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November 04, 2009
Voices in the crowd
"Greatest" or "best of" lists are always satisfyingly controversial, since someone's favorite is always missing. But NPR is soliciting votes to come up with a list of 50 interesting, important voices -- great, if not "the greatest" -- to be featured in a series starting next year. The real function of a "best of" list is to serve as a litmus test against which to measure one's own preferences. The criteria are almost impossible to establish. What makes a voice great? Is it sheer beauty, or expressive power? Does Bob Dylan have a "great" voice? Does Callas belong on the list for her dramatic genius, or Tebaldi for her beauty of tone? And though I was, growing up, more a Domingo girl than a Pavarotti one, I was struck that Pavarotti wasn't on the NPR's preliminary list of nominees. I couldn't begin to compile a list of greatest voices overall,
Originally from The Classical Beat – Classical Music Forum – washingtonpost.com, ReBlogged by newmusicrebloggers on Nov 4, 2009 at 11:43 PM