AboutPamela Thomas Expertise Questions on Opera performance, repertoire, vocal technique, acting for opera. I have some 20 years experience in opera in both leading roles and chorus. I have sung with New York City Opera since 1981. I have studied voice in NYC for over 20 years and have also taught technique and coached singers in acting.
Question I'm fourteen years old, and I love to sing opera, but I'm confused about a lot of things. To begin with, I'm not sure what type of voice I have. I think I'm a soprano. My range is from the B just below middle C to about the two octaves above middle C, though sometimes I can hit up to an E. Also, I don't have a clue what fach I am. I've read about each one, but I can't work out which one I am. I suppose I have quite a strong voice, and it's at its most powerful when I'm singing higher notes. The roles I find easiest to sing are Mimi (La Boheme), Lauretta (Gianni Schicchi) and Manon (Manon), though I haven't tried singing many yet. When I was ten I took up singing lessons, but I quit when I was twelve. During those lessons I sang songs from musicals, like Grease, My Fair Lady and Les Miserables, some hymns and classical songs, but never opera. I'd love to have opera lessons but I know of no one in my area who teaches it. I'm really shy too, so I don't know if I'd be able to sing properly in front of other people. Last year I decided to drop music in school, and now I really regret it. Unfortunately it's too late to start studying it again, but I've just decided that after I leave school I'd like to study at Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien in Vienna, Austria. Am I being unrealistic ? I'd need to be able to read music and speak German to even be considered, and I can't do either. I've started teaching myself German, but learning to read music in another matter. I attended piano lessons when I was younger, and I learnt a little about reading music but by now I've forgotten everything. I don't want to learn a musical instrument, but how else could I learn to read music in three years ? Also, I'd like to know the exact meaning of tessitura. I looked it up on wikipedia, but I didn't really understand the arcticle.
Please help me !
Olivia.
(:
Answer Hi Olivia,
I'm sorry it's taken me so long to respond. First, let me remind you, you are 14 years old! You are young!! I think it's wonderful that you want to sing opera - you have plenty of time to understand and learn what that means.
At 14, I would not say you have a "fach". Your voice is still developing. Probably, given what you have said, you will be a soprano. But don't be in so much of a hurry to "sing opera". I believe if you can find a good teacher in your area you might study again - but only if you can find a GOOD teacher. And I would not sing opera roles just yet. You want to learn how to sing properly, beautifully and correctly. I believe you should get the 24 Italian Songs and Arias (it's published by Schirmer) in the high voice - and work on those. They are beautiful songs and arias and are a wonderful way to learn to sing in the belcanto style.
I also believe you should take music at your school. Perhaps you can join again - why don't you go talk to the teacher? If you can't get in this year, you should take it next year. I think it's valuable to sing in chorus or choir in school because it helps your sightreading and musicianship. If you can take piano lessons again, that would be really helpful. You hear all the time that many of the great opera stars (Ben Heppner, Jane Eaglen, Placido Domingo) are all wonderful musicians as well as being wonderful singers. They all play the piano (Placido is an outstanding conductor as well). Being able to read music and play the piano will help you immensely when you are learning roles during your career.
I would also try to perform in any of the musicals in your school - that will give you a true idea of what it's like to be on the stage and help you overcome your shyness. If you are really prepared to sing, whether as a soloist or a chorister, if you really know your stuff, you will be less nervous.
You should try to take languages in school. Surely they offer German. If not, continue working on your own - but taking a class would be better and you would improve faster. Eventually you will want to study Italian and French as well. As to going to Vienna - I would say wait on that. Work on your musical skills now - and go to one of the terrific music schools we have in this country. You can always go to Europe after you graduate - and getting the Music Degree here will give you a stronger base in music (and it will be a lot cheaper). Look at the website www.classicalsinger.com - it is a great site for singers and they also have a complete listing and information on the music programs in colleges and music schools across the country. You can also visit the school sites and you can read what their audition requirements are, who the teachers are and what the curriculum is.
As for tessitura - you can google it and there are some good explanations - but think of it as the area of the voice where you feel most comfortable. For example, one might have a range of A below middle C to a high C or D as a soprano. But one soprano might have a high tessitura - that is they are comfortable singing in the higher range for long periods of time. Another soprano might feel more comfortable singing more in the middle high or lower range. That doesn't mean the 2nd soprano doesn't have great high notes - she probably would have them - but it just means she is more comfortable singing in the middle or middle high range and moving up and down (not staying up in the high range for a longer period of time). It's tricky - and much easier to demonstrate. But, remember, when you learn a proper technique your voice most probably would change - your range might grown and your tessitura might rise (or lower) depending on what kind of voice you have.
But, at 14, you should not be worried about what your fach is. Just sing beautifully - and find a teacher if you can. But if you cannot find a good teacher, you are better off waiting until you go to a music school and can study with a good teacher. It's much harder to unlearn bad habits from studying with a bad teacher than it is to learn good habits from scratch.
I hope this helps you. And I wish you all the luck. You have so much ahead of you. And, by the way, you should listen to as much opera (and watch the DVDs) as you can. Listen to the great singers - Tebaldi, Callas, Freni, Nilsson, Sutherland, Sills, Fleming (all sopranos) and see how they sing. The more you listen and the more you know about opera, the more you will understand.
