The queen of squillo or ring: the vowel I
After my last post about the vowel "U" as the foundation of the Melocchi technique, I decided to delve deeper into the use of vowels in this vocal school.
The second most important vowel, predominantly used by Mario and Marcello del Monaco, is the vowel "I." This vowel activates the thyroarytenoid muscles, which help close the vocal cords, maintaining ring or squillo throughout one’s voice. It is particularly beneficial for students with breathy or weak vocal production, indicating underactive thyroarytenoids. This weakness can cause the voice to flip into falsetto or allow air to leak through the cords.
There are videos available online where Mario del Monaco discusses the use of the vowels "I" and "E" to achieve the height of the sound. Scientifically speaking, the height of the sound is produced by fully adducted vocal cords, which increase the sound's intensity at the source (the vocal cords). When a strong signal is paired with an expanded resonating space (an open throat), it creates the optimal operatic sound.
As you can see, two components must work together: an open throat and good vocal cord closure. However, the choice of vowel depends on the specific needs of the student. Another reason why the vowel "I" is important is that if the vocal cords don’t close and resist the subglottic breath pressure, exercises with the vowel "U" won’t yield the desired results. Without proper closure, the sound loses squillo, and the singer must use excessive breath to ascend the scale.
When the vowel "I" is needed, after a period of focusing on the closure of the vocal cords, the student should transition to the vowel "U" to develop laryngeal depth. Thus, while the vowel "I" is advantageous for developing the thyroarytenoid muscles, it does not aid in achieving the open throat, which is accomplished with the vowel "U."
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