I caught the Associated Press review in the local paper of Rolando Villazon’s return to the Met. I am sorry to say I am not surprised about his difficulties. I have only heard him on video and recordings but I have always thought he over-sang. The way he thrusts his jaw down to the maximum is the first clue. He has no lift in the facial muscles either. Jussi Bjorling is a wonderful example of the use of this and the benefits. Villazon’s technical choices require a great deal of energy to fulfill, which usually turns into effort. It gives quite a tone but requires way too much exertion. Not what you would call efficient, again see Jussi for example. The tone is impressive because the vocal folds are vibrating in a thick condition with an enlarged glottis, which requires more breath flow to sustain. Essentially he is forcing his voice to behave as if it is a bigger organ. The problem is this practice goes against the nature of his instrument. It lacks the protection of a well-formed resonator. The amplification from a good resonating form reduces the burden on the voice mechanism so the vocal folds can vibrate in a thinner more efficient condition. Whenever I heard him sing I couldn’t believe he could do what he was doing. The voice was going to fail, it was just a matter of time. No matter how much rest he gets it won’t fix the problem. He is using too much of his vocal potential when he sings and the instrument can’t withstand it.
The lighter voices may have a better chance to avoid these problems because they are less tempted to make an “impressive” sound. But I am not real high on either Florez or Brownlee either. At least functionally. Florez is good at what he does. But when you can hear breath in the tone you know there is an imbalance. And you just have to hear Florez talk to hear he is wearing down his voice. Brownlee you can hear the breath when he sings. That is not a good thing for the long-term health of a voice. When the voice fails, as it must eventually, it is often blamed on illness. But if the functioning is good illness should rarely keep a singer from being able to sing except for a day or two, if even that.
This topic is a real sore spot for me as a voice teacher/consultant. Because everyone is talking/teaching the “breath-flow” concept, which is the main reason we don’t have singers like the “old days”. I have even heard voice teachers criticize Jussi’s breathing because it is not what they have been taught is “correct”. Well they didn’t do things that way back when singers really knew how to sing.
Hello Tim. Thanks for coming here for a second opinion. And congratulations on having the sincerity to look for feedback to improve.
I watched your videos. My feeling is I don’t hear any artificial or manufactured singing. I agree that you don’t have any major flaws. You sing in a pretty natural manner, which is good. The main thing that you will want to improve is the incomplete nature of your vocal production. But that is to be expected in a singer your age.
What I mean is you appear to be too careful in your singing. As a result your voice is not functioning completely. In a more practical sense, you are not really saying the things you’re singing. You are kind of only half saying them. Like you have been taught not to actually use your voice because you might hurt it.
Good singing should have a foundation of good speaking. Your singing appears to have a foundation of whispering. I only say that because it is all breath. You wouldn’t have to do anything different except actually use your voice to say the things you’re singing and you would improve tremendously. And you are already quite good for an incoming Freshman.
But a likely reason you have been taught to sing that way is because using the voice must be done in the proper way or problems can be created. And unfortunately that is just the way things are. Singing is a skill, and to do it well requires developing that skill.
Congratulations on getting into New England Conservatory and good luck. I hope you continue to read the information hear and learn more about what I’m talking about. It is good for your vocal health. Thanks.
I am a young Baritone/Tenor about to enter a conservatory for vocal performance. Technical development is something I concern myself with a lot. I don’t believe I have any horrible flaws, however, i have a suspicion that i may fake good technical singing. I was curious enough to seek a second opinion. Since the issue of faking a particular sound was a part of this blog i was curious what you learned folk thought, or if you could direct me to a more appropriate location. here is the link to channel with a few of my past performances for evaluation if anyone is interested. sincerest apologies if this was inappropriate to post. i assure you all I do study with a classically trained voice teacher who is wonderful in every sense and i am merely seeking a second opinion. thank you all. i hope this may also provide some intellectual discussion. thank you.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Timthebaritone?feature=mhee
Roger, thanks for your comments. It is an interesting note of the difference between how he is singing now and when he did Boheme at City Opera. I will see if I can find an example from that performance to compare. Thanks.
