Eric Kisch writes:

>Maybe it's part of the age.  Compare the bellowing three tenors with the
>leading ones of yesteryear - Bjoerling, Bergonzi, Gigli didn't have to yell
>in order to make their musical and vocal marks.  Are classical artists
>simply following their rock counterparts (superstars) into in-your-face
>tactics to get noticed? Today's "hot" aria is "Nessun Dorma" -- None shall
>sleep.  I'd rather be cajoled.  Mozart's Don Giovanni knew that subtlety
>was his most effective weapon.  How could Zerlina resist "La cidarem la
>mano?"

It seems to me a lot of this barking is due to the larger size of halls.
Pavarotti, of course, began as a wonderful lyric tenor.  His early
recordings are full of subtle line.  But the roles he did then were
different.  To me, he forced his voice to take on the heavier roles -
really before he was ready - and lost a lot of musicality in the process.
The money is so good for Calaf and Otello that many young singers succumb
to temptation and blow out their pipes way too early.

Steve Schwartz