Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Sex and the Classics: Attack of the beautiful divas/divos.

Physical beauty has always been a powerful factor in all visual arts, as in almost everything else. Helen of Troy was the "face that launched a thousand ships"- which started a war. In the world of spectacle, physical beauty is paramount; only after the initial impact other attributes come into play. There are too many names to mention, but plastic surgery is not where it is by accident. Before the advent of TV, artists were judged not by what they looked like but by their talents. It is still so in some venues; not alas! in music. Or I should specify CLASSICAL music.

Suddenly, we're surrounded by glamorous young violinists, cellists, singers and - believe it or not - bassoonists.

If you don't believe it, look at www.beautyinmusic.com, where you'll find pictured a generous acreage of musically-gifted pulchritude, listed by instrument. Among the violinists there's Linda Brava, rather better known for her centrefold appearance in Playboy than for playing in the orchestra of the National Opera of Finland.

The site lists only women, but in the musical world the men are getting the same treatment. Twenty years ago, virtuoso violinist Joshua Bell led the way when he was pictured on the cover of his first CD in eye-wateringly tight jeans, leaning over a motorbike.

More recently, there's been a whole procession of heart-throb tenors. Two in particular have stood out: the Maltese Joseph Calleja, much praised in this paper for his effortless impersonation of the philandering Duke in Verdi's Rigoletto. And there's the Mexican Juan Diego Flórez, who recently released a much-praised album of virtuoso Rossini arias. What they have in common is that mix of dark, soulful looks and stubble that indicates "smouldering". Directly quoted from the internet:
"Admitting something I probably shouldn't, I have always thought Nadia Solerno-Sonnenberg was quite something because of her split of angelic playing and projected attitude of "bad girl." There's something quite sexy about being able to pull off the Tchaikovsky or Mendelssohn violin concerto and also portray being (slightly) dangerous.
Oh my god! Thomas Hampson! *drools* He is so handsome, particularly in his younger days. He's so virile, so masculine, so charming... lol have I gone too far? I think so But he is gorgeous. This is a pretty hot vid (except for his Fake Tan of Doom):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yf4c8uREO3U"
And mentioned of course:..."Also, Philippe Jaroussky is a bit of a hottie." A BIT???

Deborah Voigt of the Wagneresque voice had to lose many pounds to improve her opportunities. A few countertenors we know of have had to hit the gyms and work out frenetically before a revealing role.

Are looks the deciding factor in adjudicating roles in opera? Probably not THE deciding factor, but it helps to be easy on the eye. A singer that looks like Jaroussky can be marketed way more easily than others not so fortunate. Add this to a gorgeous voice, modest demeanour, amiability with the public and you have a rock star equivalent to the rock stars from the 18th century.Remember them?
Fair? Maybe not. But we are a people captive to our senses, especially visual. Allure and beauty matter big time. Adding talent equals BIG SUCCESS.And, why not in classical music as in everything else? The subject of eroticism IN classical music is food for another time.But just listen to Italian madrigals of the early 17th century, or Wagner's Tristan and Isolde where ..."where it seems as if all the eroticism of humanity has been poured into one super-charged phrase. The tension, the agonised delay, purges the erotic quality of any sense of the body. "

Classical music , anyone?

Monday, July 14, 2008

In Defense of Countertenors

What is a counter tenor? Countertenors are men who sing in the traditionally female alto or soprano ranges. Countertenor is short for contratenor altus which just means above the tenor. Two modes of vocalization available to both sexes are the chest voice and head voice. The chest voice, which produces low pitches, is what most people use to speak. For head voice, the larynx makes a gear shift, allowing for higher pitches. Most women use both modes when singing. Most men use only their chest voices.

Every human voice, male or female, has a "head" register and a "chest" register. People tend to speak in the chest register most of the time, and the head register has got tagged with the derogatory word "falsetto" as if there's something false about it, but it's natural. Singers work at developing the strength of both voices, along with a blended sound that brings in some characteristics of each. Counter-tenors and sopranos work in the head voice almost all the time, and singers of the lower voice parts work in the chest voice most of the time.

The human vocal cords operate pretty much like the strings on a musical instrument. You can't make a string resonate below its basic frequency. However, you can make it produce higher frequencies, either by shortening the string's effective length (which a violinist or guitarist for instance does with the fingers of his left hand), or by increasing the tension on the string (which with violins and guitars is done when tuning the instrument). Both these things can be done with the vocal cords, to a certain anatomically limited extent, but you cannot ever go lower than the lowest possible frequency.

