Regarding Eaglen, I have no idea if weight was connected to her vocal decline, and I don’t really see why we should assume it was. Purely vocally, why do you suppose it did contribute, when so many other singers manage to be large for their whole careers without it having any negative impact? And dramatically, whilst her size would obviously have limited her, voices in her fach are so rare that they get cast regardless.

I also seriously doubt whether Blythe’s career is focussed on the USA for any reason other than that this is how she prefers things. She’s appeared at the Royal Opera in Semele and Ballo at least, and surely she wasn’t the only option for either role – if the powers that be at the ROH didn’t want her because of her size, they wouldn’t have hired her.

I don’t see what Fleming has to do with this – she’s lost a few dress sizes thanks to the Atkins diet, but she was never anything approaching the size of these other singers we are discussing.

Yes, you mention several fine artists who are heavy and having successful careers, but how many of them (Heppner aside) have thriving careers in Europe? Why is, for example, Blythe singing regularly in places like Pittsburgh and Arizona rather than London, Paris, Vienna, and Barcelona when she is not at the Met? The singers you list are on par artistically with the (slimmer) Joyce DiDonato, Sondra Radvanovksy, Joseph Kaiser, Kyle Ketelsen, etc. yet it’s the latter who work consistently (not intermittently) at the top European houses as well as top American houses.

51 CK I was responding to your implication that weight loss results in vocal decline. True, the reason for Eaglen’s decline is speculation on my part, but do you really think weight had no role, both vocally and dramatically? Would you prefer an example of a singer who lost weight and sings well? I give you Renee Fleming, who was much larger in the early 90s. One can dislike her interpretations, but one can’t deny that her Marietta’s Lied at the Met shows that the voice and technique remain the same as before her weight loss.

Arianna – I don’t know why Eaglen’s career has faltered, possibly something to do with a lack of a solid basic technique perhaps, or because she sounded like a train whistle, but that is speculation. I’ll venture though that your weight-related theory is also speculation, and one example isn’t a particularly strong argument against mine, given all the evidence to the contrary. I note you don’t even contradict my words about Voigt.

BTW Eglise Gutierrez has sung Zerlina and Liu.

And try telling Ms. Scotto that her Cio-Cio-San is in the traditions of Toti’s – take a look at her book for an encounter between them on this subject. Nor did Soviero’s interpretation have anything remotely to do with Toti’s.

You suggest that if Voigt had stayed heavy, she might be glorious today. What about Eaglen? She didn’t attempt to change her weight, and look at what happened to her career. Don’t tell me that carrying all that weight around didn’t affect the quality of her singing.

Also, I don’t understand Ms. Meade’s hurry to present her thoughts on Norma to the public. At this stage of her career, what will she have to say artistically about the role? How about getting more performances of Anna Bolena under her belt instead, refining her interpretation before she sings the role at the Met? She will be able to give the audience a much stronger Norma if she gains more experience in bel canto before attempting this role. Does she really think she is more gifted than Sutherland, Caballe, Scotto, Verrett, Miricioiu, etc. who all chose to wait until they were well-experienced artists before attempting this role in public? Will Crutchfield should know better than encouraging such premature exposure that will do her no favors in the long run.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm2lyICGpc8&feature=related

On the other hand there are lyric sopranos who start out from the beginning with the middle voice as their calling card, rather than something they grow into as much as an lc. Those sopranos usually have more natural color in their middle voice than the ones who ‘grow into” it.

I also fully agree that she is a work in progress and certainly will continue to grow and improve.
I do get concerned though in her recent work, particularly what I have heard of her Traviatas, that she already seems to be coloring the middle a little intentionally and already sounding a little oddly mature or seeming to work at it, without the characteristic ease and gleam that her upper register has. That is where they get into trouble – trying to ‘make the middle’ even just a little leads to that problem and to my ears she is starting to do it already.

I notice this tendency frankly from a lot of AVA graduates and I wonder if it is something that the singers pick up while there, or if the AVA powers that be just like that quality and so push the singers who have it.

I admire and recognize the artistic validity, but do not personally like Toti dal Monte’s Butterfly or others of that ilk. I don’t want a dramatic soprano in it either but I prefer a full lyric or a lyric spinto in the role. Here again just a matter of taste.

Yes, I know all about Callas. But she was a very unique animal. And with a very short career.

The SFO’s then lighting director told me it had been offered to the MET which rejected the idea of doing it out of hand–no discussion, just a flat out no. At that time the MET could have cast it with no problems (SFO did a pretty good job itself), but the east coast lost a great chance to experience this opera that is superb dramatically and musically.

