I've been watching TCM tonight, as I do more or less continuously, and they've been playing a series of Jeanette MacDonald films (who I'll admit up-front I don't like very much) from the 1930s and 40s.
Most of these films contain a musical aspect to some degree or another, particularly singing, and that singing is done in a more classical, refined semi-operatic style, with an emphasis on note production and particularly vibrato.
Frankly, I hate it.
I find that the style as a whole is incredibly lacking. To me it more or less sounds like an immitation of the twittering of birds, and the shape of the mouth while singing and juttering of the jaw while producing vibrato looks silly. But most importantly for me is that overall it seems to lack a vital essence. It seems terribly mechanical in nature, focusing entirely on the correct replication of accurate notes while the singer themself is completely empty in emotional content and effort: essentially, the songs in my opinion lack the heart or soul of the performer behind their empty notes.
Now of course there are a few occasional exceptions (entirely because of the singer's own talent), but I feel this sentiment for the overall vast majority that I have encountered, particularly in films from the 1930s and 40s: in general to me it is empty, hollow, and emotionally worthless.
So, am I full of shit? Do others agree or disagree? What's the opinion of those behind the veils of your personal cathode rays?
