Why Do Opera Singers Use Heavy Vibrato?

Despite my aversion to opera due to its overdone and seemingly unemotional nature, I had an experience that changed my perspective. Witnessing an opera performance where singers avoided vibrato was a revelation, and I found myself appreciating the vibrato-free voices. If more operas embraced this way of singing, I would attend them weekly.

The Use of Heavy Vibrato in Opera Singing

Opera singers often employ heavy vibrato for various reasons:

Tone Projection

A vibrato helps project the voice over an orchestra without microphones. This natural pitch oscillation adds richness and warmth, making the voice more audible in large venues. Tone projection is crucial for opera singing, where clarity and presence are paramount.

Expressiveness

Vibrato adds emotional depth, conveying passion and intensity, enhancing the dramatic effect of the performance. It is an indispensable tool for expressiveness in opera, allowing singers to convey a wide range of emotions through timbre.

Vocal Health

A controlled vibrato can also be beneficial for vocal health. Oscillating the pitch helps maintain a consistent airflow, reducing strain on the vocal cords and preventing fatigue or injury during the performance.

Style and Tradition

Heavy vibrato is a stylistic choice deeply rooted in the operatic tradition. Historically, it has been used in classical singing to achieve a particular aesthetic that audiences expect. The vibrato is so ingrained in operatic culture that a pure tone without it may seem unrefined.

Blending with Instruments

In opera, singers often need to blend their voices with orchestral instruments. Vibrato helps create a more cohesive sound, contributing to the overall ensemble's harmony.

While the use of vibrato varies among singers and styles in opera, it is generally used for both practical and artistic purposes.

The Evolution of Vibrato in Opera Singing

The tradition of heavy vibrato in opera singing developed gradually over centuries. Influenced by various aesthetic and technical factors, the vibrato's use has evolved significantly.

Historical Context

In the 18th and 19th centuries, as operatic works grew more elaborate, the vibrato became a necessity to project the voice over a large orchestra. It also produced a warmer, more luxurious timbre valued in Romantic opera.

Physiologically, the vibrato assists singers in maintaining an expansive range at high volumes without straining. From a musical interpretation perspective, it creates expressive nuances and colors emotions in the text. Over time, the operatic aesthetic formed where the vibrato became a defining characteristic of the tonal quality.

Composers may not explicitly mandate vibrato in their works, but their compositions are shaped by and for traditional operatic voices. Singers trained in the bel canto technique further develop and refine the vibrato technique.

Now deeply ingrained in the culture, a pure tone without vibrato would seem insufficient and amateurish against this historical operatic stylistic context.