There is a difference between soubrette roles and engenue roles. Despina is a subrette role, Adina is not, Zerlina could be either, Bondchen is a subrette role, Adalgisa, Manon and Sophie are engenue roles. I am not saying that Eglise sings all of them, but we do need to make a difference. A lyric soprano could take on engenue roles for several reasons: age and register are probably 2 of the most common. I said that right now, because of her age and the facility she has on top, Eglise is taking on engenue roles and as the voice matures she will move away from those roles and land squarely as a lyric.

Now, a lot of these engenue roles are also classified as coloratura roles. This should hardly matter mostly because coloraturas tend to keep the engenue v oice, if not the appearance for a long time.

One more thing that can stand repeating. These singers are fresh out of college and are still working details out on their techniques. While their voices might have a quality here and there that seems unfinished or inadequate, I’m sure it will not be for long. I find Eglise t0 have a rich middle and my perception is that she will work out the bottom and end a wonderful lyric.

That said, if she has a long career she could land in some lyric roles but I don’t see any Butterfly’s in near future unless they are Toti dal Monte style!

First of all 7-10 years is a lifetime in the life of a singer and a technique. A singer might not be ready to sing roles that might be perfect in 10 years.

Second, Toti dal Monte’s Butterfly is superb in almost every aspect. We would be lucky to have more Butterflies in her mold and less Madama Brunhildes. I have said it before and will continue saying it. While we all clamor for a Nilsson voice in the role, the performers that we go back over and over are the ones in the dal Monte mold: de los Angeles, Scotto, Hayashi, Soviero (to a certain extend) etc.

I grew up as an occasional listener of the war-horse Italian operas and enjoyed it but would never have become an opera fan if I hadn’t ventured into the Met, heard a German opera and a particular British tenor. That sparked something in me where the Corellis and Tebaldis and Sutherlands didn’t. It also led me to discover that opera is a far more varied art form than I thought. That’s how I try to bring others into it; to sample a variety of repertory and see which appeals to you.

Also, I agree all the singers you mention have great accomplishment as well as potential that we all hope will continue ro develop.

That said, if someone’s vocal color doesn’t appeal to a listener, that is sometimes unlikely to change. If the artist continues to evolve then sometimes that ends up “not mattering” so much. I am not meaning to diss her at all, her tone just kind of doesn’t excite me.

A singer similar to me is Swenson. I really couldn’t knock her and I admire her from certain points of view. But her voice, just never kind of thrilled me and as her artistry matured her artistry doesn’t excite me either. I woudln’t knock her or her fans but I don’t necessarily seek out her performances.

At a certain level of talent and accomplishment it becomes very subjective!

I think you can only do so much learning in a studio situation; getting a chance to perform a role in a festival one-off gives the artist and her coaches a chance to see where she is at that point.

And again, Meade, like Gutierrez, Perez, Costello, et al are just a year or two or three out of conservatory training. They are still at the point where technique is being mastered and interpretation is being explored.

troll is for someone who allows no one an opinion. YOU fit the bill there in all your altered Tam and Poison egos.

A troll? Maybe a disgruntled diva

To #27, I am not sold on Gutierrez as a lyric soprano, the middle and bottom or her voice are so far very not remarkable and she has undertaken few if any soubrette type roles. That said, if she has a long career she could land in some lyric roles but I don’t see any Butterfly’s in near future unless they are Toti dal Monte style!

To #30, Swenson has done two Adalgisas already. They were OK. R U hoping she will do it in Caramoor to Meade’s Norma?

To #26, not everyone cares about high E’s. I for one am not overly impressed with brilliant top notes but I don’t knock others for being impressed with them if that is there taste. To listeners who prefer interesting sounds and original interpretations, Meade is so far not the ticket. She has other qualities which will appeal to listeners with other tastes and should enjoy a very successful career though.

In response to your question, how many – I don’t know, please tell us the answer. Clearly Voigt springs to mind, because she attempted to address the issue, and it has all gone horribly wrong. Had she done nothing, she might still be glorious. Who else?

I don’t think being overweight holds a singer back, except in a few limited circumstances, and only then where the attitude of a minority is allowed to prevail. I also don’t think, from the pictures I have seen, that there is anything terribly extraordinary about Meade’s weight to begin with.

And can we at least give these young artists a few years before we pass judgment on their entire careers. All young artists, for that matter. I would like to think an opera career is an evolving one.

She should climax her career with “Norma” not take it on at the beginning. Mathilde in “Guillaume Tell” sounds like a great idea in two years but who will be her Arnold? I don’t want an overextended tenorino in the part.

Starting as a coloratura is a well established tradition within the Italian schooling. Freni and Scotto did it and in the country Malfitano followed it. You sing engenue roles (some of them coloratura) while you have the Eb and as soon as that one goes you move to Mimi, Musetta, Magda ad the rest.

I am hoping that Eglise will sing Butterfly in 7-10 years. I bet it will be amazing.