There are dozens [of teachers] that ruin beautiful voices, ruin them, by talking about vocal muscles. What the hell are vocal muscles? And where do you keep them? Once you get a bee in your bonnet about things like that, you start playing around with the voice and it collapses.

Kyra Vayne, soprano (1916-2001) as quoted in Palmer, Andrew. “Divas in their own words.” (2000).

Vayne was ‘rediscovered’ in 1998 when her recordings were found and promoted. She had never been heard in wide-circulation until then. She was instantly put beside ‘the greats’ and her voice ranks against any singing of the golden age. The sound is effortless, silvery, and rich. This effortless can easily be heard in the example above.

London instrumentalists praised her singing and made the London public aware that Vayne was one of the greats. In masterclasses Vayne was adamant about the voice sounding ‘natural.’  However, the modern voice teaching establishment has largely remained silent on Vayne.

She was a dramatic soprano. Interesting…To me, the voice strikes me as reminiscent of Callas but more musically and psychologically placid. The sound is not histrionic by any means.

This IS great singing.

Here is an excerpt of an interview she did with the BBC.