Dr. Karin Wettig - Singing like Callas and Caruso: Belcanto Voice and Body Training

Bibliographic Information of the National Library in Germany, see in detail under http://dnb.dnb.de June 20, 2012Author: Dr. Anna Sophia Karin Wettig

of the Famous Italian A of Belcanto
ATTACCA Start & End of a Tone62
Golden Throats or Perfect Voice Training?
Therapy or Self Awareness?

Head, Neck and Body

a Short Anatomy of the Larynx
Tongue, Root of Tongue and Jaws 137
Choir Members for the Tone
Massage, Turn & Biter the Remedies139
for the Tongue Dumpling
to Relax your Jaws
Nails
the Voice - the Balcony of the Diva
Harley Buzzer & Fluttering Lips for164
Avanti & Legato
open your Umbrella
about the Connection of Body & Voice
the Forceful Voice Disease in Opera
Singer Formants & Vocal Beauty

Antidote for Stage Fright
Sinusitis & Ashtma, Good Bye!
Navel or Hara

Produce Recitatives & Arias?
Ventriloquism & Belcanto are Twins 227
the Mickey Mouse Training
Broken Voices & Passaggio Problems231
Scale of Emotions & Emotional Releasing239
by Singing
Rebroff Secrets of Voice Power

True Belcanto the Secret Conspiracy273
since the Renaissance
Lodovico Zacconis Prattica Musica:274
the Start of Belcanto Teachings
Manuel Garca I & his Famous Children 278
First Scientific Research on Opera VoicesFrancesco & Giovanni Battista Lamperti283
Expert Tips from the Italian School
Mathilde Graumann Marchesi:290
Practice makes Perfect!
Emma Diruf Seiler the Dawn of Vocal293
Science
John Franklin Botume: Belcanto has296
no method!
Frederick Husler: A Modern Belcanto299
Scientist, by Intuition

Masterclasses for Singers Catalyst for307
for Career or Torture Instrument?
Voice Categories, Dramatic Voice313
Changes
Daily Voice Practice Some Hints & Rules 316

to all of my teachers for having strengthened myintention to find my true authentic Belcanto voice. Ahuge thank you from my heart to all people whohelped me on the way to publish this book: classes,literature, pupils, pianists, corepetitors, friends andfamily. A very big hug to Ursula Sutor-Valentin for herphotos with the exercises. Last but not least, thegreatest Thank You to my soul partner, Douglas Weers. Without his patient proof reading and the photosfor the cover and other illustrations, this book wouldnot have been born to the world.

Deep in my heart I always knew that I was born tosing. Although I became neither famous, nor anOpera star, my soul always expressed herself withmusic or sonorous words. My mother sang to me as ababy every evening Humperdincks famous aria ofthe fourteen angels who are standing around thechilds bed to protect its night sleep. I still believe inthese angels today and singing still is my soul connection.

When I was four, father used to take my mother andme with him on business trips. While we drovethrough the night, I was often laying on the backseat with my cuddly cat, looking into the shiningstars, singing all the evening songs I knew by heart.My parents used to keep silence not to disturb thisholy atmosphere. At age ten, I ran out of the roomwhen my father listened to Caruso and Callas orWagner Operas on old shellac discs: Opera was definitely too loud, too dramatic and often too melancholic. I preferred to play Chopin on the piano. LaterI was taken to a Christmas party of the companywhere my father was employed and St. Nicholasasked me in a friendly way if I could sing. I noddedand he asked: What I would sing then? Holy night!was the answer! I had no time to reflect when theviolin and a small chamber orchestra started playinga sweet sound. Singing deeply from my heart like anangel on a cloud I didnt even notice the audienceand the sweat on the forehead of my father beforea frenetic applause broke out, bringing me back tothe world. Later, at the exit a visitor with white hairasked friendly if I was a pupil of the opera school forchildren. I shook my head, as, at that time, I didnteven know what opera was.

My desired music career never arrived. Before Icould apply for the entrance exam, preparing myfavourite piano pieces six hours a day, my pianoteacher, a blind organist, unexpectedly died. Extremely shy, having lost the only friend of my highschool years, I closed the piano cover for months,because a stream of tears didnt want to stop assoon as I started playing. Madame Destiny didntwant to stop challenging me: every time, I left mymusic passion behind, it seemed to return throughthe back door. At the faculty for interpreters where Istudied, I noticed a huge Steinway piano in the conference hall. With a friendly smile the desk officer atthe entrance of the old building of our languagefaculty handed me over the key. During the evenings I could play as much as I wanted. There, mylater husband often sat listening on the staircases ofthe stage.

After the language diploma, we went to Goettingenin Northern Germany and discovered that the university had a faculty for musicology. I presented myself to a professor asking her if a diploma in musicology would still be reasonable for me. Fascinated withmy language skills she encouraged me to register asI was able to read scientific literature in musical research in five languages. Although musicology wasmore theory than practice, the university years stillbelong to my best memories. The small group of music students felt like a family. As a part time job, I soldbooks and scores. All new music editions went firstthrough my hands. My favourite professor and laterdoctor father had been a prodigy as a pianist andan organist. Around his age of twenty, he had givenup his pianist career for a second career in historicalmusicology which took him around the world again.His stage presence and passion for music was soinspiring that a whole group of retired ladies alwayssat in the first row of his lectures admiring him like aHollywood star.

After my thesis about Carlo Gesualdo, a famous Renaissance composer, and his vocal music, my divorce brought a hurricane into my life. Not long afterthe Court hearing where a judge legally declaredmy divorce only to me, as I also represented my husband there, suddenly I noticed that my voice wasbroken instead of my heart. It sounded strange,rough and trembling when I talked to customers inthe studio for colour and style I had opened beforemy doctorate. It felt even tiring for me to speak.Amazed looks of customers at my door, greeted mewhen I opened. Their faces told me that theythought to have spoken to my Grandma on thephone while fixing the appointment. I decided toleave Northern Germany, my ex-husband, my home,my business, all my friends and social contacts. Aninstruction as a radio speaker was waiting for me inSouthern Germany. Fearing not to be accepted withmy disturbed voice, Madame Destiny inflicted mewith such a heavy cold that the jury couldnt definemy voice during the test. I was accepted only because of my talent for presentations. During the nextspeaking lessons, our teacher, a professional speakerof the Bavarian radio, had me come to his office fora private meeting. He gave me compliments on mytexts and asked me with a serious face what Ithought to do about my speaking voice. You mighthave good chances as a news speaker, but wherecan we find the magic microphone to support thisweak voice? Could you try some logopaedics? heasked. I nodded silently and took some lessons, butran away after the second session. I felt that this repair would take me years to get the problem solved.