April 06, 2004
It ain't over 'til the fat lady eats.
Ever wondered why the biggest opera singers are big in other ways? It's not just a coincidence. They have to work extra hard to push out those notes. Then there's the issue of extra tissue around their throats.
-
Wonder how much more weight Fat Lucy's going to put on now that he can't even sing standing up.
-
Tell the Royal Opera House, which sacked Deborah Voigt for being overweight.
-
He's an outsized talent even though prone to be prone.
-
It's not just tissue, I think. I find that after a decade and a half of choir singing, my throat is more muscular than is usual, and also there's a muscle immediately under the mouth is quite sturdy, which unfortunately gives me a double-chin look. I find when I have to shout or project my voice, that muscle goes very rigid.
-
My wife and I were just discussing this the other night and I said the same thing as these experts. Damn, I'm smart. w00t. Seriously though, The Last Word answers all kinds of fun and interesting questions, even if their "experts" sometimes contradict each other.
-
Yes I read the link, but I definitely have to disagree with this theory. It is a dated, myopic assumption. It asserts a completely antiquated stereotype. The only reason people think opera tenors/sopranos are fat is because they almost always beef-up during their later years on stage. Pavarotti himself used to be a handsome, svelt tenor, but has grown old, fat, and cranky with bad knees. It