WHERE DID THE SQUILLO GO?

It used to be the defining element of an operatic sound. The difference between an opera singer and a popera singer. All great singers of the past had it in their voices, but somewhere along the line it ceased to be a necessity. Today we have operatic superstars without this quality in their voices. In this article I will briefly describe what squillo is and how it is generated within the voice. I will then move onto the primary focus of the article which is to explain the reasons for the decline of squillo in singing today.

 

WHAT IS SQUILLO? 

A voce squillante is a voice which has a strong cluster of upper partials. In male voices this acoustic clustering occurs within the region of 2500-3200 Hertz. Given the name "twenty eight hundred factor" due to its average, this clustering also goes by the name of the singers formant. To achieve this, the singer has mastered the ability to gather the 3rd, 4th and 5th formants of the voice, maximising acoustic energy through the creation of this combined harmonic cluster. This quality has always been a part of the historic tonal ideals of singing. For centuries there have been numerous attempts to describe this phenomenon, which include "a pungent quality in the sound", "a breaking in the sound" and a "biting quality to the sound". Many of these descriptions did not translate well from Italian into English, however collectively they are valuable in helping us create a framework for tonal ideals. A point of significance is that orchestral textures do not generate intense acoustic energy in this area of the spectrum, and this allows a voce squillante to be magically present at the back of the opera theatre even when singing with large romantic orchestras. This later point is one of the great phenomena of opera

 

HOW IS IT PRODUCED?

There is a common misconception that squillo comes from “nasal" or "frontal" resonance. This logical assumption which traditionally emanated out of the French traditions of singing is untrue. The truth is that squillo is generated much closer to the source of the sound. This area, known as the Ventricle of Morgagni is where all of the action takes place. Because this ventricle can move and change shape it is capable of creating a variety of acoustic conditions. Distancing between the vocal folds and surrounding cartilages, particularly the aryepiglottic fold, need to be configured optimally so that the acoustic energy generated by the vocal folds is resonated in a manner which maximises target frequencies.   

In addition to this, variations of the source vibration will also have determinant effects upon the squillo. Factors such as sub and supraglottic pressure, vocal fold adduction and registrational events all affect the sound source. If for example the thyroarytenoid (chest voice) has increased participation in the vocal fold function, the result may be a vibration of greater harmonic richness and amplitude. This increase to the sound at source would then intensify the squillo. 

 

WHY DO THE OPERATIC VOICES OF TODAY HAVE LESS SQUILLO?

There are a complex array of factors which have synergistically contributed to this decline. It is impossible to discuss them all in the scope of a single article. However, I will discuss the two main factors. 

  

1. MICROPHONES 

If video killed the radio star then the microphone killed the opera star. Microphones are the biggest contributing factor to the death of squillo.  

Amplification in opera is everywhere. Almost every house has a sound system. Originally, the issue was handled in a sensitive way. At that time it was considered bad advertising to tell the public that the singers were being amplified. The solution was to say that the installation of the sound system was just there to balance out acoustic dead zones in the theatre. The public was told the performances were still going to be acoustic and that the technology would just improve the acoustics of the theatre, making the experience sound more live. However, once the microphones where in place there was no turning back. Some houses strongly amplify performances while others use the technology more tastefully. 

The introduction of this technology has made it possible for singers who do not have projective voices to become opera stars. It is no longer a requirement to study with a maestro for years in order to develop a voce squillante. If the squillo is not present in the voice the microphone will simply project the sound. Most people do not realise the extent of the amplification during a performance because the sound of the voice may not be significantly louder than it should be. This however does not mean that the microphone is not playing a major role. To understand the mechanics of this, consider the following example. A Calaf is singing his 1st act Aria "Non Piangere, Liu". The distance between the stage and the back of the theatre is fifty meters. Without the aid of a microphone, the tenor’s voice must travel fifty meters in order to be heard. If however the closest microphone is five meters away, his voice now only needs to travel 5 meters. The sound system will then make his voice present up the back of the house via a network of hidden speakers. This means that the sound system is assisting the tenor to a factor of ten! The volume may not be any louder than what is expected so the audience may not even notice. Think of it like a telephone; a persons voice can be transported halfway around the world and delivered to a recipient at or below speaking level. Of course this is an oversimplified example, in reality the audience is hearing a mix of the acoustic sound and the amplified sound; nevertheless the analogy demonstrates how the sound system works. An inevitable implication of this technology has been a rapid decline in the quality of acoustic singing and a reduction in squillo.

  

2.  CHANGING IDEALS IN OPERA

Ask any kid under 8 years old to sing like an opera singer and they will likely bellow loudly at the top of their voice followed by a fit of hysterical laughter. They know that opera singers are supposed to sing loud and high. The identity which they are associating with is based on historical opera, a concept which is now outdated because it has been changed into something which is more diminutive, intimate and for lack of a better term "less operatic".

Historic opera as an artform relied upon incredible singing. The singing was given maximum importance. Many people did not like historic opera and begin to change it. The ideals which motivated these changes removed importance from the singing and gave importance to other elements, thereby creating a completely new artform. The old style of theatrical singing does not fit into this new model. As a result, the singing style also needed to be changed.  These changes were influenced by more popular genres of music and film. This resulted in a desire for more realism, and the extroverted nature of the old style was replaced with a more introverted and diminutive style of singing. This in turn brought about the death of artists like Caruso, Del Monaco, and Callas, and gave birth to a different kind of artist who would not only perform but also sing in a different way.  

To illustrate this concept lets compare the following two tenors. Both are considered leading tenors of their generations.  Both have sung the role of Tannhäuser, Tristan and Siegfried.

Max Lorenz (1920s-1950s

Klaus Florian Vogt (present day) 

Lorenz epitomised the old school approach. Vogt, a very different type of artist, is the embodiment of the new ideals. His singing is more diminutive and conversational. If Max Lorenz turned up to a rehearsal today the director, language coach and conductor might all have a heart attack. He would be told to stop rolling his r's, stop overacting and stop singing so loudly all the time. Likewise, if Vogt was transported back to the 1930s people would laugh and not know what to make of him. Which approach you find to your taste is not the pointThe important thing to understand is that opera singing today is extremely different to what it used to be. These changes are still taking place, and every passing year the technique being taught becomes increasingly removed from that of theatrical projection. The trend towards a more conversational approach to singing has resulted in lower levels of compression, less strength in adduction and less involvement of the chest voice, all of which have a diminishing effect on the intensity of the squillo

 

CONCLUSION

Real theatrical singing cannot coexist with microphones, nor can it coexist with the new age "operatic ideals". Microphones and new ideals have not augmented historic opera, rather they have destroyed it, which has always been the real intention. These elements are directly responsible for the decline of squillo, which is nature’s microphone. The more amplification is used and the more the singing style is changed, the less prevalent squillo will become. 


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