The vocal score profile/vocal range profile rate and APM in artistic voice evaluation: application tested

on opera and musical singers

An evaluation of voice suitability and vocal fatigue

Dr. Nico Paolo PaolilloENT dep. Mandic Hospital - Milan

Phonitatrician Teatro alla Scala of Milan

Dr Franco FussiPhoniatric Centre of Ravenna

Phoniatrician Teatro Comunale of Bologna

Vocal fatigue and glottal damage risks

• Wrong repertoire

• Inadequate technical qualities

• Inadequate work planning

• Phonatory behaviour (total phonation time during rehearsals, performances, break-times, teaching, private life etc.)

• Lifestyle

• Working environment

• It’s necessary to calculate the right vocal cost

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Dr. Franco Fussi

WATH THE SINGERS FEEL ABOUT CHARACTER FEATURES

• Interview before analysis Assessing accordance between subjective feeling and objective analysis

• Interview after analysis Assessing the reliability of a predictive evaluation

• Relationship between the patient's medical history (any vocal desease or phonosurgery) and results of the analysis

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Dr. Franco Fussi

Donna Anna

Donna Elvira

A# 24 11

A 76 24

G# 39 40

G 296 185

F# 148 99

F 379 187

E 337 210

D# 208 263

D 492 416

C# 120 177

C4 377 362

B 135 208

A# 196 294

A 194 202

G# 31 80

G 76 172

F# 39 45

F 29 129

E 9 27

D# 10 15

D 4 15

C#   2

C3   3

B2   2

TOTAL 3219 3144

High Notes

Passage Notes

Middle Notes

Low Notes

VOCAL SCORE PROFILE

COUNT OF NOTES FOR EACH SEMITONE

statistic method for vocal score (partitura) semeiotic

0

20

40

60

80

100

Donna Anna

DonnaElvira

High

Middle

Low

Passage

ComfortableRange

Prevalent Octave

Comparison regarding ranges percentage

Through this kind of analysis different parameters can be detected

VOCAL SCORE PROFILEHighlights the vocal role various musical features through

histogram graphics

Passage

VOICE RANGE PROFILE (VRP)

VRP points out dynamic and frequency range of singers voice

DYNAMIC AGILITY CURVEDynamic Agility is the value of differential between

forte and piano calculated for each tone.

Passage

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION VOCAL SCORE PROFILE VS DYNAMIC AGILITY CURVE

(P/P rate Pariturogram/Phonetogram rate)

Passage

Donna Anna 1st Act

Donna Anna 2nd Act

Passage

Passage

Donna Elvira from “Don Giovanni” W.A. Mozart – Full Score

Passage

• P/P Rate is a reliable method to identify a right repertoire and to predict performance risks for vocal effort or glottal damage

• In low and high ranges a gradual dynamic agility reduction is acceptable (not for coloraturas restricted range of dynamic all range long)

• In low female voices it’s necessary always to evaluate both vocal registers passages.

• Accordance between subjective singers’ feeling and objective analysis

• Possibility and reliability of a predictive evaluation

• Relationship between the patient's medical history, like any vocal desease (even if unknown) or phonosurgery, and analysis results.

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Dr. Franco Fussi

Singer with unsuited dynamic agility to a specific role

Can all the same excel in performing it

HIGHER VOCAL COST

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Dr. Franco Fussi

Vocal Dosimetry in Teatro alla Scala in Opera soloist singers and in

Musical soloist singers

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Teatro alla Scala in MilanDr. Franco Fussi – teatro Comunale in Bologna

APM during live performances on stage (Model 3200 APM)

• Phonatory behaviours before, during and after performances

• Absolute index for vocal fatigue or vocal recovery???

• Possible fatigue threshold vs recovery threshold???

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Dr. Franco Fussi

Preliminary Evaluation • Anamnesis

• Tonal audiometry

• Videolaryngostroboscopy

• What singers feel about character features (fatiguing and resting moments)

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Dr. Franco Fussi

“Aida” vs “I due Foscari” tenor roleat Teatro alla Scala in Milan

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Dr. Franco Fussi

Radames – 1st Tenor – Complete Performance

Aria “CELESTE AIDA” – 1st Act

Break between 2nd and 3rd Act + non singing part during beginning of 3rd Act

Speech and soft fonation

Jacopo Foscari – 2nd Tenor – Warm-up

“Brezza del suol natio… Dal più remoto esilio”Aria + Cabaletta – 1st Act

RADAMES

JACOPO FOSCARI

BEHAVIOURAL HABITS AND

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

RADAMES

JACOPO FOSCARI

SUCH AS A “REAL” VOCAL SCORE PROFILE

Jacopo Foscari1st Act

Radames1st Act

SUCH AS AN “ON STAGE” RELATIVE DINAMIC AGILITY

RADAMES

JACOPO FOSCARI

VOCAL, TECHNICAL AND BEHAVIOURAL

FEATURESSpeech and soft fonation

Speech and soft fonation

1st tenor - RADAMES

2nd tenor - JACOPO FOSCARI

T. Carroll, M. Abaza et al. – 2006

Difficulties

• APM size VS acting, dancing and costumes

• Singers’ helpfulness

• Calibration in singers who use both classical and modern technique

• Not much literature on APM in singers

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Dr. Franco Fussi

Total Phonation Time a Week

• Liric soloist singer

Greater likelihood of damage from acute fatigue

• Musical soloist singers

Greater likelihood of damage from chronic fatigue

• 2-3 performances a week + rehearsals (total sung phonation time less than 5 hours a week)

• 8-9 performances a week + rehearsals + often hard bodily fatigue in dancers (total sung phonation time more than 10 hours a week)

Dr. Nico Paolo Paolillo – Dr. Franco Fussi

• Hard Wearability• Discomfort• Higher availability of numeric data from APM• Possibility to “reshape” recorded data

(cut, paste, copy etc.)

• Technical and behavioural measures• Fatigue and damage risk reduction • Do technique and voice features influence dose

parameters??? the same role from different singers

• More studies to establish standard fatigue and recovery thresholds and ranges (differences between males and females and between different vocal classes???) Recovery index???

Future APM improvement

Thank you for attention