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Post by stevemacdonald on Oct 18, 2011 15:23:23 GMT
Yeah, but easily those performances could have been even better with the high note. But the thing that bothers me most is the Ave Maria (Caccini) live performances, where she doesn't take the high note, it's like one octave lower and omg, sounds wrong(I mean not musically, but the feeling I get) XD... I think we are going to have to resign ourselves to the fact that Hayley's voice is no longer high soprano and just enjoy her present range for all its beauty and richness. It would help if she didn't transpose her earlier work into lower keys because the memory is too strong for what once was.
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Post by Caitlin on Oct 18, 2011 22:09:10 GMT
Hi Simba and Steve, It may be her voice is maturing and not quite as high, but it could also be Hayley saving her voice for the the rest of the concert. The notes are high, but not extremely high to the point they are nearly impossible. I have performed this piece and I can see why she would choose to take the F's an octave lower. But I agree, we should enjoy her voice as it is now <3 Caite
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Post by Libby on Oct 19, 2011 5:39:43 GMT
She goes lower in the vocalise section of Pokareakare Ana, too.
I can't sing as high as I used to be able to, either.
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Post by Simba on Oct 19, 2011 15:11:03 GMT
Hi Steve, Caite, I'd have to disagree with both of your claims. For a good singer who takes care of his/her voice (like Hayley), vocal range never narrows down, it only broadens. The fact that Hayley effectively uses her 'head voice' to hit the high notes means, she's doing it effortlessly, as I mentioned earlier, in Malena she's hits the highest notes of all the songs she's sung before (except Quanta Qualia), and for those who've forgotten, her performance on Music of the Night included number of High soprano notes (on the 6th octave), which was as high as she used to hit. Now Caite, again, something I mentioned earlier, this is a common misconception that high notes need more power, stress, effort to be hit. So one may think if she did hit those notes she'd be tired or have her vocal chords stressed. No, unlike some budding singers who have to give their chest voice a full throw to difficultly hit their high notes, Hayley, being a professional knows how to use her upper register. The interesting truth is, higher notes require lesser breath and lesser effort (from the vocal chords) to produce that high pitched note. We're all used to seeing people dramatically take huge breaths before a dramatically high note, but if you see hayley suddenly moving to a high note, she moves perfectly from the registers (Mary did you know for example) she doesn't even have to strain her eyes, lift her head, nothing. That's perfect singing for you. So what I'm saying is, it's more of a personal taste that Hayley finds touching these lower octaves challenging and interesting. Unlike us (amateur singers, sorry if there are professionals here XD), being a soprano, it's absolutely no effort (very little effort) for her to sing the high notes, but the lower octaves (which we find easier), are a little more challenging, so I guess she's only exploring all this out of own interest. Just like how we'd be so happy to have hit a very high note, she would find taking a very bass note satisfying! So all for good , this should never be confused with her vocal range being reduced
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Post by martindn on Oct 19, 2011 16:22:22 GMT
Hi Simba,
I have noticed many tmes how effortless it seems when Hayley hits those high notes.
But she does it less often than she used to do, and rearranged some of her songs to avoid the high notes (like Amazing Grace) and she never proforms many of the song with high notes like Dark Waltz, Benedictus, Quanta Qalia. If she hasn't lost the ability to sing thse notes, I wonder why it is. Perhaps she thinks some people don't like to hear those spectacular notes. But I for one love them.
I hope she will include Malena on the set list for the Pradiso tour. I'm looking forward to those shows immensely, even though it will be a long wait.
Martin D
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Post by Libby on Oct 19, 2011 18:20:53 GMT
When I was in choir at school, when singing higher notes, were taught to raise the soft palate and relax the jaw. Rather than tightening your throat or getting all tense like some inexperienced, non-singers might think you would do. It doesn't necessarily require you to take a deep breath, but it is always good to be breathing from your diaphraghm, because it works a lot better for singing. Once you get used to it, it helps you not run out of breath as fast, because you're breathing from deeper within. It makes you feel stronger when you sing. That's my take on it, anyway. If singing comes naturally to you, as it seems to for Hayley, then it probably does take less effort. Hayley is just naturally good at singing. But learning good technique did help her. She did sound better after she was taught by Dame Malvina Major.
