I can’t believe I’m doing this, especially after the latest installment of Vocal Identity Crisis 2009, but I have an audition tomorrow, and I think I’m going to offer... Zerbinetta.
What the... ?!?
I’ll write more tomorrow after the fact. I’m not 100% sure yet that I’m going to offer it, but the audition is pretty specific and I feel like Zerb would best show the goods needed for this role. However, I haven’t sung it in about a year! I know I still know it - it’s easily the one piece I’ve spent the most time on that has never really seen the light of day. It has seen an audition or two, and I know I rock it, but I rock it for different reasons than most “Zerbinettas.” My German is good, my acting is good, my musicianship is good, my E-flat is... ok. But I can’t think about that now!! (And besides, this role doesn’t have an E-flat...)
Tonight I recover from my flight - lots of water and a healthy dinner - and get a good night’s sleep, then wake up tomorrow and see if the voice is there. I feel much more “in the driver’s seat” after my crisis and resolution this weekend, so I’m kind of excited to see what happens tomorrow.
Won’t this be fun!! Stay tuned... :)
Showing posts with label arias/repertoire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arias/repertoire. Show all posts
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
On the “piano”
In an attempt to focus myself and organize my study, as well as catch you all up on what’s going on and coming up, I thought I’d run through all the music that is stacked on my imaginary piano. (B asked if I was going to rename these posts “On the Current Project Shelf,” since that’s what we have here in Brooklyn, but it just doesn’t have the same ring...)
In order of appearance (details of the gigs to be found here):
Parts scores: small score excerpts from the Met for my small covers this fall: 1st Bridesmaid (Nozze), Young Lover (Il tabarro) (yes, I’m covering my debut role; yes, it’s weird, but the rest of the season is worth it!).
Suor Angelica: Two roles to learn in this one, Alms Collector to perform and Suor Genovieffa to cover. For those of you who have seen the Met’s new Trittico, either live or on a broadcast, you might remember a donkey onstage during Angelica. Well, I get to bring him on! He’s the basket carrier for the Alms Sisters, and I remember him being so sweet (if a bit stinky...). I don’t technically get to lead him on; there is a handler for that, but I’ll for sure get to pet him!
I’m more excited about the singing aspect of the Genovieffa role. The character is so sweet and has some really gorgeous lines, including a bit about how much she misses being a shepherdess. I hope to get to show a bit more of my range with this role for those folks at the Met who might be noticing those sorts of things.
Micaela and Marguerite: These two roles are the farthest away, but pose the biggest challenge many ways: first roles in French, first serious roles, new styles of music... I am starting me detailed process of score-marking and text exploration; I think you can expect to hear about Marguerite as much as you heard about Susanna. For those of you who missed it, imagine a play-by-play of how I learn and embody a BIG new role! Hope you’ll find it interesting...
Finally a **Request for assistance:** I’m brainstorming a recital program! My father is a member of an amateur astronomy group in Boulder, CO, and I have agreed to do a fund-raising recital for them in December. I’m in the “hunting and gathering” stage of organizing, collecting as many ideas for repertoire as I can. The theme? It’s a stretch: the sky! Anything to do with the stars or the sky or the moon or night or the planets... Got a favorite? Send it along! I’ll post a list of my collection soon and we can brainstorm more together.
That’s all for now! More to come.
PS Almost forgot: Tons of new arias! This will likely be covered in it's own post, but, briefly: Come scoglio, Margie's Jewel Aria, Micaela's "Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante," the aforementioned Juliette Poison aria, and - hold on to your hats - Violetta's Act I cavatina/cabaletta! Here we go!!
In order of appearance (details of the gigs to be found here):
Parts scores: small score excerpts from the Met for my small covers this fall: 1st Bridesmaid (Nozze), Young Lover (Il tabarro) (yes, I’m covering my debut role; yes, it’s weird, but the rest of the season is worth it!).
Suor Angelica: Two roles to learn in this one, Alms Collector to perform and Suor Genovieffa to cover. For those of you who have seen the Met’s new Trittico, either live or on a broadcast, you might remember a donkey onstage during Angelica. Well, I get to bring him on! He’s the basket carrier for the Alms Sisters, and I remember him being so sweet (if a bit stinky...). I don’t technically get to lead him on; there is a handler for that, but I’ll for sure get to pet him!
I’m more excited about the singing aspect of the Genovieffa role. The character is so sweet and has some really gorgeous lines, including a bit about how much she misses being a shepherdess. I hope to get to show a bit more of my range with this role for those folks at the Met who might be noticing those sorts of things.
Micaela and Marguerite: These two roles are the farthest away, but pose the biggest challenge many ways: first roles in French, first serious roles, new styles of music... I am starting me detailed process of score-marking and text exploration; I think you can expect to hear about Marguerite as much as you heard about Susanna. For those of you who missed it, imagine a play-by-play of how I learn and embody a BIG new role! Hope you’ll find it interesting...
Finally a **Request for assistance:** I’m brainstorming a recital program! My father is a member of an amateur astronomy group in Boulder, CO, and I have agreed to do a fund-raising recital for them in December. I’m in the “hunting and gathering” stage of organizing, collecting as many ideas for repertoire as I can. The theme? It’s a stretch: the sky! Anything to do with the stars or the sky or the moon or night or the planets... Got a favorite? Send it along! I’ll post a list of my collection soon and we can brainstorm more together.
That’s all for now! More to come.
PS Almost forgot: Tons of new arias! This will likely be covered in it's own post, but, briefly: Come scoglio, Margie's Jewel Aria, Micaela's "Je dis que rien ne m'epouvante," the aforementioned Juliette Poison aria, and - hold on to your hats - Violetta's Act I cavatina/cabaletta! Here we go!!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Out of Body
Well, after all that, they didn’t even ask for Susannah! Oh well, it was a good excuse to get the aria ready for this coming season.
They asked for Juliette’s “waltz” aria instead, an aria I have sung many, many times - and an aria that many people hate. It is sung by young sopranos for many reasons: it’s not difficult (in the sense that it’s easy to learn the notes), the accompaniment is light, and it shows some flexibility and a few high notes. It is often interpreted by said young sopranos as a joyous romp through Juliette’s birthday party, nothing more than an expression of how happy she is in the moment. “What a great party! I wish I could stay here forever!” This treacly approach is why the aria is widely loathed by audition pianists and panelists.
Yes, it’s a waltz, and it’s her birthday, but what is joyful about
“This intoxication of youth lasts, alas, only for one day!
Then comes the hour when one weeps.
Far from the morose winter let me slumber
and inhale the rose before it’s petals are plucked.”
Sounds like a girl going kicking and screaming toward womanhood, if you ask me, but I swear to you that I have seen a soprano pick up a prop rose with a smile, sniff it, and then toss it gaily over her shoulder at the end of those lines! I died a little in that moment...
I put the aria away for a long time, because I wasn’t sure I could sing it with the necessary gravitas, but a couple of years ago I put it back in the line-up. I’ve been 30-something for a while now, and I think I understand a bit more the longing that Juliette was feeling. It was fun to watch my interpretation grow as I grew up...
And then this summer I started working on Juliette’s second big aria, sung as she takes the poison in the tomb. It is a very mature, very womanly aria which I love to sing and which will be making an occasional appearance this audition season. And - and this shouldn’t really have been a surprise - I think my knowledge of the rest of the character has put the finishing touches on fleshing out the Waltz. There we go.
