Discovering Frank Sinatra

When I first heard Sinatra's voice as a teenager, I was unimpressed. To be honest, I thought his singing was boring. He was not, like my idol, pop/operatic tenor Mario Lanza (1921-1959), a high-note singer. (His single “Be My Love” sold more than two million copies, unprecedented for a classical singer). As a teenager, with a healthy dose of testosterone running through my veins, high notes are what turned me on. It’s for this reason that Sinatra’s voice seemed unemotional to me—especially in comparison to the pathos that one finds in operatic singing.

Click to read more ...

Sinatra And Caruso: Immortal Bookends

It is fascinating to consider that Enrico Caruso, the preeminent tenor in history, commanded the operatic world at the beginning of the 20th century with his intensely beautiful sound, while Frank Sinatra, the peerless pop artist with another enchanting voice, closed it. The similarities between the two singers are striking. Both artists were born with exceptional, but unfinished instruments, and worked tirelessly to master all aspects of their singing. Though both gained direction—and inspiration—from the classic Bel Canto traditions, they creatively refashioned this influence to serve their own aesthetic ends. This can be heard in their Italian, cello-like “golden tones” that have become the most distinctive and beloved in music history.

Click to read more ...

Sinatra And Caruso’s Conversational Singing

Sinatra's singing has been described as “conversational”—that is, his phrasing, enunciation, and spontaneous pitch modulations sound as natural as those in a typical conversation (recall word melody). Unlike many performers, Sinatra never sacrifices being understood for alleged artistic motives. Rather, his words are sung as clearly as has ever been accomplished in the English language. One of my close friends from Paris once told me that when he was a young boy, he, along with a number of his friends, learned to speak English by listening to Frank Sinatra songs.

Click to read more ...

The Greatest Castrato: Farinelli (1705-1785)

The exceptional castrati of the 18th century had an extraordinary affect on all those who heard them. Their technical skills were legendary. The greatest castrato, Farinelli (1705-1785) was able to carry out mind-boggling vocal feats of all kinds, such as high-speed runs, cascading trills, and spontaneous jumps and turns of the most difficult kind—all with such dazzling speed and precision, that he almost appeared to have supernatural powers (apparently he could sing 250 notes in a single breath).

Click to read more ...

In Remembrance Of Andy Williams

Andy Williams was one of my first "famous" students and it was an absolute delight to work with him both because he was such a lovely, laid-back "rascal" with a hilarious sense of humor, and also because of his remarkable "instrument," which was so much fun to teach. High notes were always easy for him (and the envy of many of his contemporaries); he was more concerned with building power into his overall voice and especially developing a "richer" tonal quality. We proceeded along that path and we both were very satisfied with the result.

Click to read more ...