Malena Ernman

[Darlica]

I'm not much a Eurovision song contest fan, actually I run as far from a the telly as I can...

Now, this year one of our strongest shining opera stars Mezzo-soprano Malena Erman is contending. I'm a fan of hers since way back, she has a fantastic voice, she is very physical -she uses her face and body a lot and act her part as well as singing it. She's something of an expert on trouser parts and has played among others Count Orlov in Der Fledermaus and Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro.

The song, some pop opera fusion isn't exactly my cup of tea, still it's one of the best songs competing, and it went straight to the final to round everybody's (including the singer herself) astonishment.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malena_Ernman


La Voix, the Eurovision contribution http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmanHZKQ270


Malena as Count Orlov in Der Fledermaus http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtTnCeuYkgI

[beagle]

Don't think I've seen Eurovision for 30 years, but it sounds good to me. 

Isn't the voting all about who hates who at the country level though?

[Griffin NoName]

Bring back Abba

[The Meromorph]

I am definitely impressed.
While I fully understand the technical and artistic excellence of opera singers in their field, it's a field that a) does very little for me personally, and b) gives little attention, and less worth, to elements of singing that are crucial to virtually every other style of singing (except for that Mongolian one where they sing in two melodic lines at once).
Opera concentrates on what are the most difficult skills in singing, but at the expense of some of the most basic skills in singing. I'm referring to such things as diction, voicing, tone quality (other than a notion of 'perfect'), presentation, attack...
I've discussed this very subject with some opera-singers-in-training, and with some minor, but respected, operatic teachers. While they do not agree with my assessment of the relative importance of the different skill-sets (naturally!), they do agree with me on the relatively trivial attention they pay, or care to pay, to those other skills.
That delightful lady is an exception! She can sing, as well as sing opera. 

I am definitely impressed.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

The lady can certainly sing opera (I couldn't care less for the other stuff).

While I fully understand the technical and artistic excellence of opera singers in their field, it's a field that a) does very little for me personally, and b) gives little attention, and less worth, to elements of singing that are crucial to virtually every other style of singing (except for that Mongolian one where they sing in two melodic lines at once).
Opera concentrates on what are the most difficult skills in singing, but at the expense of some of the most basic skills in singing. I'm referring to such things as diction, voicing, tone quality (other than a notion of 'perfect'), presentation, attack...

I can see how many opera singers certainly focus almost exclusively on their technique (by definition they will try to make an uniform sound in the full register, which in turn gives lots of importance to reach notes that regular singers rather/can not sing), a proper classical* singer should have a good diction, attack, and emotion while singing. It is certainly hard to find a complete singer, but then again it not only needs the luck to be born with an exceptional instrument, and the luck to find a good vocal teacher, but a good musical brain to go with it. Needless to say its hard to find people with those characteristics.

*I'm including Opera and other classical styles

[Griffin NoName]

Interesting..... I adore Opera.

The thing about it that always irritated me was the total inability to act. Could never get to grips with the fatc that it is staged, and they dressed up, like it is not just standing and belting out a tune, and then utterly failed to follow through. I have increasing admiration for those who nowadays actually do put more effort into the fact that Opera is "staged" and sometimes even turn out to be good actors.

[Sibling Chatty]

Impressive Count Orlov.

That was the last mezzo role I ever performed.

[Darlica]

Chatty, is there something you haven't  done?   

And She won!
Malena will represent Sweden in Moscow in April.

Voices has been raised that a part of the song is a plagiarizing Nessun Dorma from Puccini's Turandot.  And yes, even I can hear the similarities and I'm no opera aficionado but even I know Puccini when I hear it... However the rights to the opera has expired and I would say it's a flirt rather than a plagiarism, albeit an very obvious one.
A bonus is that it might actually direct more well deserved attention to the opera scene in the same way Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe did when they sang Barcelona.

[Sibling Chatty]

Chatty, is there something you haven't  done?   

Jack of all trades, master of none!!

[Darlica]

I don't know, I think you master the art of being Chatty excellently.