Singing into the mask or “impostata,” meaning “in the mask.”
What does that really mean?
We have all seen those creepy Thespian masks that used to be worn in theater and on stage, going as far back as early Greek mythological plays (ancient Greece during the golden age, around 500 – 300 BC). Thespis was the first known actor and playwright, and the first person to introduce masks to theatre.
While, there is some debate about the first use of the term “singing into the mask”, it is clear that it goes back to singing into the “thespia”/”impostata”.
The first recognizable opera, with the story told through song and music, was Orfeo by Monteverdi, which was first performed in Mantua, Italy, in 1607. It is believed that this is when this term was first used, in order to encourage “projection” of sound into and from the face.
Correct voice placement consists of what is known as “singing in the mask” and this concept was perfected throughout Italian opera for almost 400 years.
Classical singers direct their voice forward so that it rings in the front of the face, the part that might be covered by a mask. This is to create maximum resonance, focus, and “ping” or ring, using the frontal cavities of the face and the upper front palate.
For you opera geeks out there like me, a perfect example of even mask singing is Mario Lanza’s 1952 radio recording of Amor Ti Vieta from Giordano’s Fedora. The tone produced is steady throughout singing without slipping in and out of position. You can hear two examples of this where Mario Lanza in his older years did not have this evenness in his sound (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go4TadXw-rg compared to his earlier version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=449xTTdX1NM).
In the first version, at the beginning of the aria, he is out of position, as it’s crooned and not sung with a mezza voice (half voice). In the second version, it is even and smooth.
Why does this matter? Consistency, pitch, tone, control, etc…
In modern singing, we can see many examples of this to varying degrees: Stevie Wonder, Celine Dion, Lou Gramm, Steve Perry, Axl Rose, Dennis DeYoung, Donna Summer, Barbara Streisand, and the list goes on.
Take a close listen and you will hear these singers using resonance in the face, or “mask” (not to be confused with “nasality”), to achieve their sound.
I hope you find this information, helpful and useful on your journey for singing.
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