Women with High voices: Recommendations

Subject: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Burke
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 05:47 PM

This is inspired by the mention of wonderful old recordings in the Investing discussion.

If I want to listen to the old pre-1950 recordings of high voiced women, who should I listen to? Can you recommend 1 or 2 of her recordings that are especially noteworthy?

I recognize that the voice more than any other instrument depends on genetics, so don't worry about me trying too hard to sound like them.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 07:32 PM

It's funny you should post this question. Just last night I was listening to one of Burl Ives' recordings. Now I know he doesn't have a high female voice but his backup chorus featured a woman who I at first thought might be a theremin! High sweet and clear she sang way up in the highest range. I have no idea who she was but it was quite an addition to the recording.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Ebbie
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 07:54 PM

Naemanson, what's a theremin? Thanks.

Ebbie

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Alice
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 08:22 PM

Just watched an old classic Vincent Price movie with my son - The House On Haunted Hill. It was filled with theramin sounds. It was an opportunity to teach my son about another instrument ;-)

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Naemanson
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 08:27 PM

A theremin is one of the earliest of the electronic instruments. It has two antennae and you get the sounds by waving your hand near them. One controls volume and the other controls pitch.

If you watch any of the old horror or science fiction movies the theremin is the background music that features the high wavering eerie sounds just before the monster makes its appearance.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: MK
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 09:37 PM

The thermin was also used in the Beach Boys tune "Good Vibrations", something you might be able to recall more readily. It was the predacessor to the Moog synthesizer.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: catspaw49
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 09:56 PM

Well, all that aside.................

Burke, what type of music are you looking for? Women mentioned in the other thread are more country performers. Patsy Cline, Kitty Wells, Jan Howard, and later even Emmylou Harris or Dolly. Or are you looking for a more "folky" performer like Carolyn Hester.....or bluesy? Or are you just looking for a high voice? Even that is a bit confusing since some altos have very powerful voices that seem quite high because of the power such as a Ronnie Gilbert or Mary Travers.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: GUEST,GeneJ
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 10:06 PM

Strange as it may sound, but I think the highest note (singing, controlled) I have ever heard by the female human voice was on an old Capitol LP of Swiss yodelling music(that I lent to someone and never got back!) This woman had a fine, strong voice and hit the note (high E? is that possible?) in a series of those up-and-down voice exercises during the windup of a yodel song. Someone else, before the 50's, who could get up there was the great French soprano, Lily Pons. You can still buy her music, I think.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Mbo
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 10:28 PM

The theramin is also used on the famous middle 8 of "Whole Lotta Love" by Led Zeppelin.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Alice
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 10:35 PM

Hi, Burke. Women who have soprano range voices used to be very popular before recording technology and microphones. A lower voice tends to sound better over a microphone, so tenors and sopranos kind of went out of "style" in recent times, except for classical music. Alot of recent popular rock and country western music is written in a very short range of notes, meant to be sung in the speaking range of the voice, not in those high "money" notes of a soprano.
As far as the older folk music, singing in whatever range felt comfortable, a soprano would sing a song in her range - the same song would be sung in a lower key by an alto. When people just sang for their own pleasure, I don't think people were too self conscious of what key (or range) they sang in. I'll search around for some specific examples.

If you want to hear a high coloratura, I made a link in one of the singing threads to a sound file of coloratura soprano Amelita Galli-Curci T very old recording.

Alice - a lyric soprano

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: GUEST, Banjo Johnny
Date: 27 Sep 00 - 11:39 PM

Kathryn Grayson sang high, but the all time killer sopranissima had to be Yma Sumac - I believe she was from Peru. == Johnny in OKC

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: ddw
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 12:11 AM

I'm amazed nobody has jumped in to recommend Joan Baez — Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You and Bachianas Braziliaris No. 5 (Sp?) springing to mind as good tunes in her higher range. Also Marni Nixon, who did Julie Andrews' vocals in Sound of Music. Odetta is also amazing — range from darned near bass to soprano. Joni Mitchell can also soar.

david

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Alice
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 12:15 AM

ddw, probably not mentioned because Burke asked for pre-1950 recordings.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: ddw
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 12:15 AM

Sorry, I missed the "pre-'50s" stipulation. 'Fraid I'm not familiar with too many who fit that.

david

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Lyrical Lady
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 12:26 PM

Burke, I'm curious as to why you think the voice is dependent on genetics? It is my understanding that the voice being a muscle can achieve a high range through exerise and training. All singing is ..is air in and air out. How we control the sound depends on how hard we choose to work at mastering our instrument. The high range is achieved by lifting and tilting the voice box forward .... the opposite holds true for the lower voice. Both techniques require lots of air, all your muscles need to be working and you need to connect your voice to your air. Sounds easy but it's not! In my opinion, hard work creates the "voice" not genetics. I won't worry about you trying to sing in a high range....but you could if you wanted too! Cheers...LL

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Burke
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 01:09 PM

ddw, Do you mean to tell me that was not Julie Andrews singing in the Sound of Music? If there was anyone I wanted to sing like it was her in that movie.

I didn't mention individuals & styles because as several have noted high voices are not exactly the rage these days. Jean Redpath was about the only soprano I could think of off the top of my head. Since Joan Baez was mentioned & it was discussion of influences that causes my question--anyone know whose singing influenced her? Dolly's influeces?

Specifically stylewise, I really like the Old Time stuff so recommendations of women who are considered country but on the Old Time side of it would be appreciated.

A friend in the soprano section told me there's a high E or Eflat in Mozart's Magic Flute. I don't care about going there, A & a rare Bflat are OK. I'm just singing for my own enjoyment, not to be a pro.