As if to prove a point, at the audition on Friday I did something new, something I wasn’t expecting and, frankly, something I’m not sure is even “done.” The waltz ends with a cadenza, a long running stream of unaccompanied notes. This cadenza is kind of shaped like a mountain, building up to a quick high D and then back down again before rejoining the piano and ending with a big finish. I have always sung the cadenza fairly evenly; it’s entirely comprised of 8th notes, after all. But Friday, when I got to the D, I actually held it out, probably not more than an extra second, but long enough for my brain to scream at me!! “What are you doing?! You’ve never done this before! Do you know how to get back on track and end this thing without falling to pieces now that you’ve totally broken your rhythm?!?!”
Heh. I made it out unscathed, but those moments when instinct takes over can sure be scary! I hadn’t, after all, “totally broken” my rhythm; I just stretched it a bit. The phrase was alive, vibrant, and apparently it wanted to blossom. It was kind of an awesome moment, one in which my voice seemed to exist outside of me for a moment. I hope it won’t be the last...
They asked for Juliette’s “waltz” aria instead, an aria I have sung many, many times - and an aria that many people hate. It is sung by young sopranos for many reasons: it’s not difficult (in the sense that it’s easy to learn the notes), the accompaniment is light, and it shows some flexibility and a few high notes. It is often interpreted by said young sopranos as a joyous romp through Juliette’s birthday party, nothing more than an expression of how happy she is in the moment. “What a great party! I wish I could stay here forever!” This treacly approach is why the aria is widely loathed by audition pianists and panelists.
Yes, it’s a waltz, and it’s her birthday, but what is joyful about
“This intoxication of youth lasts, alas, only for one day!
Then comes the hour when one weeps.
Far from the morose winter let me slumber
and inhale the rose before it’s petals are plucked.”
Sounds like a girl going kicking and screaming toward womanhood, if you ask me, but I swear to you that I have seen a soprano pick up a prop rose with a smile, sniff it, and then toss it gaily over her shoulder at the end of those lines! I died a little in that moment...
I put the aria away for a long time, because I wasn’t sure I could sing it with the necessary gravitas, but a couple of years ago I put it back in the line-up. I’ve been 30-something for a while now, and I think I understand a bit more the longing that Juliette was feeling. It was fun to watch my interpretation grow as I grew up...
And then this summer I started working on Juliette’s second big aria, sung as she takes the poison in the tomb. It is a very mature, very womanly aria which I love to sing and which will be making an occasional appearance this audition season. And - and this shouldn’t really have been a surprise - I think my knowledge of the rest of the character has put the finishing touches on fleshing out the Waltz. There we go.
As if to prove a point, at the audition on Friday I did something new, something I wasn’t expecting and, frankly, something I’m not sure is even “done.” The waltz ends with a cadenza, a long running stream of unaccompanied notes. This cadenza is kind of shaped like a mountain, building up to a quick high D and then back down again before rejoining the piano and ending with a big finish. I have always sung the cadenza fairly evenly; it’s entirely comprised of 8th notes, after all. But Friday, when I got to the D, I actually held it out, probably not more than an extra second, but long enough for my brain to scream at me!! “What are you doing?! You’ve never done this before! Do you know how to get back on track and end this thing without falling to pieces now that you’ve totally broken your rhythm?!?!”
Heh. I made it out unscathed, but those moments when instinct takes over can sure be scary! I hadn’t, after all, “totally broken” my rhythm; I just stretched it a bit. The phrase was alive, vibrant, and apparently it wanted to blossom. It was kind of an awesome moment, one in which my voice seemed to exist outside of me for a moment. I hope it won’t be the last...
Friday, August 28, 2009
Susanna/h
I have an audition today, the first of the season!
In a funny twist of audition repertoire, I’m offering both Susanna and Susannah! The heroines of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah share a name, but not much else. One is a feisty Italian who is always at the head of the action, either manipulating it or cleaning up the messes, literal and figurative, and who ends the day in the arms of her beloved. The other is a young Appalachian girl, pure and sensual, who is desired and misunderstood and shunned by her town in such a way that it leads to her ruin. You know my long love affair with Susanna, but I’ve also had a place in my heart for Susannah (keep your eye out for that H in this post!) over the years. It is a wonderful opera, with a great heroine with a great character arc. I sang several scenes throughout my schooling, but was never sure my voice would gain the required heft to make it through so dramatic a role. Well, here we are!
As I was warming up this morning, I was thinking about which aria to start with, and I’ve decided to go with Susanna. I know the aria very well, I have two great productions on my resume, and I have another already booked for the 2010-11 season. It should be a good introduction to the panel! (Although technically I think I’ve sung for them about ten times over the years...) If they ask for Susannah after that, I’ll have some things to watch out for.
First, character. Gone will be the crafty yet dreamy lover hoping for a good end to a crazy day, and in her place will need to be an innocent, wide-eyed, hopeful girl, longing to see the world. The Floyd aria needs to start without a trace of guile or desperation. In fact, I think the whole aria (“Ain’t it a pretty night”) should be sung with hope and innocence; the outside world hasn’t yet become real to Susannah.
Second, vocal style. Well-sung Mozart is all about line, line, line. Legato for days. With the American aria, I need to get back to truly speaking the text, similar to how I would sing a Mozart recitative. There are moments in the Floyd where I will pour on the legato, but not on every phrase. There are several chunks of phrases (that’s the technical term, “chunks”) that come back at the end of the aria. I need to remember to sing them the first time as if the words are just pouring out of my mouth as quickly as I think them up, without schmaltzy embellishments. Those can come in at the end, tastefully, of course.
It’s exciting to think about rep like this, to take two arias that are so different and remind myself of the potential areas for danger. Too much legato in Susannah will lead me to sing too heavily which will lead me to blowing the high notes. Too much Susanna sass won’t allow the purity of Susannah’s character to come through. A great challenge.
I’ve got more thinking to do about purity and innocence this season, as my three new roles are all wide-eyed wonder girls: Genovieffe, Micaela, Marguerite. The approach to these ladies will be very different from that of Susanna, Rosina, and Zerlina!
Stay tuned...
In a funny twist of audition repertoire, I’m offering both Susanna and Susannah! The heroines of Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro and Carlisle Floyd’s Susannah share a name, but not much else. One is a feisty Italian who is always at the head of the action, either manipulating it or cleaning up the messes, literal and figurative, and who ends the day in the arms of her beloved. The other is a young Appalachian girl, pure and sensual, who is desired and misunderstood and shunned by her town in such a way that it leads to her ruin. You know my long love affair with Susanna, but I’ve also had a place in my heart for Susannah (keep your eye out for that H in this post!) over the years. It is a wonderful opera, with a great heroine with a great character arc. I sang several scenes throughout my schooling, but was never sure my voice would gain the required heft to make it through so dramatic a role. Well, here we are!
As I was warming up this morning, I was thinking about which aria to start with, and I’ve decided to go with Susanna. I know the aria very well, I have two great productions on my resume, and I have another already booked for the 2010-11 season. It should be a good introduction to the panel! (Although technically I think I’ve sung for them about ten times over the years...) If they ask for Susannah after that, I’ll have some things to watch out for.
