Open Your ... Throats

One thing Pavarotti was known for, and that he prided himself in, was his sunny, Mediterranean, open-throated sound. An open throat is so important for effective lyrical singing in opera, and it was Pavarotti's calling card. Licia Albanese, in an interview worth reading even if it means wading through the usual diva rhetoric, also stresses the need to open the throat:

"When asked about differences between singers of her era and singers today her remarks were direct: ‘You know, I don’t want to offend anybody, but now they are not to my taste.… I see, sometimes, on television, as if someone is being choked, and I say from my bed “Open your throat! Open everything! Open your heart!” And I see that they attack a note, (she makes choking sounds) and it comes to a stop! No, no, open, open! Enthusiasm, love, beauty! I wish I could liberate them! (Again she acts as if she were choking). This is not beauty! And they sing on the notes, not on the words! But if you just sing notes, it’s not really singing. It’s the beginning of grimaces and throaty sounds! There is no expression!'"

I would tend to agree, with qualifications, with this criticism. Many singers these days seem to be crunching down, tightening and constricting their throats.

Classical Voice - The Heart of the Matter: Conversations with Licia Albanese - Aug/2007