Meaning of Vocalist?

[jean]

What's the difference between a soprano and a vocalist?

I see there's one of each.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

What's the difference between a soprano

Marnie Nixon

and a vocalist?

Rex Harrison.

[Pabmusic]

Marnie Nixon...Rex Harrison.

Would you even credit Rex Harrison with 'vocalist'?

[jean]

Isn't that even in the wrong place?

[edashtav]

Isn't that even in the wrong place?

Pabmusic could create three sentences simply by moving his 'even' and each would express a different truth.

[Pabmusic]

Isn't that even in the wrong place?

Not necessarily, Jean. It depends on what you mean - "would you even [bother to] credit..." has a slightly different meaning from "would you credit even Rex Harrison...".

I would not go out of my way to credit Rex Harrison as a vocalist.

[Pabmusic]

Pabmusic could create three sentences simply by moving his 'even' and each would express a different truth.

True enough.

[Flosshilde]

Quote Originally Posted by jean View Post
What's the difference between a soprano

]Marnie Nixon

and a vocalist?

Rex Harrison.

A small operation would obviously reduce the difference.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

A small operation would obviously reduce the difference.

[edashtav]

Not necessarily, Jean. It depends on what you mean - "would you even [bother to] credit..." has a slightly different meaning from "would you credit even Rex Harrison...".

I would not go out of my way to credit Rex Harrison as a vocalist.

Rex was a "limited" vocalist - his limit? Lack of range. An early "rapper"?

[jean]

A small operation would obviously reduce the difference.

It would be of little use so late in the day - for the small operation to be effective, you have to catch them before the voice breaks, I believe.

But no-one has answered my original (badly-phrased) question about why performers in certain genres are called vocalists?

[Flosshilde]

I think edashtav has answewred the question - some of them can hardly be called singers.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

But no-one has answered my original (badly-phrased) question about why performers in certain genres are called vocalists?

Some performers have an astonishing vocal range that encompasses more than the traditional S/M-S/A etc ranges: think of Kate Bush, for example, or Bjork, or Ute Lemper. Others aren't really "singers" at all in the traditional senses that adherents of "Classical" Music would understand - Rex Harrison, Lee Marvin, William Shatner, rappers, even Groucho Marx. And then, there are the phenomenal skills of Ute Wassermann:

http://femmes-savantes.net/en/les-femmes-savantes/ute-wassermann

[jean]

Bryn Terfel is doing a stint as Artist in Residence in Liverpool next month.

The first concert he's involved in is called A Night at the Musicals and he's a vocalist.

Two days later he's singing Bach, and he's turned into a baritone.

[edashtav]

Vocalist has been in use for over 200 years. Its meaning may have changed, somewhat.

I quote from the Morning Chronicle (1811):

A Sylph-like young female vocalist, who is a pupil of Mr. Corri, is engaged to play the part of Ariel at Covent Garden Theatre.