Les extremes se touchent: Callas and Björk
Les extremes se touchent: Callas and Björk
In comparing the voices of Callas and Björk it is integral to note the ability of each artist to give their significantly individual voices one mask. Th e technical expression “singing in the mask”—as it is referred to in classical music—has less to do with the ability of mask singing then outlined here. While the first simply indicates the generation of sound, the second indicates that the tone of the voice exposes an ability which is reminiscent of mask dramas in theater. The only difference being that the former is heard, while the latter is seen. Björk’s technique of utilizing her voice as raw material is particularly apparent in her album Medulla. In this album she uses her voice as authentic raw material and thus, in a primal sense, as an instrument for the music. She executes this task with such vocal genius that the voice is presented in all its natural artistic dexterity. Compared to Björk, we can actually hear the body of Callas in her voice as if it were covered on skin or made of blood. The point being that the bodily tone of every exhalation and fading is symbolic of the classical musical stage.