Vienna Opera puts Figaro on TV without Susanna

Voice of Reason says:

Comments like this help no one and only propagate misconceptions across an already delicate sector, so I feel I must offer a more balanced view on this:

Firstly, it’s clear Ms Fang’s medical confidentially has been breached by this report of a ‘haemorrhage’. It’s particularly unfortunate in a public forum where the nuanced medical context is not widely understood. The medical term may be ‘correct’, but for laypeople, the word “haemorrhage” brings to mind gory images of gushing blood and gross bodily harm. A less dramatic and more accurate description in singers is usually that a small blood vessel has leaked into the vocal cords tissue. This is much more common amongst professional voice users than you would think.

Let’s remember that human vocal folds are tiny (c. 1.25-1.75cm long in women.) Medical examination requires functional movement viewed under microscope with strobe lighting (called stroboscopy). It is surprisingly common, especially in women, for tiny blood vessels or spots (varices) to be visible on the vocal folds when viewed under microscope. These blood vessels are usually harmless, and can vary in size and sensitivity as hormones fluctuate within a normal menstrual cycle. Opera singers are some of most disciplined and diligent voice users in our society, and despite a life dedicated to training (and excellent technique in the case of Ms Yang), occasionally a tiny blood vessel might be pushed beyond its normal load, resulting in a small bleed within the vocal fold tissue. This could happen when a premiere falls on the first day of the singer’s period, when a virus has them up all night coughing, or when they’ve given more emotion than usual in a difficult scene during back-to-back orchestral rehearsals. It happens.

Most ‘ordinary’ people never get their vocal cords examined under microscope, and thus the majority of vocal injuries go undiagnosed. All being well, the vessel heals and the blood is reabsorbed by the body in a matter of days. It’s exactly BECAUSE opera singers take such good care of their voices that they are more likely to find such an anomaly, and more likely to prioritise its healing at all costs. For singers, assessing illness and knowing when to cancel is one of the most difficult parts of the job. Such bravery and self-care should be supported, not scolded.

At population level, the risk of injury in any physical venture is lessened with deliberate training, as the body grows stronger and learns to withstand higher levels of activity in a safe way. Basic sports theory = tick. However, to reverse-correlate that data and blame individual cases of injury on “poor technique” is a fundamental misunderstanding of statistics. It’s misguided at best, and antagonistic at worst.

What’s more, it’s damaging to generations of professional singers to continually align vocal injury with “bad technique”. I’ve never heard anyone criticise Raphael Nadal for having a sore knee or rolling an ankle during a match — it comes with the territory of being a world-class athlete. Indeed, injuries are common with ballet dancers, too. The same respect should be extended to world-class opera singers. They devote every day of their lives to music and the betterment of their craft, so that thousands of people can enjoy the fruits of their labour.

Now — the way a company RESPONDS to cast illness is a different matter. It’s open to discussion, but let’s not confuse managerial strategies with an artist’s health and long-term wellbeing. The latter is victim-blaming, and unfair to all concerned.

I have no doubt Ms Fang will make a full vocal recovery. Moreover, I hope her healing is not hindered by unhelpful and prejudiced public comments. I hope she can focus her energy on her own long-term wellbeing, and when she’s ready, continue to share her beautiful gifts so generously with us all.