Contralto Eula Beal sings Schubert's "Erlkoenig"

Contralto Eula Beal sings Schubert's "Erlkoenig", accompanied by Marguerite Campbell

Category:

Music

Tags:

• contralto
• Eula
• Beal
• Schubert
• Erlkoenig
• opera
• art
• song

[saxonfield]

Why are Contraltos being disregarded in Operas?

[forallyouknow]

I think the contralto voice has advantages and disadvantages, interpretatively. One the one hand, the voice of das Kind is much more believable and distinguishable; on the other hand, der Erlkönig is not at all menacing. Baritono still wins for me. That said, Eula Beal's interpretation, given her vocal equipments, wants for nothing, and it is plain that she is a first rate performer.

[allthenamesrtook]

@trueeyore ok then, there is no way you can actually SING that low, and both of them go down to just above C3,

[trueeyore]

@allthenamesrtook Hehe! Freaky (apparently) but true. I can actually do A2 when what I call my Brunhilda-foghorn register is warmed up - not breathy and though there's definitely a rumble, it's not merely a growl, it that makes sense. Low C for me is *completely* effortless. I wouldn't think it would be unheard of though. Amy Ray of the Indigo Girls and Tracy Chapman go quite low.

[allthenamesrtook]

@RPDLTS she is 100% a contralto, she just doesnt have the standard contralto range, hers is slightly higher, there is no doubt that shes a contralto

[allthenamesrtook]

@trueeyore she is deffo and alto, no doubt about it, and there is not a chance you can actually SING a Bb2, thats low even for a baritone singer.

[galletitamortal]

@saxonfield Dunno... I'm a young bass (19 years old) and I was thinking the same about basses... There are less repertory for basses than for tenors or baritone.

[vivegedda]

@forallyouknow You're absolutely right. This one is made for a man and specially a baritone with many voice colours. Her voice is great anyway but not suitable for this one!!

[SimonS7r]

haha cool accent ;)

[oreosandmik09]

@saxonfield,

Watch Adam's "Dr. Atomic." You'll love the contralto part in that opera. :)

[trueeyore]

@RPDLTS I can't speak definitively as to whether she's a true contralto. But I am a contralto who can sing Bb2 all the way up to High C (on a good day, but always to B5). Being able to reach F5 doesn't eliminate her categorization as a contralto. It's about the range of notes in which the voice is its most effortless. I can sing a soaring Bb5. It doesn't mean my voice does well hanging around in that register for very long, because it's just not meant to.

[EDubsGurl]

@RPDLTS Listen to her version of "None but the Lonely Heart."