Dame Joan Sutherland Talks about Chest Voice

Dame Joan Sutherland gives her opinion on the use of chest voice by sopranos in coloratura roles.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Dame
• Joan
• Sutherland
• voice
• Opera

[primohomme]

I wanna hear this whole interview!! Please post, it's very interesting :D

[meltzerboy]

Wise words of advice from the great Dame Joan, who probably knew more than most other singers about how to cultivate an excellent technique. Thanks for sharing this!

[wetering777]

@meltzerboy I cannot agree more with you.

[CharlotteinWeimar]

How good to hear such interesting and sensible advice from this very great singer, who understood completely how to handle her fabulous instrument. And the YouTube comments are well informed too, from genuine lovers of fine singing, many of whose names are familiar. Thanks so much for posting.

[Hako2004]

She began singing mezzo music with her Mum, who was a mezzo. She mentions that her voice was not very big, on the bottom, once she began singing the coloratura repertory. The implication being that it was bigger/stronger before, but she deliberately de-emphasized the low register. Some have mistakenly claimed her low register was "poor". It definitely wasn't, but she was careful not to give too much emphasis to the low register, which may have given a false impression of weakness.

[wanchaan]

merci a vous de ce beau chant que Dieu vous benisse

[babydrane]

@primohomme True! The voice should never really 'drop' and you should always focus the sound in the mask. This won't put extra strain on your vocal cords unless these are notes you really, don't have i.e. you are singing in chest 'voice'. She's right that with practice this can change, but it shouldn't damage your voice to descend from high tones to low tones if you have the right technique.

[primohomme]

@Cramnella

I posted two bits from this same interview in my channel :) where she talks about breathe support and another where she talks about top notes and the passagio.

[Cramnella]

@primohomme Both of these arias are MURDER and two of Sutherland's very best! I go so far as to say that her recording of "Santo di Patria" is the greatest "Heroic Coloratura" aria ever! Certainly my favorite. I just listened to a live performance of "Era desso il Figlio mio" here on Youtube of which the same could be said.

I also want to hear this whole interview. Joan claimed not to really like discussing technique and it's a pity because she was an absolute genius there.

[65attila]

@meltzerboy

Thanks for this. Interesting I was just listening to Sutherland at age 23 singing "Boi lo Sapete" in English in Australia stunning , At the tender age of 23 Joan's voice was even from top to bottom , bright and easily produced and the sheer volumeof the voice was awesome. I heard her at age 60 in "I puritani". She could still outsing others singing that role. Joan had a great voice and technique and the intelligence to know what and how to sing..

[emma41093]

A fantasic interview, I'd love to hear the whole thing - hint :) Plus I love the picture at 1:45