First, character. Gone will be the crafty yet dreamy lover hoping for a good end to a crazy day, and in her place will need to be an innocent, wide-eyed, hopeful girl, longing to see the world. The Floyd aria needs to start without a trace of guile or desperation. In fact, I think the whole aria (“Ain’t it a pretty night”) should be sung with hope and innocence; the outside world hasn’t yet become real to Susannah.
Second, vocal style. Well-sung Mozart is all about line, line, line. Legato for days. With the American aria, I need to get back to truly speaking the text, similar to how I would sing a Mozart recitative. There are moments in the Floyd where I will pour on the legato, but not on every phrase. There are several chunks of phrases (that’s the technical term, “chunks”) that come back at the end of the aria. I need to remember to sing them the first time as if the words are just pouring out of my mouth as quickly as I think them up, without schmaltzy embellishments. Those can come in at the end, tastefully, of course.
It’s exciting to think about rep like this, to take two arias that are so different and remind myself of the potential areas for danger. Too much legato in Susannah will lead me to sing too heavily which will lead me to blowing the high notes. Too much Susanna sass won’t allow the purity of Susannah’s character to come through. A great challenge.
I’ve got more thinking to do about purity and innocence this season, as my three new roles are all wide-eyed wonder girls: Genovieffe, Micaela, Marguerite. The approach to these ladies will be very different from that of Susanna, Rosina, and Zerlina!
Stay tuned...
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Lists, 2008
NOW:
Adina, L’elisir d’amore
Norina, Don Pasquale
Musetta, La Boheme
Susanna, Le Nozze di Figaro
Nannetta, Falstaff
Baby Doe, The Ballad of Baby Doe
Gilda, Rigoletto
Juliette, Romeo et Juliette
Anne Trulove, The Rake’s Progress
Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor
SOON (3-5 years):
Susannah, Susannah
Manon, Manon
Melisande, Pelleas et Melisande (yummm)
Fiordiligi, Cosi fan tutte
Donna Anna, Don Giovanni
Konstanze, Abduction
Elvira, I puritani
Amina, La Sonnambula
Micaela, Carmen
Alcina, Alcina
Rodelinda, Rodelinda (Handel and his creative titles...)
FUTURE (5+ years???):
Countess, Le nozze di Figaro (whaaa?)
Juliet, I Capuletti ei Monetcchi
Arabella, Arabella
Violetta, La Traviata
Srsly!! The future is wide open... And no, this isn’t a hint of any big news or a new role on the books for coming seasons. Just continued reshaping and growing of repertoire - and of dreams.
Adina, L’elisir d’amore
Norina, Don Pasquale
Musetta, La Boheme
Susanna, Le Nozze di Figaro
Nannetta, Falstaff
Baby Doe, The Ballad of Baby Doe
Gilda, Rigoletto
Juliette, Romeo et Juliette
Anne Trulove, The Rake’s Progress
Lucia, Lucia di Lammermoor
SOON (3-5 years):
Susannah, Susannah
Manon, Manon
Melisande, Pelleas et Melisande (yummm)
Fiordiligi, Cosi fan tutte
Donna Anna, Don Giovanni
Konstanze, Abduction
Elvira, I puritani
Amina, La Sonnambula
Micaela, Carmen
Alcina, Alcina
Rodelinda, Rodelinda (Handel and his creative titles...)
FUTURE (5+ years???):
Countess, Le nozze di Figaro (whaaa?)
Juliet, I Capuletti ei Monetcchi
Arabella, Arabella
Violetta, La Traviata
Srsly!! The future is wide open... And no, this isn’t a hint of any big news or a new role on the books for coming seasons. Just continued reshaping and growing of repertoire - and of dreams.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Level Up
This past October, I wrote this: “I’m still learning to embrace this fuller voice that has shown up this year, still shedding the mental skin of the “soubrette” label. Me? Manon? Can I sing “Adieu notre petite table?””
I had a great talk with a mentor today, and he brought up the notable change in my voice over the past few years. When he first heard me in 2005, I was sitting square in the middle of the soubrette section, unsure how my voice would grow and not entirely enthusiastic about the rep I was currently singing. There is a reason I’ve never really learned either of Despina’s arias... (Call me for a Despina when I’m 55, and it’ll be a different story; again, a subject for another post.)
Take a look at the lists I made back in the summer of 05. See those “roles I might sing in the future?” Juliet, Manon, Anne Trulove. The future is now, my friends. So what roles does the future hold? Character names were tossed around today in a way that was both scary - “But I thought I had a small voice?” - and affirming. Today I got some outside confirmation about something I’ve felt coming on this year: I’m leveling up. Maybe tomorrow I’ll post the 2008 version of those lists...
I had a great talk with a mentor today, and he brought up the notable change in my voice over the past few years. When he first heard me in 2005, I was sitting square in the middle of the soubrette section, unsure how my voice would grow and not entirely enthusiastic about the rep I was currently singing. There is a reason I’ve never really learned either of Despina’s arias... (Call me for a Despina when I’m 55, and it’ll be a different story; again, a subject for another post.)
Take a look at the lists I made back in the summer of 05. See those “roles I might sing in the future?” Juliet, Manon, Anne Trulove. The future is now, my friends. So what roles does the future hold? Character names were tossed around today in a way that was both scary - “But I thought I had a small voice?” - and affirming. Today I got some outside confirmation about something I’ve felt coming on this year: I’m leveling up. Maybe tomorrow I’ll post the 2008 version of those lists...
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Lists
My audition book has been tweaked a bit since the summer; I’m feeling really good about “the list” this year.
Audition Arias, Winter 2007
It: Gilda; Caro nome
It, Baroque: Morgana, Tornami a vagheggiar
It, bel canto: Lucia; Regnava nel silenzio
Ger: Pamina; Ach, ich fühl’s
Fr: Manon; Adieu, notre petite table
Eng: Baby Doe; Dearest Mama
Also available; to be traded in, if needed, to tailor an audition:
It: Nannatta; Sul fin d’un soffio etesio
It: Adina; Prendi, per me sei libero
Fr: Juliette; Je veux vivre
Eng: Yum-Yum; The Sun, whose rays are all ablaze”
Also On the “Piano:”
For Oct. 25th, “pick-up” recital with Djordje Nesic at VIM:
Rachmaninoff songs and Vocalise
Poulenc, Fiancailles pour rire
maybe some Bellini songs…
For the Inaugural 5 Boroughs Music Festival concert (Nov. 1):
John Musto, “Litany”
selections from Alan Smith’s “Vignettes: Ellis Island”
Brahms, Liebeslieder Waltzes
To keep fresh, “just in case:”
Judd Greenstein, Hillula
Met assignments:
Iphigenie en Tauride, 1st Priestess/Greek Woman
Hansel & Gretel, Dew Fairy
War & Peace, French Actress
Macbeth Apparition and Barbarina, of course
For February recording and tour:
Evan Chambers, The Old Burying Ground
A few scores for potential gigs, acquainting myself with roles
And always:
Le nozze di Figaro!!
