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freak show

by | 1:44 pm | Aug 30, 2008

La Cieca (not pictured) is delighted to note that the delightful and learned Nicholas Limansky (also not pictured) will grace the stage of the next Vocal Record Collectors Society meeting to explore the controversial topic of extended or “freak” sopranos. The main topic of his talk will of course be the Peruvian songbird Yma Sumac, but he will include other voices of this controversial Fach.  Details of time and location for the VRCS meeting may be found here. Nick is of course familiar to the cher public for his notable tome Yma Sumac: The Art Behind the Legend.

Speaking of which, here’s an example of the Sumac legend pushing its way in front of the art: a temperament-based walkout on an evening when the “Princess of the Andes” was in terrific voice!

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/8gPSc5kByFQ" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

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22 Comments

22 comments

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  • Cocky Kurwenal says:

    I can kind of understand the laughing. Pretending to hold a baby and then a bit of mewling – it would probably have set me off too.

    on September 4, 2008 at 6:52 AM
  • WindyCityOperaman says:

    ‘Cmon, who COULDN’T help but laugh. Sorry, but I’ve always thought Yma Sumac was a joke.

    Brick: I was born with this voice!
    Googie: So was Yma Sumac!

    on September 4, 2008 at 8:41 AM
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