Lyrical Lady, I made the genetics comment to preempt anyone who might be tempted to tell me to find my own voice or whatever. Yeah, technique can do a lot, but unlike an intrument where a better one can be purchased, the instrument I'm rehearsing is the one God gave me. I do sing in the high register & it comes naturally to me. It's the low one I can't handle for more that an few notes.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 02:09 PM

I've always wondered if the voice was heritable - especially after talking to someone who had an ancient recording of Oscar Wilde. He'd set it to play at a baritone level, but wasn't sure if this was right. Then I heard one of Wilde's grandsons speaking on radio, and he had a pleasant baritone voice.

The inventor of the theremin went on to work for the KGB, didn't he, by the way?

Women with high voices: what about Yma Sumac (was that her name?) who was supposed to have had a five-octave range or something?

Not a woman, and not pre-50s, but have you heard Brian Kennedy's recording of As I Roved Out? Interesting use of falsetto.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: GUEST,blue heaven44623
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 04:56 PM

Try buying an album with Jeannette McDonald and Nelson Eddy, who sang duets years ago--I think you're looking more for "operetta" which is somewhere between Broadway show tunes and opera. They are light and express themselves in an operatic manner. By the way, it's true that anyone can extend their vocal range considerably through lessons and practice over a long period of time. I was able to extend my range an octave. Female voices would be from high to low--coloratura soprano, lyric coloratura soprano, lyric soprano, mezzo soprano, contralto. The coloraturas can generally get up to high F's, and lyrics to a D or E flat, but good mezzos can also get up to high D. The voice is more characterized by the quality of the sound and the heaviness of the weight of the voice. Coloraturas usually have lighter voices, enabling them to easily do rapid runs. A heavily voiced lyric or a dramatic soprano could be said to have a lot of power in their voice, but the voice may be difficult to move in the case of runs due to its weight. People are always trying to categorize singers, but sometimes there are voices like Joan Sutherland which seem to break the mold. She has been labeled a dramatic coloratura soprano due to the weight of her voice and the ease with which she could do runs. Enjoy your hunting!

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Don Firth
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 04:57 PM

The highest note written for an operatic soprano (soprano acuto sfogato, the highest coloratura soprano) is in Mozart's "The Magic Flute" in the Queen of the Night's big aria--an F over high C. Bird-whistle range. And she has to hit it several times!

Genetics is bound to have a lot to do with the size of your larynx (which is cartilage, not muscle), the length of your vocal cords, and the size of your chest, nasal passages, and other resonating chambers inside your body--in the same way it determines your other physical characteristics, like height, eye color, general build, etc. Hence, the type of voice you have is pretty much pre-determined. And it doesn't pay to mess with it too much. More than one mezzo-soprano has ruined a potentially fine voice by trying to push her voice into the coloratura soprano range. Many young baritones try to be tenors because tenors get all the press (and PBS specials), and they end up sounding like frogs. Never, ever push your voice! Sure, try to stretch your range, but go gently! The voice is a pretty delicate instrument.

"The Singing Voice" by Robert Rushmore is excellent; will probably give you more information about the human voice than you really want to know. He discusses the various categories of voices, operatic and non-operatic--not just sopranos, mezzo-sopranos, contraltos, tenors, baritones, and basses, but the different kinds of each voice. He talks about lieder singers, popular singers, folk singers, the controversy over vocal registers, pretty much the whole run. It's probably out of print, but your local library or used book store may cough it up. It's listed on www.bookfinder.com if all else fails.

Don Firth

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Burke
Date: 28 Sep 00 - 05:06 PM

I don't know what gives anyone the idea I'm looking for opera or operetta information. Only a couple of posts even mention folk singers. I guess the responses just show how ignored the soprano voice is in folk music.

Thanks for the input anyway. The main reason for my follow -up now is because as soon as I turn my computer off, I'll be gone until Monday so I won't be able to clarify or respond until then.

Now I'm gonna go singing.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Grab
Date: 29 Sep 00 - 09:19 AM

Judy Garland had a pretty extreme voice when she was young - was she old enough pre-50s to make it as a 'woman', though? Her age escapes me.

Grab.

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Alice
Date: 29 Sep 00 - 10:58 AM

Edith Piaf was a soprano who recorded both folk and popular music - in French, not the American folk music I think you are asking for, Burke. She didn't record all in a high key, but she did have a high range if she wanted to use it.

Burke, my impression is that you are looking for American or English speaking folk/traditional female singers, soprano recordings pre-1950, right?

Alice

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Mbo
Date: 29 Sep 00 - 11:04 AM

WHoa! Bachianas Braziliaras! VIVA VILLA-LOBOS!!!!!

Subject: RE: Women with High voices: Recommendations
From: Don Firth
Date: 30 Sep 00 - 06:07 PM

Woman folksingers with high voices--

Back in the Forties and early Fifties (when he was recording folk songs, long before his "Little-Bitty Tear" phase), Burl Ives was about the only folk singer the general public had heard of. He was on several radio programs at the time (I specifically remember one on the history of the Erie Canal, sometime in the late Forties--I was just a kid) and a couple of movies of the "boy and his horse" or "boy and his dog" type in which he sang several folk songs and played, essentially, himself.

About this same time, the only woman folksinger most of the general public had heard of was Susan Reed. She appeared on radio a number of times as I recall, she starred in a movie about a young woman from the mountains who's dragged to New York by a handsome impresario to sing her repertoire of folk songs in a night club. Unfortunately it was a pretty bad movie, but Susan Reed had a chance to sing a lot, which redeemed it.

I never hear her mentioned anymore, but she is much too good to forget. She had a quite high voice with a very characteristic sound (once you had heard it, you would easily recognize it again). She made a lot of records, so some of them might still be floating around. Worth looking for.

Don Firth