Audition Arias, Winter 2007
It: Gilda; Caro nome
It, Baroque: Morgana, Tornami a vagheggiar
It, bel canto: Lucia; Regnava nel silenzio
Ger: Pamina; Ach, ich fühl’s
Fr: Manon; Adieu, notre petite table
Eng: Baby Doe; Dearest Mama
Also available; to be traded in, if needed, to tailor an audition:
It: Nannatta; Sul fin d’un soffio etesio
It: Adina; Prendi, per me sei libero
Fr: Juliette; Je veux vivre
Eng: Yum-Yum; The Sun, whose rays are all ablaze”
Also On the “Piano:”
For Oct. 25th, “pick-up” recital with Djordje Nesic at VIM:
Rachmaninoff songs and Vocalise
Poulenc, Fiancailles pour rire
maybe some Bellini songs…
For the Inaugural 5 Boroughs Music Festival concert (Nov. 1):
John Musto, “Litany”
selections from Alan Smith’s “Vignettes: Ellis Island”
Brahms, Liebeslieder Waltzes
To keep fresh, “just in case:”
Judd Greenstein, Hillula
Met assignments:
Iphigenie en Tauride, 1st Priestess/Greek Woman
Hansel & Gretel, Dew Fairy
War & Peace, French Actress
Macbeth Apparition and Barbarina, of course
For February recording and tour:
Evan Chambers, The Old Burying Ground
A few scores for potential gigs, acquainting myself with roles
And always:
Le nozze di Figaro!!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Who knew?
Who knew that the cure for a really lousy day was a voice lesson?
Today was one of those days that just never really got off the ground. I rarely have bad days, I’m an optimist and an idealist, you know this. But today? I just wanted to go back to bed. About every two hours I would think that: “When do I get to crawl under my covers?”
Because I’m an optimist, I often disregard things that are bothering me, choosing instead to think that they’ll just get better. And often they do! But sometimes the proverbial shit* hits the fan, and I have to face the music. Some of the things today are personal, but there was professional stuff, too: frustration that Bhakti fundraising is (way) behind schedule, disappointment that a possible Hillula performance has had to be postponed, even (gasp!) some professional jealousy.
But after a much-needed dinner with JD and finally getting some stuff talked about, I move on, this time with a plan. Well, the start of new plans.
1. A mailing list campaign for The Bhakti Project. I jumped in so far over my head with this thing, it is not even funny. I have more contacts in New York now, though, and I’m getting more help and advice about how to proceed. I’ve reset my short-term goal, focusing on raising the rest of the commission fee: $4000. I can totally do that. We’ll worry about the recording later…
2. JD and I, together with Judd, are back to the drawing board / brainstorming for performance opportunities for Hillula. We’re also workshopping it, a bit, working together to find its final incarnation. We all love the piece, and we want it to have the opportunities it deserves. So, I say again: stay tuned.
3. The successes of my friends and colleagues should help motivate me in these endeavors. I see how their hard work has paid off and am reminded that maybe I can do more. Nothing comes to us in this business without a little hustle, so it’s time to “hustle my bustle,” as my mom would say. Bustle hustling!
Even with all of this, this new outlook, I was still seriously weighed down. I had a voice lesson scheduled for 8pm, and I thought about canceling, but it was too late to do so without having to pay for it any way. I figured I might as well go; worst case, we’d just talk about rep.
Well, glory be, if things didn’t just go swimmingly! We worked our normal half hour of technique tweaking; this is the first time I’ve been with a teacher long enough that I can really tell that working “his” technique is helping, that things are “sticking.” It felt so good. Then we started on the things I had in my bag: Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise (can anyone tell me why I haven’t sung this until now?!) and a couple of songs, the Dew Fairy aria from Hansel & Gretel, and then we pulled out my audition book. I showed him what I’ve been taking in these days, and he gave everything the green light. But then I said, “What do you think about substituting a Manon aria for the Juliette?”
He agreed, and then suggested her first aria, “Je suis encore étourdie.” The thing about Manon – and this is true of many opera heroines – is that the vocal writing starts out fairly light – young, sweet – and progresses in heaviness to the end of the opera, usually expressing her demise. Gilda, Juliette, Mimi (?). I said that I was hesitant to offer that first aria, since I would be afraid the audition panel would hear it and think “Well, that’s pretty, but does she have the voice for the end?” I’m still learning to embrace this fuller voice that has shown up this year, still shedding the mental skin of the “soubrette” label. Me? Manon? Can I sing “Adieu notre petite table?”
Yes. Yes, I can. Say hello to my new French aria.
By the time we wrapped up, I felt so much better. Clearer of head, lighter of heart. I love to sing. It makes me feel good. And yet, it is often very hard to sing when I’m upset. Heh, often? Always. Unless it’s a performance that I can totally immerse myself in, I hate singing when I’m upset. But I think I need to remember this evening and how much that hour of opening my heart brought me joy, how immersing myself in the music lifted my spirits. And so much better for me than a pint of Pomegranate Chip Haagen-Dazs!
* I think this is the first official swear word on The Concert… I’m sorry; I just couldn’t think of a better metaphor! It was that kind of day. Call me a bad writer.
Today was one of those days that just never really got off the ground. I rarely have bad days, I’m an optimist and an idealist, you know this. But today? I just wanted to go back to bed. About every two hours I would think that: “When do I get to crawl under my covers?”
Because I’m an optimist, I often disregard things that are bothering me, choosing instead to think that they’ll just get better. And often they do! But sometimes the proverbial shit* hits the fan, and I have to face the music. Some of the things today are personal, but there was professional stuff, too: frustration that Bhakti fundraising is (way) behind schedule, disappointment that a possible Hillula performance has had to be postponed, even (gasp!) some professional jealousy.
But after a much-needed dinner with JD and finally getting some stuff talked about, I move on, this time with a plan. Well, the start of new plans.
1. A mailing list campaign for The Bhakti Project. I jumped in so far over my head with this thing, it is not even funny. I have more contacts in New York now, though, and I’m getting more help and advice about how to proceed. I’ve reset my short-term goal, focusing on raising the rest of the commission fee: $4000. I can totally do that. We’ll worry about the recording later…
2. JD and I, together with Judd, are back to the drawing board / brainstorming for performance opportunities for Hillula. We’re also workshopping it, a bit, working together to find its final incarnation. We all love the piece, and we want it to have the opportunities it deserves. So, I say again: stay tuned.
3. The successes of my friends and colleagues should help motivate me in these endeavors. I see how their hard work has paid off and am reminded that maybe I can do more. Nothing comes to us in this business without a little hustle, so it’s time to “hustle my bustle,” as my mom would say. Bustle hustling!
Even with all of this, this new outlook, I was still seriously weighed down. I had a voice lesson scheduled for 8pm, and I thought about canceling, but it was too late to do so without having to pay for it any way. I figured I might as well go; worst case, we’d just talk about rep.
Well, glory be, if things didn’t just go swimmingly! We worked our normal half hour of technique tweaking; this is the first time I’ve been with a teacher long enough that I can really tell that working “his” technique is helping, that things are “sticking.” It felt so good. Then we started on the things I had in my bag: Rachmaninoff’s Vocalise (can anyone tell me why I haven’t sung this until now?!) and a couple of songs, the Dew Fairy aria from Hansel & Gretel, and then we pulled out my audition book. I showed him what I’ve been taking in these days, and he gave everything the green light. But then I said, “What do you think about substituting a Manon aria for the Juliette?”
