Tuesday 8th March
David Fisher
What makes a great singer?
A personal overview of some of the world’s supreme singers, their comparative recordings and the repertoires most suited to them.
Do Dame Joan Sutherland or Maria Callas suit the same roles and who is the best of The Three Tenors? Who can compare with Marilyn Monroe in mezzo roles and who has the best top Cs? How do current opera stars like Juan Diego Florez and Joyce DiDonato compare with their predecessors? These and many other questions will be addressed in a scintillating coverage of outstanding voices in many genres and with vocal examples covering a range of nearly five and a half octaves.
Appreciation by Neil Crutchley
When it comes to musical versatility I can’t think of anyone else of my acquaintance who has more natural talent than our chairman. He has distinguished himself as a teacher, composer, conductor, organist, pianist, critic, writer and musical analyst - and it was the last of these that was on display in this remarkable presentation. I suspect that even if you had no interest in the human voice, you would have found what David had to say absolutely fascinating.
As evident in the accompanying playlist, over two dozen musical examples spanning well over a century of recorded sound were used to analyse and compare style, tempo, diction, phrasing and expression. The human voice is an extraordinary instrument and we heard it in all its glory, from its heights to its depths – both musically and (occasionally) artistically!
It was a wide-ranging survey and David’s knowledge and command of the subject was evident in every comment he made. But should you think this was a very serious evening you’d be wrong. There haven’t been many other LMS presentations where I’ve heard so much laughter.
Playlist
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