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.
You're right. What is being sung is completely irrelevant. LOL
ROFL!
I've always felt that this "assumption of Knowlege & Sophistication" has been a Detriment to the Rightful Enjoyment of the "Great Works" by us "regular People!"
AT Their BEST, the "Great Musical Works of Art" are able to evoke emotions in us BEYOND those we encounter in our ordinary lives.
Through these "Works," we glimpse a "Grander View" of our lives.
In past Years, we were Trained to understand the "Power & the Message" of the "Great Works" in School; but our generation has neglected to "educate" our Children, so that they could understand the Language of Music & Poetry.
Our "Public Schools" have--once again--Failed Us.
If we are Ignorant of the rich heritage of our Race, HOW can we expect our Citizens to choose Wisely when asked to Determine Our Destiny??
There are NUMEROUS "GREAT WORKS OF MUSIC" which CANOT be "Understood" without "Translation!"
YET, if we CANNOT UNDERSTAND these VERY SPECIAL & UNIQUE expressions of the "Human Condition," HOW can we decide "Where We Should Go??"
Past Generations took Special Pains to educate our Children in the "Special Language" of Classical Music--we have FAILED to continue that "Education."
I Fear that for This Reason--& Others--we may need GENERATIONS to re-establish the level of "Civilization" we have enjoyed!
Doc
When I first saw the thread title, "Revealed: Why You Can't Understand What An Opera Soprano Is Singing", my first thought was, "because it's in Italian?"
You sure make fine distinctions!
Can't tell you how much we enjoyed having you guys in Colorado last week!
Regards,
TS
We need a FR G&S club! And when formed, don't forget to ping Poobah. :-)
PORGY & BESS is American and has nothing, even remotely ( shared language, in part only, since some words are American Negro slang )in common with the British.
I like some Operas, not all of them. If you don't like any,ignore the genre and ignore this thread as well. :^)
If you're making up a little list... Would you believe Sinkspur "played Poobah in a high-school production of THE MIKADO, and can remember almost every line of every character, to this day"? Hmmm?
Opera probably got its start of the 16th century when a group of highly erudite Florentines tried to revive Greek drama, which of course was also sung.
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