Rise of the belting-sopranos — Page 3

I know jrb said he didn't want to get into it, and I don't blame him, but that's a question for him.

I'm a singer myself so I understand the concept and technique of "mixing" but it's extremely difficult to explain on the internet.

it's mixing your "belt" with your "falsetto", to create a sustained (and healthy) vocal resonance.

that's the simplified explanation...

Small note: Audra McDonald did theatre throughout her childhood and has said that she fought her teachers tooth and nail to sing theatre while at Juilliard. She definitely pursued theatre before classical voice; it just happens that her voice is more of a classical one.

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I see, kinda. Thanks for the explanation. It sounds like a tone and strength quality in the higher register.

Mixing is hard to explain – as is any vocal technique – because it varies from singer to singer and is based heavily on “feeling” and “placement” - concepts that are perceived more so by the performer than the audience.

While the Belt involves increased breath pressure, a pulling of the weight and color of the chest voice through the passagio (literally, passage…we can explain this later) and into the top, and a restriction of vibrato (at times), the mix is a compromise of sorts.

Mixing (really, really simply put) is when the head voice and the chest voice are literally mixed together – or dovetailed. It’s really vague and almost impossible to describe as almost everyone has a different definition.

Before you can really understand it, you need to understand that men and women deal with different complications of the voice.
Women have Chest Voice, Head Voice, and sometimes a Whistle Tone that floats above the other two.
Men deal with Chest Voice, Head Voice (a middle ground), and Falsetto (the male equivalent of whistle tone…kind of. lol)

Head Voice and Falsetto are not the same thing. This is a misconception. Men have a head voice AND a falsetto. They are not the same. Head voice is marked by a higher placement and more engagement of the “mask” and nasal bone with more head resonance. Falsetto is a supportless use of only the edges of the vocal folds (unless you’re a countertenor).

For men, mixing is almost more about a dynamic shift. We perceive the use of a mix in men when they gently float a high note or decrease their volume. It is often created by mixing falsetto into the head voice. Some believe that it’s really just a well-developed head voice, but I definitely hear falsetto in it.
For women, mixing is more about color (in my opinion). It is derived from a blending of the light upper and darker lower to create a glorious mix. It can be loud or soft. Again, some believe it’s really just a well developed head voice being used to sound like chest.

Does that help at all? As I say, this is all really touchy. People get passionate about this stuff and can disagree really intensely. I’m leery putting technical concepts on a forum.

This is something that would be discovered in voice lessons over a persiod of time. It's not a single-post sort of thing. lol.

If you read the whole thread, you'll see that the original post was ill-phrased. It's changed into a thread about technique and how refreshing it is to hear healthy legit singers who can also manage a nice mix and even a belt now and then.

As for audra being more theater than opera - that's often the case. Very few classically trained singers started off being passionate opera lovers. Most started in theater and then moved into classical voice once they entered college.
Some - like Ms. McDonald and myself (lol) - loved theater, went classical, faught to continue doing theater, and eventually left opera. Of course, now Audra does both...as will Chenoweth, when she does Ghosts of Verseilles at the Met.

Thank you, jrb!!!

VERY informative for those who are unclear.

Interesting discussion here.

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Peter Gelb is trying to push the Met in a more commercial direction (due in major part to his media campaign) - and (imho) thank God. Granted, it is causing a slip in vocal talent, but I'm all for realism in theater AND it's bringing more people into the house.

As for Disney - they are as double-edged as one can get. They could be credited with reinvigorating Broadway after a major slump...but they could also be credited with the whoring of it.

Which I completely understand. Vibratos can get out of hand...although that's usually a sign of bad technique. Though even a healthy operatic vibrato is far too much for the MT stage.
We certainly don't want a Broadway where supertitles are necessary!
However, I think that Opera (Modern Opera, that is...or more, modern American Opera) is starting to make a move toward MT.
More current pieces tend to stress text as a crucial aspect of the art. I think that productions of operas based on American novels are forcing composers to create coloquial sounds and singers to create intelligable ones!
In any event, there's a happy medium. You can be a legit singer who uses healthy, classical technique, while still sounding MT enough to please the crowds - it's just rare.
That being said, there is also a place for pop singers who can do things that most legit ones cannot.

Updated On: 4/11/08 at 02:05 PM