At one point, while Valjean was speeding through one of his many emotional high points that totally fell flat, I had this thought:
“It can’t be easy, singing this role that so many people know and that so many people have sung before him.”
Then I realized that we do that, too, we opera singers. And violinists and pianists and anyone whose job it is to re-create something, rather than create. It is up to us to find a way to make it new, thrilling, even for the third or fiftieth or thousandth time. Not an easy task, but it can be done.
2 comments:
Isn't it exciting, though? I love thinking about the communion of singers past and present who have sung the roles I'm working on or performing - large and small. I feel like I'm part of a worldwide/centurywide club. Unfortunately, I will never meet more than a handful of the members, with whom I undoubtedly have much in common!
OK, so I'm home with my family for Thanksgiving and this afternoon, my mother and I heard a radio spot for Les Mis on AM 1010 and sweet Jesus, that was the worst singing I've heard in a long time. And that was on the radio! And I didn't pay a dime to listen to it. I wasted 20 seconds of my life listening to it, but at least I didn't have to pay for it. I certainly hope you didn't have to pay for your ticket. What I heard was HORRENDOUS!
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