This lowest frequency tends to be much lower in men than in women, because the human larynx, which has the vocal cords in it, is a secondary sexual characteristic, and in males undergoes a growth spurt at puberty (or, more colloquially, their "voice breaks", and they get an Adam's apple). Adult males therefore have longer vocal cords, on average, and a lower basic frequency to their voice than women. That was the whole idea behind castrati: by castrating a boy very early, he missed out on normal puberty, his larynx only expanded proportionally with the rest of his body (as it does with women), and he ended up with his voice in a soprano or alto range.

Sopranos use exactly the same vocal techniques to achieve their high notes that male falsettists use to achieve theirs (men and women do not have differently constructed larynxes, it's just the average size that differs). It's a matter of cultural prejudice that many people have grown used to hearing only women sing this way, not men (at least in classical music -- in pop music, as has been pointed out, the falsetto voice has always been a very "natural" presence).

This doesn't mean that there aren't women with naturally very low voices, or men with naturally very high voices just as the fact that men are on average taller than women doesn't mean that there aren't any women that are taller than most men, or men that are shorter than most women. What we do have is a culturally determined problem where a low voice is associated with "masculinity", which makes many men nervous about singing in a high register (to a large extent because "not masculine" is in turn culturally associated with "homosexual"), and makes many women nervous about singing in a low register for the same reasons.

A voice teacher on the countertenor voice: " In my experience, the counter tenor is basically a singer who has developed the falsetto with such strength that it has similar power and resonance of a full-voiced sound. Often these singers possess a lower male voice; baritone or bass in the changed voice function. I have found that the lower male voices usually (not always) have stronger and more beautiful falsettos. In studying the successful counter tenors, I have found the singer often possesses the ability to hold back tremendous amounts of breath pressure with the body, which allows the falsetto to develop great strength and beauty of tone along with excellent agility. This agility makes it possible to sing the florid phrases demanded in the earlier vocal literature. "

In spite of all this, countertenors are viewed at times as "something of a circus" or at least a freak show. Philippe Jaroussky, David Daniels, Andreas Scholl and others have all experienced the nervous laughs from one or two spectators who had no idea countertenors exist! (Or what they sound like) David Daniels said once that every time he goes on stage he feels he has to convince the public of the virility of his role.

This prejudice definitely didn't exist in the baroque time.It is a completely modern bias. It's something counter-tenors have had to put up with since the voice type reemerged as a solo singing voice in the 1950s (it had never died out in the English choral tradition, of course). Even today every counter-tenor who's interviewed can expect strange questions about his sexual identity and orientation -- questions that nobody would ever dream of asking of a bass or tenor, or female soprano or alto, despite the fact that those people's voices are just as "natural" or "unnatural" as his.This inexplicable association between the male alto voice and a sexual orientation, an association that's made even more inexplicable because you apparently only have it with clasically trained singing voices, not with pop music singers!

Not the least at all is the prejudice existing among singers, such as mezzos, or directors, about the competence of countertenors. The jokes about "avian" sounds and general hootiness are widespread as well as the idea that the natural singers to succeed castrati should be female. But in this visual age, looks are important even (or especially?) in opera, and Julius Cesar as a woman is harder to swallow than a countertenor with a soft voice.

But countertenors are not all created equal. Some use techniques that are very effective and insure good projection and even tone. Of course Philippe Jaroussky comes to mind, as also David Daniels. The voices range from full, plummy sounds to pure transparent, almost "white" singing. Again the voice teacher :..."'hooty' sound comes from a low soft palate position and a high larynx position. What causes a low palate and high larynx is the pushing of too much breath pressure in an attempt to However, the trademark 'hooty' sound that some counter tenors develop is held in the mind of many as a vocal characteristic....Breath control alone does not solve the problem of lack of beauty in the voice altogether. The missing piece is not just a high soft palate and lower larynx position, but one huge key is the tongue position. If the tongue is trained in the 'ng' position, then the singer can begin to feel nasal resonance, a concept that allows many higher overtones into the vocal production. Without these higher overtones, a counter tenor (and any other voice type for that matter.) can sound hooty and pushed."

As a final note, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting. In this case, the listening. And when you listen to a good countertenor, chances are you will feel amazed at the sound. Different from a woman's, it will carry you to a place where beautiful voices , be them men's or women's, surround you and fill your soul. After all, isn't this what singing is all about?


This piece has been compiled from various forums and other sources in the net and written material available. M.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Is Classical Music dead??

