Legacy of outstanding voice teachers and great singers

The most significant change that transformed the vocal field in the 20th century was the invention of amplification systems. Before this invention, professional singers for centuries had to rely on the big volume of their trained voices and the outstanding acoustics of opera houses. In the 20th century singers were liberated from this dependence. Many talented and dedicated singers not necessarily having a voice with a big volume appeared on the concert stage for the first time and ushered in the era of the Pop style. Different popular styles with wide mass appeal became the true voice of every generation with the expression of joy, love, suffering and the struggles of humanity. With the emergence of Rock & Roll and the invention of electronic instruments, the content of music became more dramatic with the expression of anger, sadness and rage. It was again a voice of a new generation that did not want to accept the injustices in the world.

During this evolution in musical styles, it was not only pop singers who benefitted from and thrived on the enormous possibilities of amplification.  The operatic style also went through a transformation, striving for more depth of content and realism of characters.  However, the mastery of singing gradually deteriorated.  The methods of outstanding teachers of the Golden Era of the 19th century were not explained with precision. Thus their “secrets” were lost to future generations. Still, some outstanding opera singers and pop superstars continued the old traditions of effective treatment of the voice. Among them was the unsurpassed operatic singer/actor Feodor Chaliapin, coloratura soprano Amelita Galli-Curci, and tenors Tito Schipa and Ferruccio Tagliavini. In the Pop style it was our still beloved Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Johnny Cash and Patsy Cline in the Country music style. They were not only outstanding singers and performers but also had a very efficient singing approach.

The anatomy of the voice has not changed over the centuries so it cannot explain the decline in singing quality. Forcing the voice and screaming in the highest register constitutes abuse of the vocal cords. Thus, singers can pay a heavy price for this abuse with the premature aging of the voice, various voice complications, and potentially even the complete loss of the ability to sing. The problem of deterioration of mastery in singing became the focus of many years of intense research for our family team.  We could not accept that the achievements of the Golden Era were lost forever, like the secrets of making a Stradivarius violin. After many years we developed an effective singing approach, and we then spent long years looking for a way to demonstrate the complexity of the inner activity of the muscles through easy exercises. With our video course of 10 exercises to demonstrate how to sing without tension, new generations of singers have received a powerful tool to turn the tide of singing history. Mastery of the singing voice is not at all a limitation or a restriction on singers. Their performance will be even more inspired if they can express their emotions with freedom from tension. What we propose is not a return to the old school of the 19th century. Styles of music and content of music are ever changing, being powerful voices of every generation. However, precise explanation of valuable principles of the past is now available and we can incorporate this modern knowledge to enrich the singing art. What is at stake at the present time is crucial for the future of singing. We are talking about security, long and successful careers, and longevity of the singing voice in its youthful state.