or…Do I need to be fat to have a big voice and be a good opera singer?

It ain’t over until the fat lady sings or so goes the saying…and with it the generalization that all opera singers are fat or better yet: that in order to be a good opera singer you need to gain a lot of weight. This is NOT true.

But how about L.Pavarotti, M.Caballé, Jessey Norman, Joan Sutherland? I hear you give a simple answer: how about M. del Monaco, F. Corelli, L. Gencer, N. Ghiaurov just to name a few?

But let’s start from the beginning.

A bit of history

The myth that an opera singer needs to be large has some ground in history. As opera and instruments developed by 1800, opera became bigger, fancier – a larger than life affair. Opera houses and operatic composers wanted to ensure grandeur and some of this went with a theory that larger people produced larger sound and looked more impressive on stage.

Another theory was that having more fat tissue around your larynx ensured a more ear-pleasing sound, and it’s virtually impossible to have any fat around your larynx without having large amounts of fat everywhere else in your body. A theory that to this day has not been proven.

The medical explanation

Nowadays there are medically supported theories that singers are predisposed to put on weight because “exsertion in the lungs acts as a trigger for their appetite” due to “the mechanism of singing encourages the lung cells to release chemicals including leptin, a protein made by the body’s fat cells that is involved in the regulation of appetite” says Dr. Peter Osin of the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

The loneliness of the job

Marilyn Horne once said, “Ours is a very lonely profession. Eating is company.” The more successful and popular you become, the further away from home you go, and of course, the more times you end up sleeping alone in a foreign hotel room. Busy rehearsal schedules and tours can get in the way of maintaining a regular schedule consisting of eating and exercising well.

Modern times have brought the extra pressure of more performances, of busier schedules, of the expectation to be perfect (like on a recording) on every performance because a failure to do so may be recorded on someones phone and made public for the world to see, which in turn most likely will negatively affect your future carrier. Stress is a powerful motivator for putting on weight without even wanting to do so.

There is also a belief that loosing to much weight, especially when done too fast, may very negatively affect your singing and your voice as well as a belief that working out might do the same.

However, the theory that all opera singers were and are fat simply doesn’t “hold water” when put to the test. For every sizable operatic singer you can name, I can match you with a few that were the very opposite. Many world stars from the golden age of opera to today were quite petite in size and the most were/are just normal size humans like you and me, who, throughout their lives, might or might not struggle to put on or lose a bit of weight.

Sizing up vocal power

One thing is for sure: vocal power comes from the projection of sound and proper vocal technique not the size of a person. Singing is a top sport in a way, so, good physical shape, stamina and proper rest do play a role in it. Exercise and staying in shape will NOT negatively affect your performance as long as you do it correctly and keep healthy objectives in mind. As long as a person is naturally thin and not anorexic – with proper vocal development one may obtain a powerful voice. Though you might like to know, small voices projected properly can have a very long “reach” as they can “carry” very far in a hall as well.

Final thoughts

Also, times are changing and not always for the better. The fact is that singes of the past could be fat because it was all about the voice. No one cared if Madama Butterfly was bursting out of her kimono as long as the singing was beautiful. Opera was a grand illusion – but not any more…. Even big operatic stars nowadays are ashamed of their body size and even fired form productions because their size is not appropriate to the stage director’s “artistic idea” or the critics in the newspapers. Televised broadcasts of operas that are supposed to popularize the genre with the younger generations are all about the visual experience but often at the cost of the vocal quality of it because singers really need to “look the part” and be able to act their way through the opera rather than being able to sing it.

Where will it all lead? We simply don’t know but one thing is for sure….it ain’t over… until the fat lady sings!

Notes:

[1] See here

Cover photo by Valentin Petkov

Becoming a singer at a later age

For anyone considering a career in classical singing at any point in their lives, one question applies: ARE YOU CERTAIN YOU WANNA DO THIS?

I do believe everyone should sing and everyone should learn to sing to some extent. Many medical studies prove it’s incredibly healthy. It releases stress, increases joy, even lowers the chance of heart disease. This is why, I assume, most people do sing during their lives at least in the shower where most others won’t be able to hear them. But choosing to sing for a living is entirely a different thing. In wise words of a well-known singer and vocal teacher G. Stapp: 

If you are determined to be a singer, pause for a moment to consider this advice. If there is anything else that you can do well and that you enjoy, choose that as a career and save singing for an avocation. Unless the very essence of your being demands that you sing professionally – don’t do it. Get a life instead!

Seriously, too many people lose all enjoyment in music as they vainly struggle for professional and financial success. And no matter what, be sure to plan for an alternate career, too. After all, one is more likely to be elected to Congress than to ever earn enough money from singing that it’s necessary to pay annual net income taxes.

Is there a simple answer?

Armed with hopes, dreams and often illusions of a grandeur life, many young and not so young singers set out to become professionals unaware of the challenges and perils of the task. An even bigger amount of individuals and, sadly, institutions, big and small, profit from nurturing these ambitions in their students; out of self-interest and without introducing them to the truths and realities of such carriers.

Now: if you’ve informed yourself properly and you are still convinced this is a path you want to proceed on – I wish you the very best of luck. Along with a solid vocal technique and hard work, luck will be your most important factor.

But what if you are in your late twenties, thirties or even older: is it too late to realize your dreams of becoming a professional opera singer?
Let me disappoint you right away: the answer to this question is not a simple yes or no.

For many reasons, the world of opera is suffering a crisis. There are many things that plague the art form. From general lack of funding, through different, often ill conceived approaches to “modernize the form”; from the recording industry controlling a big chunk of the market to the lack of respect towards the old masters and traditions (composers, singers, conductors stagings); to a general demand of perceived realism (younger, faster, prettier) which most commonly leads to empty, uninteresting and inadequate.

Most singers, nowadays obtain their bachelor and master degrees by the age of 24. Their diplomas might not help them to acquire the job within the industry but the fact remains they have, at least to a certain extent, been trained in music theory, singing, acting, movement, some stage experience and all other traits one needs to become a classical singer.
The people with a late start tend to lack some or all of these at the age of 25.

Training? Yes, please.

There might be many reasons why one (re)discovers a passion for singing and desire to become a professional classical singer at a later age.

Final thoughts

In some cases, age itself might not be a problem. If you happen to be a bass baritone or a dramatic mezzo your mature looks and gray hair won’t be an issue, as these voices usually portray aging characters. The experience might be a bigger requirement if the character in question is the lead but if you don’t mind singing a wide spectrum of supporting roles (and possibly work your way up) this might be a great opportunity.

Last but not least: set realistic goals. Treat this like a business that it is! Know your specific product and do your best to understand how it fits into the market. Focusing more on oratorio, lied performances, semi amateur productions etc.
Produce your own projects, collaborate with other artists of different genres, look at the Internet and new media as channels for creativity, and never give up on your passion and dreams – even if your path is not always linear.

An older singer might have to just accept this reality. Part of being a grown-up is not being cared for but learning how to take care of oneself. Therefore, the grown-up must create his/her own support system. Even the extremely young people face many trials and tribulations. In a graduating class of 15 people within 10 years chances are only a handful will still be singing actively and only 1 or 2 (if any) might “make it big”. This is the nature and reality of the operatic world, no matter the age.

Credits:
Cover photo by JC Bonassin
Background photo by Simon Wijers