He agreed, and then suggested her first aria, “Je suis encore étourdie.” The thing about Manon – and this is true of many opera heroines – is that the vocal writing starts out fairly light – young, sweet – and progresses in heaviness to the end of the opera, usually expressing her demise. Gilda, Juliette, Mimi (?). I said that I was hesitant to offer that first aria, since I would be afraid the audition panel would hear it and think “Well, that’s pretty, but does she have the voice for the end?” I’m still learning to embrace this fuller voice that has shown up this year, still shedding the mental skin of the “soubrette” label. Me? Manon? Can I sing “Adieu notre petite table?”
Yes. Yes, I can. Say hello to my new French aria.
By the time we wrapped up, I felt so much better. Clearer of head, lighter of heart. I love to sing. It makes me feel good. And yet, it is often very hard to sing when I’m upset. Heh, often? Always. Unless it’s a performance that I can totally immerse myself in, I hate singing when I’m upset. But I think I need to remember this evening and how much that hour of opening my heart brought me joy, how immersing myself in the music lifted my spirits. And so much better for me than a pint of Pomegranate Chip Haagen-Dazs!
* I think this is the first official swear word on The Concert… I’m sorry; I just couldn’t think of a better metaphor! It was that kind of day. Call me a bad writer.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Shop talk - arias
It’s been a while since I’ve written an “identity crisis” post, but as I’m starting to nail down arias for this fall’s audition season, the question of Fach is on my mind yet again. I’m coming more to terms with this every day/month/year, but it is still frustrating: I sit squarely between two Fachs! (Reminder for those not in the biz: Fach is the term used to describe someone’s vocal category. People love labels…)
I’m not quite a Lyric soprano, because my voice isn’t heavy enough to sing the big Lyric roles like Mimi or Marguerite. I also have an extension, meaning that I’m comfortable accessing notes above “high C” on a regular basis. Funny, but after a year of embracing my inner Lyric, my highest notes are coming back into focus again. I’m regularly warming up to an F# these days, and therefore that pesky E is getting more and more solid.
But I’m not a Coloratura soprano, because the color of my voice is warmer and rounder than one typically identifies with a “fireworks and bird calls” soprano.* I also am not comfortable with the pointalistic kind of coloratura, a la the Queen of the Night or Olympia, or even Lakme. But what’s one of my favorite arias to sing? Zerbinetta’s showstopper from Ariadne auf Naxos, widely considered to be “the” coloratura masterpiece. I just sang it again today after a few months away… what an incredible aria. It shows everything – lyric singing, agility, high and low notes, acting. Fantastic.
(* For the Associates concert, we all sang an aria or song, and I chose Caro nome (Gilda’s aria from Rigoletto). Several of my colleagues came to me afterwards and said things along the lines of “I’ve never heard anyone sing that with so much voice!” I had no idea what they meant by that; was I just loud that whole time? So I asked a couple of people whose opinions I trust to tell me what that meant. Turns out, it was, in fact, a good thing. The presence and warmth that I’ve been developing in my voice by working with Mark and by growing up and freeing up is really coming into focus, and rather than singing a light, quasi-chirpy Caro nome, my voice sings it as a Lyric soprano. Cool.)
So, I call myself a Lyric with Coloratura. Clear enough, right? The only trouble is that some auditioners might look at an audition list and see roles that, to their minds, might not belong in the same voice. But, I have to trust that they belong in my voice, and so the are “allowed” to coexist on my rep list. (See why this is frustrating?)
What are the roles I know I could sing the pants off of right now: Gilda, Susanna, Adina, Nannetta, Pamina, Zerbinetta, Anne Truelove, Baby Doe. So, arias from these roles should make up my audition list, right? Let’s see what that would look like. Generally, one aims for five arias representing the four major opera languages. I’m usually up to six arias these days, ‘cuz I want an extra Italian aria to show my budding bel canto chops.
It: Gilda, Caro nome
It, Mozart: Susanna, Deh vieni, non tarder
It, bel canto: Adina, Prendi, per me se libero
Ger: Zerbinetta, Grossmächtige Prinzessin
Eng: Baby Doe, Always through the changing (?? There are five others to choose from…)
What’s missing? What’s always missing?! Something French… I’m toying with “Non, monsieur mari” from Poulenc’s “Les mamelles de Tirésias.” Funny, 20th Century… Maybe I’ll spend some time with that tonight.
The trouble with Zerb is that her aria is 12 minutes long and a real test for the pianist. I usually bring my fearless companion, JD, to my auditions, and we’d rehearse it of course. I’ll have to poll some of my fellow sopranos who offer this piece and see which excerpts they offer – and if it ever gets asked for!
How does this list compare with last season’s list?
It: Nannetta’s aria
It, Baroque: Morgana, Tornami a vagheggiar
It, bel canto: Lucia, Regnava nel silenzio
Ger: Sophie, Presentation of the Rose
Fr: Sophie, Du gai soleil
Eng: Baby Doe, Silver Aria
I stopped offering Presentation about halfway through, ‘cuz I still have a hard time carrying that scene as a solo scene (it’s really a duet). And the “other Sophie” was rarely asked for. I feel like this new batch of arias is pretty consistent. I’m swapping a Verdi, a bel canto, and a Baby Doe aria for another of the same; I’m adding a character French (Tirésias) and a flashy German (Zerb).
This feels like a post I write every year… (Heh. Every year in mid-July, it seems...) Sorry for the rehashing, but it helps me get my audition book into focus! Up next: a recap of Instant Opera, but first a trip away from this idyllic countryside. A change of perspective is always good, especially when it involves good food, friends, and the best city in the world. Back soon…
I’m not quite a Lyric soprano, because my voice isn’t heavy enough to sing the big Lyric roles like Mimi or Marguerite. I also have an extension, meaning that I’m comfortable accessing notes above “high C” on a regular basis. Funny, but after a year of embracing my inner Lyric, my highest notes are coming back into focus again. I’m regularly warming up to an F# these days, and therefore that pesky E is getting more and more solid.
But I’m not a Coloratura soprano, because the color of my voice is warmer and rounder than one typically identifies with a “fireworks and bird calls” soprano.* I also am not comfortable with the pointalistic kind of coloratura, a la the Queen of the Night or Olympia, or even Lakme. But what’s one of my favorite arias to sing? Zerbinetta’s showstopper from Ariadne auf Naxos, widely considered to be “the” coloratura masterpiece. I just sang it again today after a few months away… what an incredible aria. It shows everything – lyric singing, agility, high and low notes, acting. Fantastic.
(* For the Associates concert, we all sang an aria or song, and I chose Caro nome (Gilda’s aria from Rigoletto). Several of my colleagues came to me afterwards and said things along the lines of “I’ve never heard anyone sing that with so much voice!” I had no idea what they meant by that; was I just loud that whole time? So I asked a couple of people whose opinions I trust to tell me what that meant. Turns out, it was, in fact, a good thing. The presence and warmth that I’ve been developing in my voice by working with Mark and by growing up and freeing up is really coming into focus, and rather than singing a light, quasi-chirpy Caro nome, my voice sings it as a Lyric soprano. Cool.)
So, I call myself a Lyric with Coloratura. Clear enough, right? The only trouble is that some auditioners might look at an audition list and see roles that, to their minds, might not belong in the same voice. But, I have to trust that they belong in my voice, and so the are “allowed” to coexist on my rep list. (See why this is frustrating?)
