Amelita Galli-Curci (844 views)

[kaji]

Amelita Galli-Curci (18 November 1882 - 26 November 1963)
Voice Type: Lyric coloratura soprano
Vocal Range: G♯3-E6

Significant High Notes:

E6 ("Bel raggio lusinghier", "Charmant oiseaux", "Je veux vivre dans le rêve", "Love's messenger waltz", "Où va la jeune Indoue?", "Sevillana", "The Gypsy and the bird")
E♭6 ("Ah! non giunge", "Caro nome", "Come d'aurato sogno... Tacea la notte placida", "Il dolce suono", "Io son Titania", "Ombre légère qui suis mes pas", "Proch's air and variations", "Quel guardo il cavaliere", "Qui la voce sua soave", "Sempre libera", "Sovra il sen la man mi posa", "Una voce poco fa", "Villanelle")
D6 ("Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", "Ai vostri giochi prender parte vorrei... Ed ora a voi cantero' una canzone", "Bel raggio lusinghier", "C'est l'histoire amoureuse", "Charmant oiseaux", "Echo song", "Hymne au soleil", "La capinera", "La fauvette", "La partida", "Lo! Here the gentle lark", "Love's messenger waltz", "Je veux vivre dans le rêve", "Obéissons quand leur voix appelle", "O luce di quest' anima", "O riante nature", "Parla!", "Prayer and barcarolle", "Pretty mocking bird", "Russian nightingale song", "Si, carina", "Son vergin vezzosa", "The Gypsy and the bird")
C♯6 ("Bella figlia dell'amore", "Chi mi frena", "Come d'aurato sogno... Tacea la notte placida", "La, la, la, air cheri", "Les filles de Cadix", "Proch's air and variations", "Qui la voce sua soave", "Sevillana", "Sovra il sen la man mi posa", "Timor di me?... D'amor sull' ali rosee")
C6 ("Ah, fors' è lui che l'anima", "Ah! non credea mirarti", "Ah! non giunge", "Come per me sereno", "Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre", "Il dolce suono", "Io son Titania", "Je veux vivre dans le rêve", "La capinera", "Little birdies", "Lo! Here the gentle lark", "O luce di quest' anima", "Ombre légère qui suis mes pas", "Prayer and barcarolle", "Sempre libera", "Son geloso del zefiro", "Spargi d'amaro pianto", "Una voce poco fa", "Veglia o donna", "Villanelle")
B5 ("Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", "Ai vostri giochi prender parte vorrei... Ed ora a voi cantero' una canzone", "Caro nome", "Charmant oiseaux", "Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre", "Coppélia Waltz", "Echo song", "Je veux vivre dans le rêve", "La, la, la, air cheri", "Love's messenger waltz", "Obéissons quand leur voix appelle", "O luce di quest' anima", "O riante nature", "Où va la jeune Indoue?", "Parla!", "Prayer and barcarolle", "Pretty mocking bird", "Quel guardo il cavaliere", "Sevillana", "Si, carina", "Son vergin vezzosa", "The Gypsy and the bird", "When Chloris sleeps")
B♭5 ("Ah, fors' è lui che l'anima", "Ah! non giunge", "Bella figlia dell'amore", "Chi mi frena", "Come d'aurato sogno... Tacea la notte placida", "Come per me sereno", "Comin' thro' the rye", "Dite alla giovine", "E il sol dell' anima", "Home, sweet home", "Hymne au soleil", "Il dolce suono", "Io son Titania", "Non so più cosa son", "Ombre légère qui suis mes pas", "O mia Gilda! Lassu in cielo", "Piangi, fanciulla", "Proch's air and variations", "Qui la voce sua soave", "Russian nightingale song", "Sempre libera", "Spargi d'amaro pianto", "Timor di me?... D'amor sull' ali rosee", "Un bel dì vedremo", "Un dì felice", "Veglia o donna", "Verrano a te sull'aure", "Villanelle")
