1. UNIT 6 THE DIVA Diva – Italian for goddess Characteristics of a Diva
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Are all singers Divas?

2. What is A Diva?
Classical Music – Diva – person of supreme talent- vocal faculty and conveys nuances of music
Generally opera music singers
Almost larger than life
Negative –
demanding, difficult to work with
Sir Charles Mackerras describes the diva thus:
There has to be something unusual as well as competent about a diva, something compelling about her personality, whether you like it or not, whether it be charming or repellent ... or both at the same time.
(quoted in Matheopoulos, 1998, p. xix)

3. 4 Case studies Madonna – manipulated media – controlled public image
ARE THEY ALL DIVAS?
Madonna – manipulated media – controlled public image
Young Soprano – challenges of an opera singer- what makes a singer
Maria Callas – mid 20thC – public life – tragic roles – La Divina
Ferrara Ladies – end 16thC – no public appearance- very few people heard them- writings about them and modern recordings.

4. MADOnna Attention- Number One hits – more than any other woman
Nominated and awarded
Sold over 300 million records
Maverick – her own production company
Voice – Material Girl and Like A Prayer
- thin and lacking power
- strong and rich; developed and matured; use of voice, chorus, music and video
Author – producer – entrepreneur
- a powerful woman, successful, role model
Image/ Persona
- star appeal; continually manipulate and change her image
Mass media – exploited video for promotions

5. Madonna – A diva Musical and Vocal Talent Image Powerful Female
Themes and Style of her Music

6. Some Musical language Aria – Italian for song; repetition of text
Legato – Smooth music
Ornament – decorate a long note
Vocal control and musicality
Phrases – parts
Accompaniment – musical or vocal support
Texture – music blending together
Pizzicato – plucking
Dynamics – Volume
- piano(softly), pianissimo (very softly)
- forte( loudly), fortissimo (very loudly)
Recitative – a style of singing close to speech; no repetition of text

7. Maria Callas Biography – Chronology (Pg. 192)
- short international career
- sudden loss of weight
- divorce
- Onassis
A parallel to tragic roles on stage
As a Singer – Tosca (Pg.193,track 5)
- sensitive way of acting the words as she sings them
- emotional range
The Music – disjointed text; music as glue; orchestra; use of repetition
Prestige and the Opera House
National heritage; Part of culture; similar to football
Opera houses – grand, expensive
Opera singers – glamorous – play the part on stage and in life

8. The Royal Opera house

9. The ferrarese ladies Northern Italian town of Ferrara- Duke Alfonso
Ensemble – group of singers; private concerts; courtly music by the finest composers
Luzzasco Luzzaschi – most celebrated composer
- madrigals – secular songs
- harpsichord music
4 women – virtuosic female singers Concerto delle donne
- made courtiers because of musical ability
- ladies-in- waiting to his 3rd wife
Madrigals – imitation (Pg.187)
- word painting (track 6)
Singing – not liked by everyone; sang anything; small audience (Pg )
Historical Voices – contemporary accounts, written music - reliable?
- more about setting than singing ability
- 6.8 –Striggio – knows what it is like
- printed music- shows the difficulty.

10. conclusion Each one worthy of title Diva?
Sir Charles Mackerras describes the diva thus:
There has to be something unusual as well as competent about a diva, something compelling about her personality, whether you like it or not, whether it be charming or repellent ... or both at the same time.
(quoted in Matheopoulos, 1998, p. xix)
All Competent in their fields
All musical standards of a Diva?