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Revealed: Why You Can't Understand What An Opera Soprano Is Singing
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 1-8-2004 | Roger Highfield

Posted on 01/07/2004 5:08:09 PM PST by blam

Revealed: why you can't understand what an opera soprano is singing

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 08/01/2004)

Physicists have discovered the reason why even operas sung in English are hard to follow. A study has found that in order for sopranos to be heard above the sound of a large symphony orchestra, they tune into resonances in their vocal tract to amplify the sound at the high end of their range.

Although this enables them to make a sound that can fill the Albert Hall, it sacrifices intelligibility because the vowels sung by sopranos in full voice all sound the same.

The discovery, reported today in Nature, was made by Dr John Smith, Elodie Joliveau and Prof Joe Wolfe at the University of New South Wales, Australia. "For sopranos, the price of being heard is a loss in comprehensibility," said Dr Smith.

The physicists studied nine sopranos with an average classical training of nine years and followed up the suspicion that the singers used a resonance effect to boost high notes. "The evidence for this is that they tend to open the mouth and smile more as they sing successively higher notes," Dr Smith said.

The vocal tract (including tongue and mouth) has several resonances that boost or amplify sounds produced in the larynx and the team measured the frequencies of resonances as the sopranos sang ascending scales. In the top half of their range (but not the bottom half), the singers did indeed tune one of the resonances to match the pitch they were singing, producing more sound for the same effort.

But the vowels end up sounding nearly the same, which makes words more difficult to understand, while consonants are affected to different degrees. "The tuning of resonances from their normal values means that different sounds such as la, lore, loo, ler and lee sound very much alike in the high register," said Dr Smith.

"What we've shown is that trained sopranos boost the sound from their vocal chords by 'tuning' or adjusting the shape of their vocal tract so it matches the pitch they are singing," said Prof Wolfe.

"The effect is a little like the amplifying effect you get by singing in the bathroom," he said, adding that even if this did not occur, "the vowels would be hard to distinguish because there just isn't enough frequency information at that high pitch." He added: "It's possibly one reason why local opera houses use surtitles even when the words to an opera are in English."

The effect has been remarked on before, notably by the 19th century French composer Berlioz, whose book about orchestration even warns opera composers to take it into account.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cant; opera; revealed; singing; soprano; understand
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To: muawiyah
"...the price of being heard is a loss in comprehensibility,"

Sounds like a description of Howard Dean.
121 posted on 01/08/2004 3:42:11 AM PST by WarmLiquidGhoo (Hillary is a fembot)
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To: Diva One
Welcome to FR, and thanks for a most informative post.

Also, congratulations on the Bagging of the Shrew. :)>

As a long-time rock pianist and singer, I'm curious to know what a professional opera singer makes of "rock operas" such as Tommy and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Regards, I.T.
122 posted on 01/08/2004 7:14:44 AM PST by Interesting Times (ABCNNBCBS -- yesterday's news.)
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To: Beelzebubba
It's like going to the circus.
123 posted on 01/08/2004 8:57:31 AM PST by onedoug
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To: novacation
Hey wait! I'm a redneck too!

Not three of us on an Opera thread? We're ruining our reputation!

As to the comments on texts, I have to say I have to have those subtitles the first time through, I do want to understand what the story is. But after that first time I'm happy to switch them off and just enjoy the beauty of the music.

Since all of our viewing of Operas has to be done at home, does anyone have some favorite ones on video or dvd to recommend?

124 posted on 01/08/2004 10:51:42 AM PST by Maigret
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To: Citizen Soldier
I love La Boheme too! It is the perfect opera, not one word wasted

La Boheme is a favorite, but for the 'perfect opera' you can't beat La Traviata, IMHO

125 posted on 01/08/2004 10:54:16 AM PST by Maigret
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To: nopardons
Please add me to any opera pings, and certainly the G&S. Thanks
126 posted on 01/08/2004 10:58:36 AM PST by Maigret
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To: blam
People listen to opera! Who would whave thought it?
127 posted on 01/08/2004 11:01:22 AM PST by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy, and Bush is no conservative)
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To: Maigret
Shall do. :-)
128 posted on 01/08/2004 1:01:14 PM PST by nopardons
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To: bcoffey
Ahhhh..... Bach!


129 posted on 01/08/2004 1:10:51 PM PST by Hatteras (Some mornings, it's just not worth chewing through the leather straps...)
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To: Maigret
I wish I could. I been to many live operas In SF and don't have many videos. I don't go much any more because of the cost. Usually if you know who the performers are the vidoes are good.
130 posted on 01/08/2004 5:02:45 PM PST by novacation
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To: Diva One
Now I know why sometimes I duck and even have strange problems in my seat when I hear a soprano sing, especially if it is one specific singer.

Now I see why it can be hard to sing -- and I can tell you singing classical can be tricky, but can be rewarding.

I'd love to sing in amateur classical events along with a few friends because it's great. Unfortunately, good singers and musicians in classical are being bumped by today's infatuation with silly pop. Of course, two years of classical training on the side may help.

I love singing classically because I have a respect of it gained by friends who sing that way. I'd love to try out for opera because it is a tough genre but rewarding. Great singers are harder to find. Just learned a friend of mine (a native of Michigan) is going to the New England Conservatory and has a scholarship . . . and she is a Soprano! I love hearing her voice. (The picture is not she.)

In our church we're seeing how pop has quickly replaced classical in our song, and I grow concerned about it.

IMG SRC="http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/OBMComp/SH03.jpg
131 posted on 05/13/2004 4:22:47 AM PDT by Bobby Chang
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