On Tuesday, Feb. 20, I’ll be delivering a talk, with a Q&A opportunity afterward, to the Jussi Björling Societies of the USA and UK. As always with this knowledgeable and devoted audience, the subject will be singing. Last year, I spoke about vocal poise—the balances of registration, breath, and resonance—as exemplified in the singing of Jussi Björling.

This time, the topic will be broader. I’ll be trying to trace what’s happened to the classical voice over the past century, influenced by fundamental shifts in how we communicate and listen and by parallel shifts in how opera is produced, and to define where the kind of singing we love stands in today’s virtualized culture. I’ll touch on some recent findings in our understanding of all this, and venture a few suggestions for how to address the problems it presents.

The registration deadline for this event is Feb. 19. For further details, see the Society’s website, here. 

And a reminder: Next post: Callas: An  Assessment, Fri., March 2.

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