Eponine

SoSo · Eponine

So I learned that next year our school will do Les Miz for the Spring Play. I've always wanted to be Eponine, but I'm a pretty high soprano. I have a relatively big range, though, and I think a year and a half is sufficient time to lower one's range a bit. How low does Eponine have to sing, and how should I go about lowering my range? I know that there are some notes in "A Little Fall of Rain" that I can't sing. I'm not sure if I'll be able to get a voice teacher this year.

Thanks!

soontobeadult

If your voice is still developing (which at 15, it definately still is), it can be dangerous to attempt singing a role that is out of your vocal range, no matter how much you may want to do it. Your range is your range, and you can strengthen certain parts of it with proper training, but it may be best not to try and forcibly extend it. I know this is probably not what you want to hear, but I just don't think any role is worth possibly damaging you voice for.

Eponine does have some low notes (particularly in ALFOR) and as you stated, it may be too low for you. Instead, why not try for Cosette? It's also an important role and sounds like would fit you well (for now), plus you're still young, and once your voice matures a little more, you may be able to do Eponine after all Smile

...plus you'd be one of the few characters who actually get to live at the end!

Orestes Fasting

Hold yer horses. It's not about the absolute lowest note you'd have to sing in the role, it's about where the majority of the singing is going to lie and whether you can pull it off in the style it's written for.

In other words: do you know how to belt? Do you know how to do it without hurting your voice? Can you belt up to a C?

If the answer to these questions is 'no,' all is not lost, but you need a voice teacher pronto. It's really easy to hurt your vocal cords doing stupid things with your chest voice, and I don't recommend teaching yourself.

However, it might be doable in a year and a half. I learned to belt in under a year, even though I'm a classically trained soprano and couldn't even sing 'Mein Herr' the right way when I walked in. But I'm twenty and my voice can take more abuse than it could at fifteen, and the classical training gave me the background I needed to learn without hurting myself. Your mileage may vary, and if you don't get all the kinks ironed out by the time auditions roll around, consider going for Fantine or Cosette instead.

curlyhairedsoprano91

Hi,
As Orestes said, it's not really the absolute lowest note Eponine has to sing that matters, it's the median of the voice. Take me, for example ... my range bottoms out at a low F, basically (that's Eponine's lowest note in ALFOR), but I would never, ever play Eponine. Because Eponine's median is probably around middle C or maybe a note or two above, and my "middle voice" is a little less than a full octave higher.

If you find that you're comfortable singing in the low fourth octave (for reference, a C4 is middle C, and the next note is a D4, etc.), then perhaps slowly try to work your range downward (also, don't do a lot of straining for low notes you don't have yet at once ... I did that once and I couldn't sing for a week) and try for Eponine.

And if you don't belt ... you're a little bit young to try to develop a belt that quickly. If you already have a suitable belt, good. If you don't, go for Cosette. I'd recommend you go for Cosette anyway, because from what you've described your voice sounds more suited to Cosette's part.

Hope I was at least a little bit helpful! Smile

Orestes Fasting

Just a note--if you don't want to try for Cosette, Fantine is a lovely part and it's also, possibly, the most versatile of the show. It's best suited for a mix, but I Dreamed a Dream can be belted or sung soprano style or whatever you want to do with it.

Fantine does have some pretty serious low notes--a Gb in IDAD and a low D (optional low F) in the finale--but as curlyhairedsoprano and I said, it's not about the extremities of the range, it's about where the majority of the singing lies. No one will remember if you fudge a note so low that half the audience can't hear it, but they will remember if your voice sounds funny in the majority of the singing you do.

If you're dead-set on expanding your low range, take it easy, and don't warm up too far first. Your vocal cords have to tighten to produce higher notes and relax to produce lower ones, and if any of the tension from the high notes is left over, you'll find yourself straining to sing low. And that is very very bad and you just don't want to go there.

curlyhairedsoprano91

On the same note about voice part/range: It was so weird when I figured out why some parts are classified the way they are... like, I always saw Fantine classified as straight mezzo, and Eponine as mezzo/alto, and I was like, "WTF, but Fantine sings lower...?"

...But then it made sense and all was well.

EDIT: I think it must be said, though, that when we talk about how it's "not the extremities of the range," we don't mean "ignore the extremities." At least, I don't. In the case of Eponine or Fantine, it's not quite as relevant because the "extremities" can be worked around (and they're very low, so they're less obvious) ... but, to further the Les Mis examples, if one were to go for Cosette without a high C, that wouldn't work at all.

But, yeah, look into IDAD ... if you can make the G-flat there, you should be all set for Fantine.

Orestes Fasting

music is my life!!!

If you listent o the OLCR of LM the low F's in "alfor" aren't sung particularly loudly. I think that a sop could play eppy if you can belt and if you can act the part, but not annoyingly! Very Happy

Depending on your appearance, you may be more suited to Cosette if you can reliably get a high C without straining! Also, at 15 (like me!) a director might be inclined to cast an older girl for Eponine, as she's such a popular role, but i've heard of some Eponine's who were about 13 (i think that's much too young btw)

If you're having singing lessons, ask your teacher. If not, ask the MD. I think that a sop could pull Ep off better than one could play Fantine, because Fantine has to have a massive classical-ish pop-ish strong sound range (low Gb-Eb in the school edition, goes to low D in full version).

I'm pretty sure that the lowest Eppy note is a Gb, in alfor, because it says that on MTI, although i know they're not always 100% correct. You HAVE to be able to cut thru in one day more with the two lines "One more day.... what a life i might have known" if you want a chance at Eppy...

good luck!

x x x

music is my life!!!

AND..... (sorry for the double post!)

If i could choose, I'd play Fantine (hopefully, in Nov 09...) because she's the real heartwrenching role that everyone remembers, as a good Fantine can leave a lasting impact on the show, even though you'd only be in about 20 mins of it.

BUT..... fantine has lots of awkard jumps and key changes (think idad, and "you let your foreman send me away"). Eponine's songs tend to be very repetitive and relatively easy to sing. (Listen to the complete symph rec of Look Down... 'tis the same tune over and over, my dear...)

If you have the option i think as a sop you could play the factory girl. In the score she sings upto an Eb (on stave) and that has to be very strong, and she has to belt her way thru at the end of the day "You must sack her today". It's a cool role that is important to the plot, but on MTI it says she is "often a double opr undersudy to Fantine" so you could end up with both parts, which would be cool!

curlyhairedsoprano91

Catherine

[quote="curlyhairedsoprano91"]

curlyhairedsoprano91

Yes, there is, Catherine! A big belty IDAD is only one way of looking at it, and it's maybe even an inferior way of looking at it. You'll get your Fantine someday!

Orestes Fasting

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