What are the roles I know I could sing the pants off of right now: Gilda, Susanna, Adina, Nannetta, Pamina, Zerbinetta, Anne Truelove, Baby Doe. So, arias from these roles should make up my audition list, right? Let’s see what that would look like. Generally, one aims for five arias representing the four major opera languages. I’m usually up to six arias these days, ‘cuz I want an extra Italian aria to show my budding bel canto chops.
It: Gilda, Caro nome
It, Mozart: Susanna, Deh vieni, non tarder
It, bel canto: Adina, Prendi, per me se libero
Ger: Zerbinetta, Grossmächtige Prinzessin
Eng: Baby Doe, Always through the changing (?? There are five others to choose from…)
What’s missing? What’s always missing?! Something French… I’m toying with “Non, monsieur mari” from Poulenc’s “Les mamelles de Tirésias.” Funny, 20th Century… Maybe I’ll spend some time with that tonight.
The trouble with Zerb is that her aria is 12 minutes long and a real test for the pianist. I usually bring my fearless companion, JD, to my auditions, and we’d rehearse it of course. I’ll have to poll some of my fellow sopranos who offer this piece and see which excerpts they offer – and if it ever gets asked for!
How does this list compare with last season’s list?
It: Nannetta’s aria
It, Baroque: Morgana, Tornami a vagheggiar
It, bel canto: Lucia, Regnava nel silenzio
Ger: Sophie, Presentation of the Rose
Fr: Sophie, Du gai soleil
Eng: Baby Doe, Silver Aria
I stopped offering Presentation about halfway through, ‘cuz I still have a hard time carrying that scene as a solo scene (it’s really a duet). And the “other Sophie” was rarely asked for. I feel like this new batch of arias is pretty consistent. I’m swapping a Verdi, a bel canto, and a Baby Doe aria for another of the same; I’m adding a character French (Tirésias) and a flashy German (Zerb).
This feels like a post I write every year… (Heh. Every year in mid-July, it seems...) Sorry for the rehashing, but it helps me get my audition book into focus! Up next: a recap of Instant Opera, but first a trip away from this idyllic countryside. A change of perspective is always good, especially when it involves good food, friends, and the best city in the world. Back soon…
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Day off
It is perfectly chilly here today, and I’m taking full advantage of the day off to spend as much time in my yoga clothes as possible. I’m even wearing a sweater! I have the windows open and a cup of steaming coffee and Mozart playing… it’s pretty darn nice.
I’m not feeling very articulate today, but here are a few tidbits:
Head over to Kim’s blog to see some pictures from the Volpone promo photo shoot we did yesterday. There will be a preview article in the Washington Post this Sunday, so we threw together a shoot to get some photos; hopefully they’ll run one with the article. I love my costume, but I’m very curious to see if I can do all of my staging in the corset and big skirt… “That’s why we rehearse!”
We do our first run-through on the set tomorrow!
When I need a break from Volpone (hey, it happens…), I’ve started working on my SIS (Self Imposed Study) for the summer: two Italian roles, Nannetta (Falstaff) and Susanna (Nozze di Figaro). It just so happens that the Studio Artists (the younger level of singers here at WTOC this summer) are doing big scenes from each of those operas. I’m hoping to snag some time with their Italian coach after Volpone is up and running… (And she reads the blog! Hi, FG!)
I’ll outline some of my role prep techniques here soon. Since it’s announced in my biography on my management site, I guess I can say that I’ll be singing my first Susanna next season! This is a huge role (the longest in the soprano repertoire), and I have nine months to get it into my voice/body/spirit. I’m excited for the process! What an amazing opera, amazing role. For now, I’ll just say “text, text, text!”
That’s all for now. There should be some news to share in the next few days, too, so stayed tuned!
I’m not feeling very articulate today, but here are a few tidbits:
Head over to Kim’s blog to see some pictures from the Volpone promo photo shoot we did yesterday. There will be a preview article in the Washington Post this Sunday, so we threw together a shoot to get some photos; hopefully they’ll run one with the article. I love my costume, but I’m very curious to see if I can do all of my staging in the corset and big skirt… “That’s why we rehearse!”
We do our first run-through on the set tomorrow!
When I need a break from Volpone (hey, it happens…), I’ve started working on my SIS (Self Imposed Study) for the summer: two Italian roles, Nannetta (Falstaff) and Susanna (Nozze di Figaro). It just so happens that the Studio Artists (the younger level of singers here at WTOC this summer) are doing big scenes from each of those operas. I’m hoping to snag some time with their Italian coach after Volpone is up and running… (And she reads the blog! Hi, FG!)
I’ll outline some of my role prep techniques here soon. Since it’s announced in my biography on my management site, I guess I can say that I’ll be singing my first Susanna next season! This is a huge role (the longest in the soprano repertoire), and I have nine months to get it into my voice/body/spirit. I’m excited for the process! What an amazing opera, amazing role. For now, I’ll just say “text, text, text!”
That’s all for now. There should be some news to share in the next few days, too, so stayed tuned!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
On the “Piano”
If I had a piano, I’d have several stacks of music piled on it these days, things I’m learning or revisiting for upcoming events. I haven’t done an entry like this in a while, so I thought it might be worth a look. Here’s what’s “on the piano” these days.
For a last-minute audition tomorrow for a recital foundation:
Rorem, “In a Gondola”
Schubert, “Gretchen am Spinnrade”
Bellini, “Per pieta, bell’ idol mio”
Poulenc, “Violon”
Rachmaninoff, “Zdes xhorosho”
These are all songs I’ve sung before, nothing new, but I’m having to spend a little extra time with “Gretchen,” making sure the words are in there. I’ve been asked in the comments to explain how I memorize words, and in order to really know that I have them, I have to write them over and over and over again. That’s really the only way for me! And I think when I learned “Gretchen,” I didn’t really go through the process. I crammed it. So now, when I look at it again, it’s not on autopilot like it should be. More on the memorization process soon.
For an opera competition next week:
standard audition repertoire
plus the new addition of Juliette’s first act aria, “Je veux vivre.” (Another “big girl” role making it’s way into my rep.
For the Oratorio Society Competition:
Come unto Him, Messiah, Handel
Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Cantata 51, Bach
Laudate dominum, Vesperae solennes, Mozart
Lua descolorida, La Pasion segun San Marcos, Golijov
Carmina Burana, Orff
The requirements for this competition are one aria from Messiah, three arias from contrasting works, and all the solos from one complete oratorio. I feel like this is a good program, showing a little bit of everything. I really hope they ask for the Golijov…
For the rest of the season at the Met:
Suor Angelica and Il tabarro
L’elisir d’amore
For the summer:
an opera (How’s that for vague?!)
I recently learned who will be directing the opera, and it’s someone I’ve wanted to work with for a while now. We’re both excited for the opportunity, and knowing he would be there made this experience even more appealing! I think we’ll have a lot of fun.
Back to Gretchen and her spinning wheel…
For a last-minute audition tomorrow for a recital foundation:
Rorem, “In a Gondola”
Schubert, “Gretchen am Spinnrade”
Bellini, “Per pieta, bell’ idol mio”
Poulenc, “Violon”
Rachmaninoff, “Zdes xhorosho”
These are all songs I’ve sung before, nothing new, but I’m having to spend a little extra time with “Gretchen,” making sure the words are in there. I’ve been asked in the comments to explain how I memorize words, and in order to really know that I have them, I have to write them over and over and over again. That’s really the only way for me! And I think when I learned “Gretchen,” I didn’t really go through the process. I crammed it. So now, when I look at it again, it’s not on autopilot like it should be. More on the memorization process soon.
