VoceVista

Investigations of the singing voice from the standpoint of voice science have often been criticized for their failure to use singers of the highest level as subjects.  In the literature the concept of "trained voice" has sometimes been extended to include anyone who has had singing lessons.  This study answers those objections by going directly to the elite singers.  While the hope of getting international stars into the voice laboratory may be illusory, younger singers are available who have already undergone rigorous training and, more important, a very demanding selection process to arrive at programs like the Metropolitan Opera's YDAP.  Collecting and comparing baseline data on the characteristic features of their voices and their vocal-technical accomplishments can bring us closer to normative standa5rds for at least some aspects of the exceptional voices at the level of opera.  Such standards can serve as guidelines for aspiring students and the teachers who train them.  Fir the singer-subjects themselves, the rewards are a careful documentation of essential aspects of their singing at an early stage in their careers, a beginning point against which further development, or possibly, deterioration can be measured.  Explication of the measurements can also lead to important insights into their individual achievements and limitations.

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