Percepční hodnocení vlastností pěveckého provedení koloraturní árie

Abstract

The study presents the results of a controlled auditory evaluation of two parts of a W. A. Mozart Non mi dir aria from Don Giovanni. The aria was selected based on a higher technical difficulty of the role which includes both dramatic and difficult coloratura sections. The research has therefore focused on individually evaluating the recordings of the slower and coloratura excerpts of the aria (referred to as rondo and coloratura). Recordings of 17 performers (dated from 1907) were used in the listening tests. Twenty respondents participated in the evaluation (5 university singing pedagogues, 7 other pedagogues, 5 amateur singers and one student of sound production). The properties of extent of bright and dark components, voluminosity of voice and vibrato adequacy were assessed in the tests. Dramatic aspects of suitability of the voice were evaluated in the rondo excerpt and musical rendition, flexibility of the voice and vowel quality were evaluated in the coloratura part. Verbal descriptions of the recordings by the respondents were also collected. The results show a relatively low agreement of the professional groups on evaluations in the rondo section and a considerably higher agreement in the evaluation of coloratura. It was also possible to divide the respondents in two basic groups according to the relationships of the assessments: a group with preference in evaluating dark components and voluminosity (which were dominant in the slower part), and a group associating evaluated suitability of the voice with vibrato adequacy. Adequate vibrato was also found as significantly associated with flexibility of the voice in coloratura. The study also shows dark and bright components are not polar opposites of one perceptual dimension and their evaluation is context dependent.

Keywords

• singing
• coloratura
• perceptual evaluation