Speaking Voice vs. Singing Voice

When Ethel sings, I hear Ethel. When Patti sings, I hear Patti. When Angela sings, I hear Angela. When Britney sings, I hear myself.

But when Betty sings...(I think I'll make that the working title of an autobiography - not mine, but someone's)

Betty Buckley's speaking voice is so startlingly unlike her singing voice - both I terribly enjoy. It's hard for me to reconcile, though. Her singing voice has more depth - I know it's propelled by her almost unnaturally rapid vibrato in her singing, but, still, I think it's uncanny.

Any performers of whom you can think whose speaking and singing "voices" are drastically different?

If you have the clinical knowledge/credentials, is there an explanation? Or is it just "chance"?
Example of Betty

Jim Nabors.

Judy Garland.

*Fleming. Renee Fleming is fabulous and of course you can't understand what she's saying because it's opera

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I've always found it a bit jarring how different Carolee Carmello's speaking voice is offstage as opposed to when she's onstage.

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^I was definitely going to say Jessie Mueller. Her range is impeccable.

I know that a lot of people are surprised when I tell them that Mandy Patinkin sings. Every time I play them a song they always say something along the lines of "I would have never guessed he sounded like that."

"of course you can't understand what she's saying because it's opera"

I'm confused. There are many operas written in English. Why wouldn't I be able to understand them?

Josephine Rose Roberts in Rock of Ages.

Her speaking voice is this higher pitched Muppety voice but when she starts to sing it is lower and totally different. Tho it is not as dissimilar now as when she started in the role 4 years ago

Esther and Vanessa are two examples of many operas written in English and I understood every word Lauren Flanigan sang in both at NYC Opera.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI4AifGMWgA


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F2OQrKBiFaM


http://www.theopera101.com/operaabc/history/english.html

Updated On: 11/23/14 at 10:08 PM

Mary Martin

If you just heard her speaking voice, I doubt that one would guess that she was a major Broadway star in the days before microphones.

Definitely Sierra Boggess. After hearing her sing in Phantom, I was expecting her to have this prim, proper, mature-sounding speaking voice. But then, I listened to her speak in an interview, and she sounded like an eighteen-year-old girl. I was pretty shocked.

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