I really like your commnets on Villazon , however I was at every performance he sang of Boehem including the TV Broadcast from City Opera and he sounded quite different then than he does now. It would be useful to compare the NYCO Broadcast vs La Boheme the Movie and you'll notice many what I call Spanisisms creepeing in expecially his over bright spread and nasal Ah vowel. You really cannot be nasal without being clamped or shall we say throaty and vice versa. So, his Spanish language got in the way as it does with all Spanish tenors. And he did the aria in key as Bjorling did in the NYCO (City Opera) Broadcast but transposed down for the "Movie". Such a shame – such promise but the temptation to sound like other throaty sapnisg tenors of note is too great. His unique color and sound is lost as of late. He neads some good ears.
Roger Ohlsen
Thank you, hampton3rd, for your encouraging feedback. I have to say I agree with everything you have said.
I am greatful for your cogent explanation of singing on the breath, efficient phonating etc.
Bjorling is my favorite tenor within the history of recorded singing as well. I am far from an expert but the ease (or apparent ease) with which he sang is staggering. Perfect from top to bottom, not a hint of a register break, the sound emanating with such warmth and ease from behind the mask (or seemingly from behind the mask). There is no one singing remotely like that right now. At least not anyone among the so called opera stars on stage now.
As I write this I am watching the televised Romeo and Juliette with Villazon and whats her name. His facial distortions to make the money notes are grotesque. He has always pushed and strained and faked a big sound.
He is an animated actor but he has had lousy vocal technique forever. This has never been in question with knowledgeable voice teachers, whether famous or obscure. I wish him the best, but you're right, unless he learns to sing and stops trying simply to make an effect, he won't have a career and certainly nothing like Domingo who apparently is one of his champions.
While we are trying to understand the singing problems and their related "illness's" can we widen the problem to include a couple of other points.
1: Why do so many tenors in particular die at an early age, many through brain haemorraging; eg: Lanza, Caruso, del Monaco, and possibly Bjorling I believe, although drink may have something to do with his early death; etc; some baritones and the odd bass – was Charliapin one of these?
2: Reading critiques, women singers seem to come off better and be acclaimed more consistently than male singers. In particular,tenors seem to come under greater scrutiny and any negatives are seem a greater sin than with their female counterparts.analysed?
3: How much does the quality of the voice, timbre, count when analysing the quality of male singers. Is it easier to say, "I like or don't like" the sound, eg; some prefer Domingo to Pavarotti, to Alagna, etc. and thus make subjective preferences rather than on pure performance?
4: Are the techniques taught today inferior to those of yester year as one often reads, listen to so and so in the 20s and 30s, that many seem to fail to come up to a consistent acceptable standard?
I am writing this as one who is an avid opera fan, who suffers from tenoritis but will never actually see and hear the "top" ones in the flesh. CDs, DVDs, magazines like Gramophone, etc; and what scraps I can find on the web and youtube are my lot.
Thank you for being kind to me, I hope.
Bryan Batten [New Zealand]
I look forward to your further comments.
Breath-flow phonation. It is the accepted manner of singing with the breath flowing out while phonating. I will write a post going into more detail, but I will say that it is a deceptive concept. It seems like it should be correct but it weakens the vibration and reduces resonance. It also weakens the voice over time. The traditional technique was based on balance between the vibrating vocal cords and the compressed breath.
"Because everyone is talking/teaching the "breath-flow" concept, which is the main reason we don't have singers like the "old days". I have even heard voice teachers criticize Jussi's breathing because it is not what they have been taught is "correct"."
Michael – what do you mean by 'breath-flow' technique? (I'm a curious vocal student).
Thanks for your comments. I agree, he is damaging his reputation with his fans. Let’s hope he can figure this out.
