term question? - 2007/03/14 22:49I was just wondering if their is a diffrence between a legit Mezzo-soprano and a mezzo-soprano? one of the roles in evita is discribed as a legit mezzo soprano and i didnt know what it meant.
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chouettissimamaureen
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Re:term question? - 2007/03/14 22:56I'm fairly sure (don't accept this as truth until Kris affirms or denys it) that a legit mezzo refers to someone who is a true mezzo, not just someone who belts in that range.Caitlin
Credits:
Opera: Rusalka (Dancing Chorus)
Non-Musical: Pygmalion (Mrs. Pearce) Three Tales from Japan (Kimi-chan, Fish, Ogre) Keeper of the Tales (Parrot, Seema)
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triplethreat
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Re:term question? - 2007/03/14 23:50Thanks Caitlin. Yes, you're on the right track - legit means that your voice naturally fits into that range without belting, and that it is a trained "traditional" voice - meaning a classical musical theatre sound, not a character voice.
Mezzo itself would merely dictate what range of notes need to be reached, but not the type of sound. It's a bit hard to explain, I'm not feeling very coherent today. _____________ Kris MTA Admin
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HasBeen
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Re:term question? - 2007/03/15 01:04I've heard the term "legit" for years and was never sure exactly what it meant. (It can apply to any voice range, by the way.)
My understanding was that when they want someone "legit" they were looking for a singer who is classically trained or who has more of a classical quality to their voice than a typical Broadway belter. When I think of "legit" in the musical theater, I think of the Broadway stars of 40 years ago, like Alfred Drake and Shirley Jones.
I was a bit thrown by this term once at an audition. I was singing "On The Street Where You Live," and the director asked me to try it a second time, but more "legit." I pretended to know what he was talking about and sort of darkened the sound and rounded the vowels...and I did get the part. (My natural voice is very bright. I played Burt Healey in "Annie," which was perfect for my voice...that should give you an idea.)
TripleThreat, I'm not disagreeing with you, because I'm not really sure. I'm just offering another perspective.
Henrik
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triplethreat
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Re:term question? - 2007/03/15 01:08Actually, I thought we were pretty much saying the same thing._____________ Kris MTA Admin
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freakofdamonth
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Re:term question? - 2007/03/15 11:56ive heard this, and def agree with....well both of yall i guess. Ive been told that im a legit baritone that can hit tenor notes.
Basically when someone says to do something more legit, I simply cover my high notes and round out my lower ones, not sure if thats right or not, but its gotten me by....lol
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karijayne
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Re:term question? - 2007/03/15 16:36I agree with everyone so far. But since I see from your profile pic that you like Wicked ... this might be more helpful to you:
Listen to Kristen Chenoweth sing "No One Mourns the Wicked," specifically where she starts: "Let us be glad ... let us be grateful ..." That whole section is sung in her legit soprano voice. Now, listen to her sing a song like "Popular." Most of that song is sung in her "non-legit" belting voice ... although, technically, I think she often uses a mix of the two. At any rate, if you listen to both those tracks, you'll hear a distinct difference in her tone when she sings one song versus the other.
Essentially, the legit sound comes from classical training and tends to sound more operatic. Henrik is right ... Shirley Jones (Oklahoma, Carousel) is an excellent example of a legit soprano. But if you're looking to specifically hear an example of a legit mezzo, think of Mary Martin (South Pacific, Peter Pan). You can listen to clips of her on Amazon or iTunes.
Hope that helps! Kari-- Kari
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mezzo_soprano
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Re:term question? - 2007/03/15 19:16Thanks for the help!!!!! Now I understand it.
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