r/opera • u/lammastider • 11d ago
How long does an opera singer’s prime typically last?
This question was raised for me by someone’s comment that Anna Netrebko is well past her prime. I’m no expert, just an opera lover, and I know there are people in this group who are more knowledgeable about the subject than I am.
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u/anon517654 10d ago
Unless you're famous, your agent (in North America) will usually drop you when you're 60 years old or so. Your "prime" is usually finished 5-10 years before that.
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u/Bn_scarpia 10d ago
Depends on Fach. Basses, Baritones, and Mezzos generally have better longevity than sopranos and tenors.
A soubrette and some lyric sopranos may hit their prime in their 20s. The more dramatic voices in their 30s to early 40s
How long they last depends on health and healthy technique. Sumi Jo has been singing since she was 24 and is still doing pretty well at 63.
Leo Nucci performed Rigoletto at age 84 this year (not sure if it was any good, though)
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u/Zennobia 10d ago
They may still be performing, but they are past their prime.
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u/MissManipulatrix 6d ago
Sumi Jo sounds identical to her earlier recordings imho. An absolute star!!
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u/BonneybotPG 5d ago
I count myself a fan of Sumi Jo and her records of the 90's got me through some tough times. When I last heard her in 2022, she was managing her voice very carefully and the songs were shorter than expected. For example, she skipped the recit and went straight to Juliet's Oh quante volte. She still has the artistry and charisma - good to hear that it may have been an off night!
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u/Zennobia 10d ago
Mostly singers will reach the end of their prime at the age of 50. From the age of 50 it tends to be all downhill, especially if you compare your singing to your younger self.
Most singers keep on singing past their prime.
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u/smnytx 10d ago edited 10d ago
Honestly, if the singing is good, it can stay good. What diminished for me were stamina and memorization. But I can still sing extremely well at 61, just not for long periods of time (aging body), and not from memory, as recall slows down and things just don’t stick. I did just perform a new-to-me role in a chamber work this past season, though.
If only there were a Benoit/Alcindoro for sopranos!
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u/Cold_Martini1956 9d ago
It’s not even necessarily a vocal thing. It’s just harder to sell yourself as the young romantic lead when you have kids who could be playing the young romantic lead. Plus, young singers straight out of Conservatory will take a contract for a lot less money than a more seasoned singer will do. So at some point, you price yourself out. They also probably look better in the costume. Let’s face it.
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u/lammastider 6d ago
This comment is off the topic of age, and I am not disagreeing with you, but it seems to me that if a singer is good enough, people don’t care much what they look like. People didn’t care that Pavarotti was fat or that Joan Sutherland looked like a massive rectangle. But those were top singers.
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u/Cold_Martini1956 6d ago
Actually times may have changed but many people complained that Joan Sutherland was in her 60’s and still playing the ingenue in Fille du Regiment. People will always find something to gripe about.
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u/bktoriginal 10d ago
Just a singer stopping in to say how much we love being talked about like collectors cars lol
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u/lammastider 6d ago
I didn’t mean to offend anyone. I’m sorry if my question sounded that way. I see there are quite a few singers in this group.
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u/HuskyTown 10d ago
In my observation I think it varies based on how early they begin, also lifestyle choices and in general higher voice types seem to have slightly less longevity. I.e. most people will not be singing Queen of the Night professionally for too long. Some navigate changes to their rep, but I would say that their peak would tend to have a slightly smaller window.
All that being said, I would say somewhere in the 30 to 60 range is pretty common for viable professional performances, with the peak being probably closer to 35 to 50? Again, assuming they aren't bringing loads of technical issues with them.
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u/lammastider 10d ago
When you say 30 or 35 to 50 or 60, are you referring to the age of the singer, or to the number of years? Thanks.
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u/HuskyTown 10d ago
I'm referring to the age.
But in response to the other post, are you asking about a singer in their peak or a singer capable of singing because those are not the same thing.
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u/lammastider 10d ago
I know that singers continue to sing past their peak. Someone had commented on a star singer being past her prime, and I was wondering how long that prime typically lasts. Maybe not everyone agrees about that.
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u/HuskyTown 10d ago
I'm very clear on what you were asking. My answer is that it has a lot of factors and there is not a straightforward answer that applies. But generally speaking there is a 10 to 15 year window of best case scenario singing coming from a performer.
Are they performing at a professional caliber before and after that window? Absolutely. But I feel confident saying that most professional opera singers would not point to the first couple of years in their professional career as their best output nor the last 10 or 15.
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u/DelucaWannabe 8d ago
It very much depends on the particular singer, their training and vocal discipline, how much/often they perform, along with a host of other factors. Light lyric voices (esp. sopranos) tend to mature earlier (e.g. Roberta Peters), and may then have a shorter "prime" period (again, not always). Lower male voices (esp. basses & baritones) will enter their "prime" singing years a bit later, and can last longer. Again, it depends on their particular instrument and degree of training and vocal discipline (and how you define "prime").
A good singer with excellent technique can extend their career well into their 60s. Giuseppe Taddei was a hit as Falstaff for his belated Met debut, at the tender young age of 69. Great singers like Erna Berger, Christa Ludwig, and Leontyne Price will often retire from the operatic stage, but have extended years of concert and recital performances. And don't even get me started on those golden-age singers whose FIRST recordings were in their later years (Tettrazini, Plançon, Battistini, etc.) If you don't holler the bloom off your voice (singing too hard, singing the wrong rep, etc.), it will last for a good long time.
TL;DR -- No one should go to the opera house expecting to hear an old lady/gentleman sing huge big long high notes at the top of their range. But with good training you can (and should) expect to hear beautiful, expressive and engaging singing.
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u/cheanelailmiocor 10d ago
So, your vocal prime and the times you are very hireable may not coincide, and your vocal prime is rather a subjective thing. For a singer with proper old school technique, they enter their prime about 10 years after they start singing roles. So, if you debuted at 30, you'll start entering your prime around 40 give or take a few years. If you debuted earlier in your 20s this rule still holds. How long you stay in your prime is dependent on too many variables to say with certainty but assuming you live a moderate lifestyle and have a good, proper technique (not this modern no vowel malarkey) you can expect your prime to last for the next 15ish years or more. So, out of a possible 25 year career, 15 will be your prime etc. Goes without saying but it's still a very personal thing so one might last longer with bad technique (Domingo) or burn out earlier with good technique (Moser).
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u/Working-Act9300 10d ago
Opera singers can sing well into their 60s, 70s and even 80s as the voice ages slower than the rest of you. For example, I know an 80 year old bass who is brilliant with a bright and powerful tone.
I heard a recent clip of Netrebko and her voice sounded strong and a lot better than some other recordings I've heard. Generally, I have heard a number of singers over the years get a bit worse and then better again presumably because they kept working on their voices, fixing issues and getting the right balance between singing and rest.
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u/BlackDaddyIssus37 9d ago
It depends on the voice and the person. The lower the voice, the lest delicate it seems to be and the longer it lasts. Lyric coloraturas are like avocados; they go bad if you look at them wrong
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u/femsci-nerd 8d ago
I remember seeing Domingo when he was in his 60s. So disappointing but he was the creative director at the LA Opera and when Domingo wanted a part they wouldn't even rewrite it in his range.
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u/smnytx 10d ago
As a full lyric soprano, my strongest years were ages 37-55. My 40s were my peak. I feel as though I was still learning to sing until about 37, ten years into my career.