"Our culture, over a long span of time, has lost interest in classical music"

A very scary thought to people like me, who could not live in a world without music.Is this true?There was a time, 1980s to be precise, when Time and Newsweek both had full-time classical music writers. Now they hardly write about classical music at all.Nowadays you would be inclined to think if you approached the average citizen on any street and asked them, "What's you favorite type of music?" their answer wouldn't be, "Classical music". You might think this would hold especially true in the United States. Because of this, and the seemingly lack of "new" classical music some would assert classical music is dead.
Maybe people have become too simple in their thinking and perhaps TV is to blame for this. People have become passive listeners, rather than active listeners. For many people, rock is easier to listen to. Rock is very simple music. Most songs are made up of a standard three chord progression. Then a melody is sung over the progression.It is the melody, that I think is the creative part of rock. is what people remember, when they think of the song later on after hearing it. SO, if a rock composer writes a good melody, it will likely be a hit. The words dont even matter that much.Rock music tends to lack the mental effort of comprehension. However this does not mean that people who listen to rock music are stupid :).They are people who simply want to enjoy their music. I see them as wanting to relax to it, not wanting to be 'discerning' and analytical.
But in classical...a theme is introduced, it is stated, developed, recapitulated, etc. which takes more genius to compose then a rock song does.The way non-classical music is written has a completely different set of esthetic principles and rules that govern form and content- for instance, counterpoint and polyphony has been given up for almost exclusive homophony in most new forms of music. I think that the new forms of music that arose in the twentieth century are just that: new. Although they arose from what we consider the "Western World", these musics cannot be analyzed and contextualized from a classical standpoint. They aren't really related to classical music in the sense that they utilize some sort of watered down simple version of classical theory. Rock musicians certainly use the triad, but the rules of resolution and voice leading are completely different. Any mainstream (and even most niche) popular music just doesn't conform to classical standards.

There are hundreds of intelligent people who do not listen to classical music, and sometimes don't listen to any music at all. Often people take an interest in classical music because they have learnt an instrument and consequently been exposed to it in more depth than they otherwise would .There is also the opinion that classical music is for an "elite". Many people who do not belong to the 'elite' do not feel identified at all with this type of music. Such is the case of opera. Opera is viewed by many as a dinosaur. It is rather difficult to translate this old art form into our modern lives. One needs to have time and motivation to listen to opera, let the music and stage play capture ones imagination and escape for a few hours into a different world. One should not forget that most of the classical music was written when there was no TV, Radio and movie theatre available for people to be entertained with.
There is the factor of language and immediacy. Many operas are not written in English, and the language is an obstacle to the complehension of an english-speaking public. Furthermore, Europeans can relate much easier to classical music since it forms part of their own roots, of their past. Many works are shown in theaters and salons which are the original ones where works were performed hundreds of years ago. There is a strong link to the past and an identification with it that here in the U.S. we simply do not have.
People seem to be in touch with classical music in Europe more so than in the U.S.In Germany, for instance, the festivals and concerts that showcase classical music are ubiquitous, especially in summer.Do Germans appreciate classical music much more than Americans? Let us not forget that the government in Germany spends a lot on the arts, and to study in Germany as a music student is completely FREE. It's why so many Australians prefer to get free tuition in Germany, instead of paying US$30,000 for tuition in the US. . The student festivals in the US hardly get any press attention.
The question isn't whether people don't value extremely well written, beautiful music- it's that they value a different kind of music entirely. Perhaps young people do not attend for the same reason most Americans don't attend classical Indian concerts.
The problem, though, is that it's the concert audience that keeps classical music afloat financially, and if the concert world shrinks, classical musicians are going to have a hard time making a living. Is Classical music a dying art, with all these orchestras folding and going bankrupt? Is the classical music audience disappearing ?
Some studies suggest that the classical audience has moved. They are not going to concerts at Philharmonic Hall, but listening to concerts the next day on their iPods. They get to listen to the music (whenever they want, at a reasonable price) without having to endure the rigid social scene where you can't applaud but the eighty-year-old next to you can snore.
Classical music holds a joy which should be shared and promoted.Unfortunately we have not exposed people at a young age to classical music. That is where it starts. It is sort of like not teaching someone to read until high school and expecting them to appreciate Shakespeare. Where do kids ever get a chance to hear classical music nowadays?Those born after late boomers, say in the 60s and 70s didn't benefit from the media exposure and also lacked arts education in school. But the boomers had children and we took them to museums, theatre and the arts. Not to the same degree, but you do see these young adults in the audience. Check out the audience in LA with Salonen or Atlanta with Spano; maybe even St. Louis with Robertson. Ticket sales are up over 10% this year at the Metropolitan Opera because of all the fanfare.And of course the audience for radio and recordings is larger than the concert audience. So there is hope.
Furthermore the growth of availability of recordings has to be a factor in deciding the size of the "classical music audience" - especially with the advent of downloadable music, I think you'll find the absolute audience size for classical music has substantially increased over the years. Consider for example the huge numbers downloading Beethoven from the BBC.
Live performances of Beethoven's first five symphonies, broadcast as part of The Beethoven Experience on BBC Radio 3, have amassed an incredible 657,399 download requests during a week long trial.
The downloads – launched on 6 June - offered complete Radio 3 programmes containing live performances of the symphonies by the BBC Philharmonic in Manchester, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda.
Roger Wright, Controller of Radio 3, said: "The response has been incredible and much bigger that we expected.
"The success shows Beethoven's enduring appeal and we hope this will encourage new audiences to explore online classical music."
Simon Nelson, Controller of BBC Radio & Music Interactive, said: "This trial was all about gauging listeners' appetite for downloads and the results are astonishing.
"We are hopeful that we have attracted people who wouldn't previously have explored much classical music, as well as inspiring others to embrace digital technology."
The downloads were available for seven days after their broadcast (Symphonies 1 and 3 from Monday 6 June and Symphonies 2, 4 and 5 from the following day), as well as available streamed for seven days from the BBC Radio Player. They were available free of charge and therefore not eligible for the Official UK Download or Top 40 Singles charts, although the public’s enthusiasm for the programmes is evident from the individual totals: Symphony 1 (6 to 13 June) - 164,662; Symphony 2 (7 to 14 June) - 154,496; Symphony 3 (6 to 13 June) - 89,318; Symphony 4 (7 to 14 June) - 108,958 ;Symphony 5 (7 to 14 June) - 139,905.
Some classic musical festivals offer today live performances of operas and classical concerts to the broad public on big screens But in all fairness the recording industry has created a really affordable way of viewing operas in creating a vast amount off recordings of operas on DVD and VHS. One can rent many of these recordings even through public libraries or you can find affordable copies on e-bay.