A5 ("Addio del passato", "Ah, fors' è lui che l'anima", "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", "Ai vostri giochi prender parte vorrei... Ed ora a voi cantero' una canzone", "Carceleras", "Caro mio ben", "C'est l'histoire amoureuse", "Charmant oiseaux", "Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre", "Coppélia Waltz", "Echo song", "Estrellita", "Kiss me again", "La capinera", "La danza", "La fauvette", "La, la, la, air cheri", "Les filles de Cadix", "Little birdies", "Lo! Here the gentle lark", "No quiero casarme", "Obéissons quand leur voix appelle", "O luce di quest' anima", "O riante nature", "Où va la jeune Indoue?", "Parla!", "Pretty mocking bird", "Quel guardo il cavaliere", "Sevillana", "Solvejgs sang", "Son geloso del zefiro", "The Gypsy and the bird", "Tutte le feste al tempio", "Una voce poco fa", "Un dì felice", "When Chloris sleeps")
G♯5 ("Bella figlia dell'amore", "Bel raggio lusinghier", "Caro nome", "Chi mi frena", "Come per me sereno", "Coppélia Waltz", "Dite alla giovine", "Dreamin' time", "Io son Titania", "Les filles de Cadix", "Love's messenger waltz", "Ol' Car'lina", "Ombre légère qui suis mes pas", "O mia Gilda! Lassu in cielo", "Parigi o cara". "Proch's air and variations", "Sempre libera", "Sovra il sen la man mi posa", "Timor di me?... D'amor sull' ali rosee", "Veglia o donna", "Verrano a te sull'aure")
G5 ("Ah, fors' è lui che l'anima", "Ah! non credea mirarti", "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", "A kiss in the dark", "Bella figlia dell'amore", "Caro mio ben", "Chanson indoue", "Charmant oiseaux", "Come per me sereno", "Comin' thro' the rye", "Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre", "Estrellita", "Home, sweet home", "Hymne au soleil", "Il dolce suono", "Jurame", "La capinera", "La danza", "La fauvette", "La, la, la, air cheri", "La paloma", "La partida", "Little Dory", "Lo! Here the gentle lark", "Mah Lindy Lou", "Non so più cosa son", "Obéissons quand leur voix appelle", "Old folks at home", "O riante nature", "Où va la jeune Indoue?", "Prayer and barcarolle", "Pretty mocking bird", "Quel guardo il cavaliere", "Qui la voce sua soave", "Serenade", "Si, carina", "Son vergin vezzosa", "Spargi d'amaro pianto", "Tutte le feste al tempio", "Un bel dì vedremo", "Villanelle", "When Chloris sleeps")
F♯5 ("Bel raggio lusinghier", "Caro nome", "C'est l'histoire amoureuse", "Clavelitos", "Coppélia Waltz", "Echo song", "Hymne au soleil", "Io son Titania", "Je veux vivre dans le rêve", "Kiss me again", "La fauvette", "La paloma", "Les filles de Cadix", "Little birdies", "Little Dory", "Long, long ago", "Love's messenger waltz", "Obéissons quand leur voix appelle", "Ol' Car'lina", "O luce di quest' anima", "O mia Gilda! Lassu in cielo", "Piangi, fanciulla", "Prayer and barcarolle", "Pretty mocking bird", "Serenade", "Sevillana", "Si, carina", "Son vergin vezzosa", "The Gypsy and the bird", "Tornami a dir che m'ami", "Tutte le feste al tempio", "Twilight", "Un bel dì vedremo", "Veglia o donna")
F5 ("Addio del passato", "Ah, fors' è lui che l'anima", "Ah! non credea mirarti", "Ah! non giunge", "A kiss in the dark", "A little prayer for me", "Bella figlia dell'amore", "Carceleras", "Caro mio ben", "Chi mi frena", "Come d'aurato sogno... Tacea la notte placida", "Come per me sereno", "Comin' thro' the rye", "Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre", "Dreamin' time", "E il sol dell' anima", "Estrellita", "Home, sweet home", "Il dolce suono", "Jurame", "La, la, la, air cheri", "La partida", "La Serenata", "Lo! Here the gentle lark", "Mah Lindy Lou", "Memory Lane", "My old Kentucky home", "Non so più cosa son", "No te vayas te lo pido", "Old folks at home", "Ombre légère qui suis mes pas", "O riante nature", "Où va la jeune Indoue?", "Parigi o cara", "Quel guardo il cavaliere", "Russian nightingale song", "Silver threads among the gold", "Son geloso del zefiro", "Spargi d'amaro pianto", "The last rose of summer", "Timor di me?... D'amor sull' ali rosee", "Una voce poco fa", "Un dì felice", "Verrano a te sull'aure")

