The Lilli Lehmann Project* – Light Coloratura

Posted byDeborah Wai KapohePosted inDemonstrations of Technique for Singing, Lilli Lehmann's Teachings, Listening for SingingTags:, ,

In a previous post, I demonstrated three voice characters: light coloratura quality, lyric quality and dramatic quality by referring to the lessons in Lucie Manen’s book ‘The Art of Singing’. Manen describes how to achieve the voice characters. She also wrote that Lilli Lehmann performed all three roles in The Tales of Hoffmann. In other words, Lehmann knew how to access the three voice characters.

Today, I focussed on applying the light coloratura quality to Donizetti’s ‘O luce di quest’anima’. Here are the opening phrases recorded on my iPhone. My guitar is tuned to 432HZ. Listening back, I can lighten up the quality a little more, add a touch more imposto on the middle range and address the occasional note that does not have the correct onset (the caress of the glottis I blogged about in an earlier post).

O luce di quest/anima sung in light coloratura quality – Deborah Wai Kapohe

Finally, here is a Spotify link to Donizetti’s ‘Ah, tardai troppo…o luce di quest’anima’ sung by Dame Joan Sutherland. Dame Joan, like Lilli Lehmann, was a Wagnerian Soprano. I love hearing Dame Joan’s voice light coloratura quality in this wonderful recording.

*These blogs are part of a three year project (2020-2023) to refresh my voice and prepare myself for teaching. I have called the three year project ‘The Lilli Lehmann Project’ because I am using Lilli Lehmann’s teachings, recordings and others’ writings about Lehmann as a point of reference.

Published by Deborah Wai Kapohe

I am a professional classical singer with strong crossover ability. I have been in the music business since my graduation from University in 1994. In addition to singing, I have been trained to a high level in classical guitar and brass. My guitar playing enables me to self accompany; I perform professionally as a self-accompanied singer. My brass playing facilitates my playing of Taonga Puoro (traditional Māori instruments). I have begun to focus on my YouTube channel now that my studio is full. I have called this channel 'The Complete Singer' because I am not only a singer, but also a teacher and singer-songwriter; I write songs professionally as well as for relaxation. I believe that old fashioned singing techniques, developed over hundreds of years in Italy, should form the foundation of good singing. I practice exercises daily from books written by Garcia, Marchesi and Melba. In addition to these exercises, I add modern singing exercises. Therefore, this forms the basis of my teaching.

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