For an opera competition next week:
standard audition repertoire
plus the new addition of Juliette’s first act aria, “Je veux vivre.” (Another “big girl” role making it’s way into my rep.
For the Oratorio Society Competition:
Come unto Him, Messiah, Handel
Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, Cantata 51, Bach
Laudate dominum, Vesperae solennes, Mozart
Lua descolorida, La Pasion segun San Marcos, Golijov
Carmina Burana, Orff
The requirements for this competition are one aria from Messiah, three arias from contrasting works, and all the solos from one complete oratorio. I feel like this is a good program, showing a little bit of everything. I really hope they ask for the Golijov…
For the rest of the season at the Met:
Suor Angelica and Il tabarro
L’elisir d’amore
For the summer:
an opera (How’s that for vague?!)
I recently learned who will be directing the opera, and it’s someone I’ve wanted to work with for a while now. We’re both excited for the opportunity, and knowing he would be there made this experience even more appealing! I think we’ll have a lot of fun.
Back to Gretchen and her spinning wheel…
Monday, January 08, 2007
Except…
I wrote this email to a friend this afternoon, after getting home from my First Day:
So, it was totally nothing big. Just a rehearsal, just a coaching, exactly like every other rehearsal and coaching I've ever had. Except... know what I mean? Except for having an ID card now that says "The Metropolitan Opera, Principal Artist, Anne-Carolyn Bird," except for almost running into Rene Pape on my way out of the building. (HOTT) Just another day at the office!
I’ll add: except for Paul Plishka accidentally interrupting my coaching; except for the miles and miles of corridors, most of which seemed to be filled with racks of costumes; except for the final dress rehearsal of La Traviata going on in the theatre and all the people outside asking MP and me if we had extra tickets, except…
But seriously, about halfway through the rehearsal, I looked around at the tape on the floor and the stage managers and the director and thought, “This is just a variation on a theme that I started in Mrs. Stettler’s Junior High drama classes…” It’s much less scary when you think of it that way.
And, as always, it’s less scary when you’re prepared. My individual coaching went very well, and I was able to sing just fine. Everybody, it seemed, from staff to singers, has some variation of this bug; ‘tis the season. I think I passed, and I hope that any report my coach will take back to the powers-that-be will be a good one.
Turns out I’m required to be at even fewer rehearsals than I thought, so I am committing myself (publicly, so help me stick to it!) to spending at least three hours (the equivalent of one rehearsal call) on each day I’m not called to the Met at home working on scores. (That was a confusing sentence… sorry.) The list of roles to learn doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter, and the opportunities are only getting greater. Bigger and better and more high profile. So when the call comes, I need to be ready. Today I realized that this spring is not just an opportunity to work at the Met, it’s an chance for me to study. I’m getting paid well for the next 19 weeks, and I’m going to have a lot of free time. I’d better have something to show for it at the end.
So to that end, every Study Day I’ll post here what score/role I’ve pulled off the shelf. Tomorrow will be the first, and I’m thinking Gretel. We’ll see at 11:00, when my Study Call begins. Fun!
So, it was totally nothing big. Just a rehearsal, just a coaching, exactly like every other rehearsal and coaching I've ever had. Except... know what I mean? Except for having an ID card now that says "The Metropolitan Opera, Principal Artist, Anne-Carolyn Bird," except for almost running into Rene Pape on my way out of the building. (HOTT) Just another day at the office!
I’ll add: except for Paul Plishka accidentally interrupting my coaching; except for the miles and miles of corridors, most of which seemed to be filled with racks of costumes; except for the final dress rehearsal of La Traviata going on in the theatre and all the people outside asking MP and me if we had extra tickets, except…
But seriously, about halfway through the rehearsal, I looked around at the tape on the floor and the stage managers and the director and thought, “This is just a variation on a theme that I started in Mrs. Stettler’s Junior High drama classes…” It’s much less scary when you think of it that way.
And, as always, it’s less scary when you’re prepared. My individual coaching went very well, and I was able to sing just fine. Everybody, it seemed, from staff to singers, has some variation of this bug; ‘tis the season. I think I passed, and I hope that any report my coach will take back to the powers-that-be will be a good one.
Turns out I’m required to be at even fewer rehearsals than I thought, so I am committing myself (publicly, so help me stick to it!) to spending at least three hours (the equivalent of one rehearsal call) on each day I’m not called to the Met at home working on scores. (That was a confusing sentence… sorry.) The list of roles to learn doesn’t seem to be getting any shorter, and the opportunities are only getting greater. Bigger and better and more high profile. So when the call comes, I need to be ready. Today I realized that this spring is not just an opportunity to work at the Met, it’s an chance for me to study. I’m getting paid well for the next 19 weeks, and I’m going to have a lot of free time. I’d better have something to show for it at the end.
So to that end, every Study Day I’ll post here what score/role I’ve pulled off the shelf. Tomorrow will be the first, and I’m thinking Gretel. We’ll see at 11:00, when my Study Call begins. Fun!
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Candy
After this evening’s audition, JD and I went to the musician’s candy store: Patelson’s Music House! A beautifully stocked sheet music shop, it is the first stop for any NYC-based musician’s search. After years of buying most of my music online, it’s nice to spend some time browsing though actual books! The tactile experience was a lovely way to follow up an audition.
I bought two scores I’ve recently been encouraged to “get to know:” Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette and Rossini’s Barber of Seville. I’ve avoided both roles for different reasons for a while now – Juliette has always been too heavy; Rosina is considered a mezzo role – but those reasons have finally become moot. My voice has grown into Juliette, and Rosina is often cast with a soprano, depending on the musical preferences of the company. And, if they’re going to cast a soprano, a voice like mine is well-suited. So, two new toys! An early Christmas present to myself…
This week’s auditions: Fort Worth, Virginia, Opera Boston (in Boston), and Nashville. And that’s the end of my audition season!!! Woohoo!!
I bought two scores I’ve recently been encouraged to “get to know:” Gounod’s Romeo et Juliette and Rossini’s Barber of Seville. I’ve avoided both roles for different reasons for a while now – Juliette has always been too heavy; Rosina is considered a mezzo role – but those reasons have finally become moot. My voice has grown into Juliette, and Rosina is often cast with a soprano, depending on the musical preferences of the company. And, if they’re going to cast a soprano, a voice like mine is well-suited. So, two new toys! An early Christmas present to myself…
This week’s auditions: Fort Worth, Virginia, Opera Boston (in Boston), and Nashville. And that’s the end of my audition season!!! Woohoo!!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Silver
Today we had our “mock” auditions in preparation for next week’s house auditions. This is the big event of the summer, a big part of why so many singers apply to be an Apprentice at Santa Fe Opera (1100 applicants this year; over 700 auditions granted; 42 singers accepted). Directors of opera companies from all over will make a special “scouting” trip to Santa Fe next week, and each of us will get one shot at making a good impression. The directors call it “Death by Aria,” as they hear 42 arias back to back over two days. I call it “sink or swim,” as we only get one chance to show our stuff.