Significant Low Notes:

E♭4 ("Ah! non giunge", "Ai vostri giochi prender parte vorrei... Ed ora a voi cantero' una canzone", "Come d'aurato sogno... Tacea la notte placida", "Come per me sereno", "Dreamin' time", "E il sol dell' anima", "Il dolce suono", "Lead, kindly light", "Long, long ago", "Love's messenger waltz", "My old Kentucky home", "Non so più cosa son", "O mia Gilda! Lassu in cielo", "Proch's air and variations", "Serenade", "Sometime", "Sovra il sen la man mi posa", "Qui la voce sua soave", "Villanelle")
D4 ("Ah! vous dirai-je, maman", "Ai vostri giochi prender parte vorrei... Ed ora a voi cantero' una canzone", "C'est l'histoire amoureuse", "Chanson indoue", "Charmant oiseaux", "Dite alla giovine", "Echo song", "E il sol dell' anima", "La fauvette", "La, la, la, air cheri", "Little Dory", "Love's old sweet song", "O riante nature", "Prayer and barcarolle", "Quel guardo il cavaliere", "Qui la voce sua soave", "Sometime", "Son geloso del zefiro", "Son vergin vezzosa", "Spargi d'amaro pianto", "The Gypsy and the bird", "When Chloris sleeps")
C♯4 ("Bel raggio lusinghier", "Caro nome", "Kiss me again", "Les filles de Cadix", "Memory Lane", "Ombre légère qui suis mes pas", "O mia Gilda! Lassu in cielo", "Parla!", "Pretty mocking bird", "Sevillana", "Timor di me?... D'amor sull' ali rosee", "Un bel dì vedremo")
C4 ("Comme autrefois dans la nuit sombre", "Estrellita", "Io son Titania", "Jurame", "Sempre libera", "Serenade", "Timor di me?... D'amor sull' ali rosee", "Una voce poco fa")
B3 ("Coppélia Waltz", "Echo song", "Un dì felice")
B♭3 ("Proch's air and variations")
A3 ("Ah! non giunge")
G♯3 ("Bel raggio lusinghier", "Come d'aurato sogno... Tacea la notte placida")
........................................
Boldface marks notes that are considered to be particularly notable examples of this person's vocal capabilities.

[Steingrim]

Wow, the E6 at "vocal range" seems effortless! Is that head voice, or did she employ whistle notes, as some sopranos have done to sing C7?

[kaji]

Apr 9, 2023 7:16:22 GMT Steingrim said:

Wow, the E6 at "vocal range" seems effortless! Is that head voice, or did she employ whistle notes, as some sopranos have done to sing C7?

All head voice. The phonograph recording quality makes it sound thinner than it is. That being said, Amelita is one of the freest voices I have heard. In her prime she genuinely had no unnecessary constriction. If you look on Archive.org, there is a book where a bunch of female classical prima donnas get interviewed about voice technique. Galli-Curci is one of them. She speaks of how the key to great high notes is no pushing and that she wouldn’t sing an E6 on stage without a full-bodied G above that in warm-up.

[Steingrim]

Apr 9, 2023 7:58:18 GMT kaji said:

Apr 9, 2023 7:16:22 GMT Steingrim said:

Wow, the E6 at "vocal range" seems effortless! Is that head voice, or did she employ whistle notes, as some sopranos have done to sing C7?

All head voice. The phonograph recording quality makes it sound thinner than it is. That being said, Amelita is one of the freest voices I have heard. In her prime she genuinely had no unnecessary constriction. If you look on Archive.org, there is a book where a bunch of female classical prima donnas get interviewed about voice technique. Galli-Curci is one of them. She speaks of how the key to great high notes is no pushing and that she wouldn’t sing an E6 on stage without a full-bodied G above that in warm-up.

Some professional opera singers have a different approach, they merely "mark" their high notes during warm up and reserve them for the actual performance. I'm thinking about tenors performing a high C, in their chest voices. My jazz singer friend likes to warm up high, in her head voice. 

[kaji]

Apr 9, 2023 8:14:30 GMT Steingrim said:

Apr 9, 2023 7:58:18 GMT kaji said:

All head voice. The phonograph recording quality makes it sound thinner than it is. That being said, Amelita is one of the freest voices I have heard. In her prime she genuinely had no unnecessary constriction. If you look on Archive.org, there is a book where a bunch of female classical prima donnas get interviewed about voice technique. Galli-Curci is one of them. She speaks of how the key to great high notes is no pushing and that she wouldn’t sing an E6 on stage without a full-bodied G above that in warm-up.

Some professional opera singers have a different approach, they merely "mark" their high notes during warm up and reserve them for the actual performance. I'm thinking about tenors performing a high C, in their chest voices. My jazz singer friend likes to warm up high, in her head voice. 

Yeah and then they lose those notes because they did not have anything above. Here is that book I mentioned - archive.org/details/artofprimadonnac00mart/page/102/mode/2up I recommend reading the actual book in full though, a lot of fascinating information, even if not exactly right sometimes.