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Post by stevemacdonald on Oct 20, 2011 19:58:14 GMT
... being a soprano, it's absolutely no effort (very little effort) for her to sing the high notes, but the lower octaves (which we find easier), are a little more challenging, so I guess she's only exploring all this out of own interest. ... Hi Simba, Back in April of 2004 Hayley had her chance to wow the American public with her high notes on "Good Morning America" (her U.S. television debut) when she sang the old warhorse "Amazing Grace". Her voice was still naturally high and supple and could have hit the highest notes with "very little effort" — yet she shied away from those notes and went to a lower register. The performance was beautiful but not compelling. My guess is that she can't get up to that level unless it's under perfect conditions, such as a recording studio and after ample warmup exercises. Live concerts don't afford her perfect conditions so she steers clear of highest notes so as not to flub them. Nothing is more humiliating for a soprano than messing up a high note. I suspect Hayley's handlers knew her limitations going in to the show and had her play it safe.
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Post by Libby on Oct 21, 2011 6:11:03 GMT
Umm, I thought she did sing those high notes. I remember, because it's the only time I ever heard her do it in an actual performance. Unfortunately, I lost the link to it, because I lost all my favorites when my computer had troubles recently. I'd love to have it again. :wink:
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Post by Simba on Oct 21, 2011 8:01:17 GMT
But what I'm saying is if you guys say she's 'avoiding' the high notes in live performances for such and such reasons, why do you think she did it on some of the songs of "Friday is Music Night"? Which was a live concert.
And also, I think Martin has a point, as much as we all love the high notes, I think some people really would not find the high frequency notes with laser sharp quality pleasing. But as Martin said again, hardly a few can do this, and hayley does it best for me.
So we should wait for the Malena, live version! She wrote lyrics to it, definitely it would be among the live performances!
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Post by Libby on Oct 21, 2011 21:52:40 GMT
I certainly hope she sings Malena (not that it will affect me much), but you never know. She did write lyrics to Whispers in a Dream and La Califfa, and we already know she's been singing those songs live. She probably will on her tours as well. Other songs I think she will sing, going by what she's done on the TV and radio shows, are I Knew I Loved You, Cinema Paradiso, Metti Una Sera a Cena, Amalia Por Amor (since it's one of her favorites, as she told me directly!)... well, maybe she will sing it, but there are plenty of other songs on the album we haven't heard her do live yet, and she never does all the songs on her CDs, so something will be left out, I'm sure.
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Post by martindn on Oct 21, 2011 22:32:59 GMT
Yes, Libby, I'd be surprised if "Here's to You" featured in a live show. But so many of thaose songs depend on the orchestration being right. I could be wrong though. After all, she did sing Amalia live and a capella on a radio show. And it sounded fabulous. So she might rearrange some of the songs.
Martin D
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Post by Simba on Oct 22, 2011 14:15:37 GMT
Here's to you will not be performed live, I'm pretty sure, because it's amazing how there are new layers added each time, but to watch her sing the same thing 9 times, well won't it be weird? Or maybe, she could sing an encore with a choir! XD....Wait that'd work! She could sing it twice first then ask people to join in XD
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Post by grant on Oct 22, 2011 14:30:32 GMT
Hi Simba Here's to you will not be performed live, I'm pretty sure, because it's amazing how there are new layers added each time, but to watch her sing the same thing 9 times, well won't it be weird? Or maybe, she could sing an encore with a choir! XD....Wait that'd work! She could sing it twice first then ask people to join in XD I really do hope Hayley sings "Here's To You" live, although I agree it would be weird and I think Hayley may feel a little strange singing 9 identical verses. There are ways around that of course, she could shorten it; use the choir or more orchestra. When Joan Baez sang it live she sang three verses, I think, with the rest vocalise and the audience joined in. That didn't really work for me though - I just love the way it builds up and builds up and stops in an instant. Mmmm??? I think Hayley could make it work i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifBest wishes Grant
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Post by martindn on Oct 22, 2011 22:20:42 GMT
As we have said before, the verses are not all identical. The first two are different to the rest. But I agree, a live performance of that song could be fascinating. Or not work at all, depending on how it was done.
Martin D
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Post by Libby on Oct 22, 2011 23:18:55 GMT
But the differences are very small.
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