[BalalaikaBoy]

one singer who comes to mind immediately for me is Samuel Ramey who, the more I think about it, is a freak of nature as far as male voices are concerned, possessing a bizarre combination of
- the deep, resonant timbre and lower extension of a basso profundo
- high notes which puts most spinto tenors to shame
- agility which puts most coloraturas to shame
- the elegance of a bel canto soprano

it's hard enough finding basses who possess even one of these characteristics, but in combination (especially when combined with a charismatic stage presence).....wow. I have yet to find a bass who comes even close. there are basses I can objectively recognize as great singers (Ciepi, Hines, Ghiaurov, etc), but not of them really thrill me the way Ramey does. frankly, with a handful of exceptions, he's almost ruined the entire fach for me.

 

[BalalaikaBoy]

I am still in search of my soprano ruin.

that will be the subject of my next post. to be honest, I'm kind of glad I'm not a soprano, because listening to certain sopranos is the equivalent for female singers of those teenage girls who awe over air brushed models/actresses who they can never realistically expect to look like.

 

[BalalaikaBoy]

I wanted to open the thread with a less cliche example, but, frankly, Joan Sutherland blows most out of the water in the rep she sings and has definitely dulled my appreciation for the other soprano voices of the world.
- a large, dramatic voice which can also be delicate and feminine. when I hear other dramatic female voices, they often come off like drag queens, bellowing through what should be a sensual, amorous aria of romance and/or tragedy.
- similarly, a dramatic voice with easy, spinning high notes, a bright, heroic timbre and an elegant vocal line which puts all but the most seasoned bel canto specialists to shame
- among the handful of real dramatic coloratura sopranos to have made proper recordings (Edita Gruberova and Diana Damrau are not dramatic coloratura sopranos. that people call any coloratura soprano with even a reasonable amount of vocal power dramatic is an annoying trend). when I listen to other coloratura singers, it sounds like they are missing the bottom 2/3 of their voice, and when I listen to dramatic sopranos, they sound like they are missing the last top 1/3 (though admittedly, I still listen to Sutherland and wonder where the bottom 1/3 went )

while she has not completely ruined the soprano voice for me, Sutherland is probably the main reason why I prefer sopranos with powerful chest registers, because that sort of "fills in the gaps" of my vocal collection. additionally, she is probably the biggest reason why I prefer middle weight voices, because I need florid, elegant, graceful singing and formidable power and authority. having either one or the other simply isn't enough to satisfy me.

 

[BalalaikaBoy]

This is an interesting point but just as a personal opinion I think the quality of Callas's voice was perfect. It had an almost tearful quality to it, it was incredibly expressive and could be used in an excitingly dramatic way too. It was also a very... Precise voice, you could clearly hear all of the notes. It was a truer voice.

Callas's appeal comes precisely from the fact that her voice wasn't perfect. the majority of the voice was somewhat muddy, husky, almost snarling, like a mezzo villainous singing in the soprano range.

 

[BalalaikaBoy]

Isn't it a little disparaging to say that vocal imperfection is what makes a singer appealing?

no, not in the slightest

Callas's appeal comes from a great many things more significant. Something to do with musicianship, maybe? And do keep in mind that the things - things musical, dramatic, and, yes, technical - she knew how to do with that imperfect voice are still waiting to be equaled in her repertoire. That's the precise source of her "appeal."

fair points, though I tend to define "her repertoire" a little more narrowly than most (and rest assured, I practically worship her in half of it lol).

 

[BalalaikaBoy]

You're certainly entitled to find Callas's vocal "imperfections" appealing. But are the things you cited really imperfections, or just peculiarities? "Muddy," "husky," and "almost snarling" concern her timbre(s) and are rather subjective descriptors, aren't they? I'm not just being argumentative. Actual imperfections have to do with faults in the way a voice works.

indeed, I was mostly speaking as a matter of personal tastes rather than a more "objective" imperfection such as one related to poor vocal technique or a physiological impediment.

Callas developed real imperfections as her career proceeded, and I rather doubt that you find the strain and wobble of her later years appealing.

this I can agree with, especially her high notes. her