I am an opera lover, but not a voice expert; all I can say is that Villazon has cancelled three performances and I was really looking forward to hear him sing this time. Two cancellations took place in Mexico, where he has never come back to sing (Domingo and Vargas have been singing constantly in our country for many years. They even sponsor an opera contest for new talents, such as Villazon). The third cancellation took place at the Met: I travelled with my father from Mexico City to NY just to hear him sing… we bought our tickets since November. You can imagine our dissapointment. I don´t believe that any star can keep doing this, ever if he or she is the brightest
Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate your point, the human body has not changed. But somehow singing sure has!
you seem to be very well informed on the functions of the voice. it’s very nice to read your reasoning. I really like the language. It removes the silly sensationalist idea around this craft, which is difficult enough without any magic around it. It is often in these days that even at the highest level, professionals regard the voice as a mystical instrument that just “happens”. It is sad that the vocal craft is not cared for more by todays great musical leaders and conductors. It really is no mystery, only a daily struggle and daily training, just like singers have done, with the same basic knowledge, for hundreds of years. Math was taught in Greece 2000 years ago, it hasn’t changed (Pythagoras and such) and neither has the human body.
I am telling my friends and collegues to keep an eye on this site
Thank you for this comment. You have stated things very clearly and I appreciate your input. I can’t agree more.
I don’t agree. Villazon will most probably not come back if he continues to sing like he does. His type of vocal trouble means at least one or even two years of seclusion from professional life. As mentioned in the text above his vocal function is disastrous for healthy phonation while singing. This is plainly obvious to the trained ear. Even when not cracking or when his voice simply goes into horrid spasms (as have been heard on many occasions now) the vocal chords are slammed together by the scooping that means he is lowering his laryynx muscularly against the appoggio and squeezing the tone out of his system. Only an amazing isntrument can cope with that kind of mismanagement for even a short while so Villazon does have the most unusually resilient vocal physique. But that also means that his type of personality is not used to training rigorously the way most succesful singers did, to avoid fatigue and damage in the voice. To restart at the age of 37 is absolutely awful, both for the singer and for the market. And since he seems to be driven by the idea that his body is driven purely on inspiration, he needs to retrain his mind as well.
This is another of the bad things about training and young singers today, not being aware of the typical graduation of the vocal type and what the ususal durability of every type of instrument is. Not everyone is Vladimir Galouzine even though one might wish it.
Please note that Mr Mayer said “he is a great performer…” This is therefore not an attack, but a pure judgment based on vocal function.
The great but humble singers of this world; Pavarotti, Domingo, Jerome Hines etc have all spoken of difficulties in their career. One day, we may see a book by Villazon honestly talking about his lack and what he did to address it, or may be not, I guess we will have to wait and see.
I’m sorry you didn’t like my assessment. I try to be unemotional in my observations, because our attachments can cloud our judgment. I feel I gave a reasonable explanation of my opinion. Your reasoning sounds like an excuse to me. In fact they are related to what I was talking about. I’m sure he had the normal couple days off between performances, which should be sufficient unless the voice is being overworked. And as far as singing too heavy of rep., either he doesn’t have the technique to sing the parts he is suited for or he is artificially enlarging his voice to sing heavier rep. Either one of those cases fit with what I described. If he sang in an appropriate way for his instrument he probably should stick to pure lyric roles, which is what you are saying as well. So how are you disagreeing with what I said.
I think he is a great performer, but his vocal function is not up to the demands he is asking of his voice. When this is the case, no matter who it is, there is going to be vocal decline or collapse. Which is what is continuing to happen.
Look, I’m not picking on Villazon. My favorite singer, Jussi Bjorling, who I think is the best model for balanced vocal function, had a period in his career in the early ’50s where he had some vocal trouble. Publicly it was described as an unknown ailment. But I suspect that he just got carried away with going too far in his performances. He started singing Manon Lescaut in 1949 and the abandon he sang with when performing that role really put him at risk for vocal trouble. He had to rest and gently exercise his voice back to health. The difference in my opinion is Bjorling knew how to sing in a balanced way to keep himself out of trouble. I think Villazon only knows what he has been doing that got him in trouble.
You are a genius and I guess you sing in a much better way than him…Villazon sang too much without rest and sang too heavy parts. That’s it. What a pretentious blablalba…