This piece has been researched and compiled from various sources in the web including forums and individual opinions;if anyone objects to their opinion appearing here,it will be deleted upon request.

Connections

Connections is what I understand by "having a life". You connect, with dear ones, family, friends, colleagues, etc. I have been thinking a lot about connections because of THE WEB. It is definitely a new thing for me, this opening yourself up to perfect strangers, who may or may not understand the implications of this opening up. At the same time you get a glimpse of someone else, people who have also dared to open up and you were there. Scary, huh? To me it is.
Ah, the web. Of course it is all about connections, and people, and ideas. All of a sudden the world is not that large any more. All of a sudden I "know",( or have written to), people in Paris, in Egypt, in Germany,Spain, in the U.S., and even in my country, Chile. And best of all, these "perfect strangers" understand what I am talking about, what I am interested in. I guarantee that it would take 3 minutes, perhaps 5, pushing it, for people in my daily life to start getting a glazed-eyes expresion, mouth slightly open,slowed breath, upon your mentioning "Singing", and you know, YOU KNOW, the lights are on but no one is there. I don't blame them. After all, how many people are as crazy for baroque opera, Vivaldi, Handel, countertenors, Philipe Jaroussky, as nuts as I?
Many, that's who. My "perfect strangers" from Germany, Latvia, France,Spain, all share this common interest. I am not alone any more!!True, I do not see them or hear them, and other than the printed word, this is the extent of our connection.( But this has advantages too. For instance, no one can tell how old and decrepit I see myself.I assume others will have their own hang-ups.)
I am eternally grateful to the web. I have new connections. They enrich me. They teach me. They show me different beings living in places I have never been in. Different cultures and different values. If you are not judgemental, and I try not to be, one accepts these differences and rejoices in them. O brave new world, that hath such people in it!
This opening up too has its merits and learning to trust others with yourself is a big thing. In your life path you can include these other people, and enrich your day to day life. Some of the people I have met are so lovely and kind I would like to share all I have with them!
I have recently made both a website and a blog, which is also a way to open up one's thoughts and souls. Like I am doing now.
So, "perfect strangers" no more, my web friends have become an important part of my social life. And they are no longer strangers. Connections. It's what life is all about.