore, during the act of singing, this causes constant irritation
and often
leads to nodules or polyps.
This singer traveled to study in my New York studio that same month. What started out as a few lessons turned into 6 weeks of intense lessons and the beginning of her vocal re-alignment process. Within 7 months, she had completely changed her approach to the upper passaggio and her concept of breath and the holding back of breath pressure. Since commuting to New York for lessons, she has now begun to feel the correct sensations of singing properly, instead of listening to her own sound (this causes stress on the throat because the singer usually spreads the tone to create more sound in their inner hearing.). Now this singer is enjoying the act of singing for the first time in her career. She has diminished the breath pressure under the larynx, achieved a lower larynx for singing, learned to resist the outflow of breath pressure in the body, and completely changed her concept of vowel forms from mouth formation to pharyngeal formation. Her reviews are more stunning than ever and she is receiving more and more offers for jobs with large-scale symphonies.
So why is there so little known about the traps and dangers of
specializing in the Baroque style of singing? Because many are
continuing to teach
a high- larynxed technique as the authentic Baroque style. The
continuation of vocal
abuse and vocal damage is consistent because many never question
their own teaching or they simply do not listen. Often, they
lack the understanding
of the proper passaggio training that creates vocal longevity.
As I have said before, no one in reality knows the exact sound
of authentic
Baroque
singing. So my advice to ALL who sing any style of music is to
get a good
teacher who understands how to teach proper registration, passaggio
alignment, and resistance to the breath pressure (support). Longevity
is directly
connected
to vocal health through proper technique.
I go back to the teacher I had during my University training.
While he was not a good teacher, he himself sang quite healthily.
He
did NOT sing
with
a high larynx. The lightness of sound was naturally present in
his voice when his larynx was released. However, his largest
fault as
an instructor
was that he could not hear when a student was 'lightening' the
voice by raising the larynx. If this message gets out to the
University teachers and conductors
NOT to allow their students to sing with a high larynx, then
this article was worth the effort and the time to create. High-larynxed
singing
and vocal health cannot exist in the same singer. (It is important
to note
that if
the tongue assumes the ng position, then the singer cannot develop
a depressed
larynx, a technique that is unhealthy as well. See article on "Damaging
Vocal Techniques".)
* 1...3....5....3.....1
a...o....u....o......a
(This exercise is designed to begin the
alignment of the middle register. The vowels are designed
to begin to release
the larynx as one goes higher.)
* 1...3...5...oct....5....3....1
za..e....i.....u......i.....e....a
(Again the vowel changes
are designed to balance registration and release the
larynx in the
upper pitches.)
* 1...3...5...oct...5....3....1
Da.me..ne..po...tu...la....be
(Perform this exercise
dentalizing and flipping the appropriate consonants
using the tongue
separate from
the jaw.)
Perform these three exercises slowly and carefully
with the jaw slightly down and back, a sinking of
the cheeks
at the
back molars,
and a
lift of the cheek muscles under the eyes. (Some call
this an inner smile
under the eyes.)
