Here are some of my go to warm up exercises I like to use while preparing to sing. During this video I reference two warm up pieces, below are the links . Rossini: imslp.org/wiki...) Mozart: imslp.org/wiki...)
You are absolutely right about the need to learn how to do coloratura. At the beginning of her career Maria Callas sang mostly Wagner and heavy dramatic roles. But during her years of study at the Athens Conservatoire with Elvira de Hidalgo she had learnt coloratura which she used to use as exercises and to warm up. And the reason she switched from the dramatic repertoire to bel canto was that on one occasion she was doing coloratura exercises in her hotel room I think in Venice and Tullio Serafin’s wife was walking outside in the corridor and heard her and told her husband. At the same time the theatre was doing Puritani and the soprano who was due to sing Elvira fell ill. Serafin’s wife told him that she had heard Callas singing coloratura in her hotel room and suggested to him to hear her sing because she felt that she could take on the role of Elvira. I might add that she was in the that city at that time to sing Brunhilde in Die Wakurie! So she ended up singing both roles on alternate performances! And that was how Maria Callas changed from being only a heavy dramatic Wagnerian soprano to a most amazing bel canto soprano who could also take on heavy dramatic roles. Sadly her voice deteriorated far too early but that is another story. Additionally the great Teresa Berganza always said that singers who can sing Rossini well can sing anything! By the way I am a great fan of yours. You are by far the best tenor or baritenor around right now. I had despaired of ever hearing decent opera singing during the last 20 or more years and had actually more or less given up going to hear operas in the theatres. But you have restored my faith that proper singers with good voices and good techniques and good interpreters of the music can still be found. I am of the generation who was lucky enough and old enough at that time and studying music in Italy to hear all the greats (eg di Stefano, Corelli, del Monaco, Bastianini, Siepi , Gobbi, Callas, is Tebaldi, Cerquetti, Simionato, Barbieri, Cossotto and many others of that era and have despaired of ever hearing their like ever again.
Since you mentioned the Rossini exercises in an online masterclass, I am working with them and they truly help the voice to achieve maximum flexibility and agility. I also love this Maria Callas Quote and how she demonstrated almost every style during her masterclasses. Thank you for the video! Would love to see more content like that!
holy smokes. can’t wait to check this out every day for the next year.. thank you for the excellent demonstration - especially showing a sort of “beginner” starting point, “intermediate”, and the “master” level.
Thank you for this practical exercise. Would you please make a video about the way you contract the diaphragm muscles and how you achieve appoggio? And also some breathing techniques. 🙏🏻
Hello Michael, My name is Stuart. I live in Naples, Florida. I am using my wife's RU-vid channel. Very interesting I thought. Joan Sutherland taught Luciano Pavarotti how to correctly breathe where he was. Not only he was a gift from God with an incredible natural ability, but really almost made him invincible. I remember in the early '70s late '70s he was basically untouchable by anybody.. I am 60 years old so I can remember some of that stuff. I think you kind of sound like a mix of Pavarotti and Salvatore Fischella kind sort of. I thought that placido Domingo was a baritennor??????😊
Are the Mozart exercises originally for soprano? K393. If you are in Europe, I would love to meet you and possibly have a lesson. I've always been told I was a tenor. I'm not so sure. My voice isn't as flexible as it was. I started as a boy soprano. Can you make a video of the Rossini and Mozart exercises both in tenor keys and baritone? I too believe in learning coloratura and trills. It would be an honor to work with you 😊
I definitely think some voices are more suited for coloratura than others. The comparison with piano is a bit far fetched. It is more fair to compare a violin and a double bass, as the first one is more agile and easier to play in terms of notes in quick succession. However, granted all voices should be able to master coloratura to some degree!
@ragnarkisten. It is not a question of voices being “suited” to coloratura but how easily a voice moves. Some voices move easily and fast up and down the various notes but others find it more difficult to do that. It is a question of the natural agility of the voice. One can train the voice to do that but it takes years and years of hard work and practice and sometimes it never happens whereas some singers find it very easy because the voice has a natural agility and flexibility. Usually heavy voices find it very hard to move up and down quickly and easily whereas lighter voices can do it relatively easily.
@@Ariadne-cg4cq My point exactly. Those with agile voices are more suited for coloratura. Whats more, I find it easier to do slurs and runs in falsetto than in my regular voice. This is also why I find it more impressive when heavy bass-baritones are singing coloratura well, as opposed to light sopranos!
My biggest problem is allergies. Some days I can barely talk let alone sing. Do you have some decongestant remedies? I absolutely hate taking allergy meds.
