Tracing the Development of Extended Vocal Techniques in ...

present the text as though the Fly were buzzing as it “spoke”, using ululated
vowels and consonants (like the “z” of “was”), using a sibilant sound for certain
“s” sounds (such as extending the “x” of “expecting”). I used reinforced
harmonics on many of the “er” sounds and inhaled croaks on “work” in reference
to the frogs. For “birds mostly back” I quoted several measures on the “birds”
from one of the traditional cadenzas in Lucia di Lammermoor with a dental trill
on the last r, intentional tone-painting with mostly traditional sounds here.
Somehow I just can’t imagine writing a setting of this poem using only tradition
singing, when I believe that the overall effect of my setting is whimsical, gentle
and humorous by virtue of using mostly EVTs. 5
For Joan La Barbara, one of the first EVTs pioneers, extended vocal techniques
permitted direct contact with “fascinating sounds that are simply not part of the standard
vocal delivery” 6 but not without consequences. Referring to many composers utilizing
EVTs, La Barbara discussed her displeasure with the association of EVT with madness
and inexperienced audience members.
You would get these pieces that were written by various people – like Eight Songs
for a Mad King, by Peter Maxwell Davies, or some things that were written – it
was always this kind of crazy thing, and that’s why you used the EVT’s. I see
them more as a kind of orchestra that I use – my palette of sounds – so I don’t see
them as them “crazy sounds” even though when I first started to do my solo
concerts I would sometimes get people in the audience who would start giggling
because I used sounds that they either were uncomfortable within a musical
situation, or they were so unusual that it was the kind of nervousness that an
audience exhibits when they haven’t heard that kind of thing and if they’re
immature, they’ll laugh. 7
Influenced by compositions of Berio written during his time in the United States,
British composer Gwyn Pritchard stated that EVTs “allow for a higher level of
5 Composer and performer Deborah Kavasch, interview by author, 23 February 2008.
6 Composer and performer Joan La Barbara, interview by author, 23 February 2008.
7 Joan La Barbara, interview by Jo Truman, 31, March 2004, transcript, New York City.
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