Christine Brewer masterclass

Soprano Christine Brewer presented a masterclass at Webster University in St. Louis in September. Eric Von Schrader produced this look at the class for the Beacon.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• classical
• opera
• christine
• brewer
• soprano
• masterclass
• stlouis

[nadine1875]

I don't agree with the people who say that this soprano has a "wobble", or too much tremolo. She has a beautiful, warm operatic tone, not a "white" chorister one. She doesn't "wobble" any more than any other good or great opera singer. She's very good! Keep on singing, Elizabeth!

[AgnesRegina]

The hall isn't very good for diction, but I've had the privilege of hearing and working with both these singers with orchestra in our opera scenes and believe me, they have no trouble at all projecting over the orchestra. Granted that this class was some time ago and their voices have both grown in many wonderful ways since this recording, but I don't think these singers are as bad as you all make out. I admit prejudice as a friend of both, but nonetheless I think some of you are overreacting.

[FabMatt]

@Operaman41 Both of these students sing with poor technique. Posture is slouchy and embouchure is far too open. They also have lots of tension.

[nutty42]

How right you are: In her autobiography, the great Birgit Nilsson told how her voice was nearly ruined by a "bad" voice teacher. So the moral of the story is : take several advices -& yours is one of the best - Good Luck to that young singer.

[Operaman41]

This girl is too damn young to have such a wobble!!! This is horrible and it is not her fault just the teacher she belaves in.

If you are the girl and you read this I am not trying to be mean in any way I want the best for you. FInd someone who will address these issues before they get WAY out of hand. It could be breath and it could be the vocal cords are streched out to far. Good Luck I wish you the VERY BEST!

[BDSCalgary]

Besides, Masters Classes are planned to make a name for a university so they can get more students. They can CLAIM this or that great singer gave a class for them. That is often why great singers are hired to teach, and in most cases, they want them still really singing before the public. No one cares if they have no time to actually teach their students, all they want is the ability to claim this famous person is on their faculty. That is, sadly, the university music system.

[BDSCalgary]

The quality of the recording of the session is terrible. One cannot really judge the voices based on what we hear. Based on what we hear, none of them have enough voice to be heard even to the orchestra pit were they singing in a real performance. Even though the voices are very nice, even beautiful, putting nerves aside - which can and do affect things - No one singing is really ready to consider a career, and they will graduate thinking they are ready to face the difficult professional world

[BDSCalgary]

Why should a master singer, someone who has a great career, be saddled always teaching the basics to students who are majoring in music and performing. Supposedly they had qualified teachers to teach them? A masters class is to help a student learn about performing, not their technique that they should have mastered BEFORE they sing. Sadly, Brewer is stuck trying to get singers to actually FEEL their music. They should have be more prepared that than to begin with. The quality of the recording

[BDSCalgary]

Master's Classes are a joke at the best of times, and even with the most renown singers. So many boss the singers around, basically saying "sing it my way,as I did, and then you will be OK." Very few give any concrete advice. But what is worse, they are not there to follow up with their advice, even if good, and the student singer often then creates some really bad habits all believing they are doing what this great idle demands.

[mannail888]

What she does isn't unlike Florence Foster Jenkins conducting masterclass.