Emily C.'s VRH Critique, 9/12/13

Vocal Recital Hour Critique, 9/12/13

Emily Cottam

Hannah Lovato

Breathing is good like a balloon--I don’t see any movement. At the end of phrases, try to watch the phrases so they don’t cut off too abruptly. On the low notes, the intonation is a little off--perhaps a little a tad too sharp; try using some more breath support and engaging your lower ribcage a little more. Be careful not to lower your chin on those notes--keep your head level. The timbre of voice was shimmery and bell-like for the most part, especially with the high notes--they’re very lovely and resonant. Try keeping the space you use for the high notes on your low notes. The diction was a little mushy--I couldn’t understand all of the words. Try enunciating the consonants a little more. The expressiveness was good. It changed throughout the song and it was appropriate for the piece. Try engaging your eyes a little more though. Overall, I thought the performance was very good and well prepared because I liked the overall tone and the expressiveness of the piece. 

Jaron Putnam

Very good breathing, very much like a balloon. The intonation was very good, and I didn’t see any particular problems with staying on pitch. Diction was very good as far as I could tell--great enunciation of all consonants, and the ach-lauts are very good. Timbre is warm and shimmery. I like the even vibrato. Expressiveness is very good and even throughout the song. Perhaps more variation. Great staying in character until the very end of the song. On high notes, be careful not to constrict--this only happened once or twice. Overall, this was a very good performance because I liked the consistency of his resonance and his diction is always pleasant to listen to. I also like the dynamic contrast throughout the song. 

LaeKin Burgess

Breathing is good--but there are moments when the chest movement and expands with the intake of breath--try lower in the body (lower back and ribcage).

Intonation is good as far as I could tell. When things got quieter, the high notes became just a tiny bit off. The timbre is shimmery and warm--there are moments (low notes) when things become a little muffled. The diction is good as far I can tell (I’m not that good at German yet). The expressiveness of the piece was good and changed throughout the piece. I liked the consistency. It was very appropriate for this song. Overall, I really enjoyed this performance because I can see the improvement she did in her breathing and relaxing during her performance from Master Class this week.