Last year’s audition went very well for me, and up ‘til now I have been very nervous about how to follow up on that. I got two job offers immediately after the audition, one of which I accepted, and the representative from the Metropolitan who heard my house audition arranged for my auditions at that house, based on what she heard that day. How can I top that? I finally realized that I can’t, necessarily; I have to sing next week’s audition as its own entity, not bound to last year.
That said, I still want to show the auditors that I have developed over the year. My resume will help, as it has past and future gigs on it that show I haven’t been sitting on my hands. But the aria I present is important for this, too. Last year I sang Nannetta: floaty, not too high, with the focus on the quality of my voice. This year, I’d like to show a high note or two and show more of my range as an actress. The aria that seems to be the front runner, and the one I tried out at the mock audition today, is the Silver Aria from The Ballad of Baby Doe.
I am feeling confident about it, and the main reason is that last weekend I sang it in a very casual public setting. Vanessie, a local piano bar, hosts Apprentice Nights every summer, at which we sing a fun mix of opera hits and cabaret/show tunes. On Sunday, I sang the Silver Aria, in which Baby Doe is trying to convince a gathering of politicians (all men) that the United States should go with a silver standard, rather than gold. It is a poetic, romantic plea, filled with gorgeous imagery; how many different ways can she say “I love silver!” Singing it in a room crammed with people, making eye contact and moving through the room, I got a real sense of what the aria would feel like in context and staged. Which man is the “sage” and which the laughter, who needs to be sung to twice or three times in order to get my point and who is in the palm of my hand from the opening lines.
Creating this context is my biggest hurdle in an audition. Acting a convincing scene onstage with no partners is a real challenge! (This is the main reason why the Presentation of the Rose is not on my aria list; it needs the dramatic shaping of the interaction between Octavian and Sophie. I’m too uncomfortable singing it alone.) So when I sing on Friday, I will see in my mind’s eye the faces of the crowd at Vanessie’s, just as last year I pulled on the beauty of the land around Santa Fe when singing of Nannetta’s magic glade. Work with what you’ve got!
Last year’s audition went very well for me, and up ‘til now I have been very nervous about how to follow up on that. I got two job offers immediately after the audition, one of which I accepted, and the representative from the Metropolitan who heard my house audition arranged for my auditions at that house, based on what she heard that day. How can I top that? I finally realized that I can’t, necessarily; I have to sing next week’s audition as its own entity, not bound to last year.
That said, I still want to show the auditors that I have developed over the year. My resume will help, as it has past and future gigs on it that show I haven’t been sitting on my hands. But the aria I present is important for this, too. Last year I sang Nannetta: floaty, not too high, with the focus on the quality of my voice. This year, I’d like to show a high note or two and show more of my range as an actress. The aria that seems to be the front runner, and the one I tried out at the mock audition today, is the Silver Aria from The Ballad of Baby Doe.
I am feeling confident about it, and the main reason is that last weekend I sang it in a very casual public setting. Vanessie, a local piano bar, hosts Apprentice Nights every summer, at which we sing a fun mix of opera hits and cabaret/show tunes. On Sunday, I sang the Silver Aria, in which Baby Doe is trying to convince a gathering of politicians (all men) that the United States should go with a silver standard, rather than gold. It is a poetic, romantic plea, filled with gorgeous imagery; how many different ways can she say “I love silver!” Singing it in a room crammed with people, making eye contact and moving through the room, I got a real sense of what the aria would feel like in context and staged. Which man is the “sage” and which the laughter, who needs to be sung to twice or three times in order to get my point and who is in the palm of my hand from the opening lines.
Creating this context is my biggest hurdle in an audition. Acting a convincing scene onstage with no partners is a real challenge! (This is the main reason why the Presentation of the Rose is not on my aria list; it needs the dramatic shaping of the interaction between Octavian and Sophie. I’m too uncomfortable singing it alone.) So when I sing on Friday, I will see in my mind’s eye the faces of the crowd at Vanessie’s, just as last year I pulled on the beauty of the land around Santa Fe when singing of Nannetta’s magic glade. Work with what you’ve got!
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Learned and Learning
Since Cendrillon opened, I’ve had a very light schedule. I expected this to be nice, but it’s kind of thrown me for a loop! All of a sudden, it’s back to me to organize my time efficiently, to use these empty hours to study. Never a strong suit of mine, I have to admit… But I’m doing my best to change that.
Things I’m learning right now (or learned in the past couple of weeks):
• “Ich harrete des Herrn,” duet from Mendelssohn’s 2nd Symphony
• the finale of Falstaff (singing Nannetta, natch)
(The above are for an outreach concert here next Thursday.)
• Chi il bel sogno (an aria from a role I will never sing, but for a party trick, it’s perfect)
• “Goodbye, goodbye world,” Emily Webb’s monologue from Our Town, in a song setting by Lee Hoiby. Very moving, and great text.
(I learned the two above for a casual concert at a local piano bar that showcases SFO Apprentices every year. I sang them last night, along with Weill’s “The Saga of Jenny,” which is so much fun in that kind of environment. Lots of audience interaction!)
• the Presentation of the Rose, to be performed August 20.
• two arias that are so old they are practically new: Zeffiretti lusinghieri (Idomeneo) and Kommt ein Schlanker Bursch (Der Freischütz); both are options for the fall’s audition program.
Then there are the things that have appeared on my calendar for next season:
• Jano, the chattering shepherd boy in Jenufa
• Giannetta, “head village girl” in Elisir
(Two new covers at the Met!)
• songs for the recital project: Barber, Harbison, Fauré, Holst, Wolf, Greenstein!
And in the middle of all of this study, I continue to search for my rep. My voice keeps growing, maturing, developing new strengths (and weaknesses…). It seems like every year around this time, I look at my audition arias and think, “None of these really work!” I asked my colleagues in the dressing room the other night if they felt that they had “their five” (code for five audition arias) nailed down. Every head around me shook “no,” accompanied by a very concerned and defeated face. I’m not alone!
Most of the women I talked with that night are between 28-32, so our voices are starting to settle. But they all agreed that for the past few years, their voice changed so much from year to year that they almost had to start over with rep every audition season.
This gets frustrating, because you need to really “live” with an aria for a while before it is solidly in your voice and your body (not to mention your mind). Changing arias every year or so in order to find a better “fit” leaves one feeling ungrounded and clueless, in my case, as to where one’s voice is headed.
Several of us are reaching back to arias we learned 8-10 years ago and finding that they now fit really well. For me, the arias I mentioned above are now strong contenders for my audition program. It’s been a struggle for a while now to find the right Mozart aria. I sang the Queen, but I’m not looking to be that kind of coloratura anymore; Blondchen is ok, but those E’s stress me out; Despina doesn’t feel quite right temperamentally. So when I noticed “Zeffiretti” in an aria compilation last week, I thought I should take another look. I first learned this in 1998, and sang it on my Senior recital. Heaven knows what it sounded like then (PG knows… he just listened to said recital! eek!), but now it shows my strengths of line, a solid middle voice, and some float. Hmm, not unlike Nannetta…
“Kommt ein Schlanker” is an old one, too, from early grad school. The right German aria has eluded me for a while. I know that “Presentation” is used all the time as an audition aria for sopranos, but I’m having trouble with it dramatically. It is four minutes of being star-struck by a young man, and, frankly, I find that hard to convey without a young man! (Or, rather, a young mezzo…) It’s one of those stretched out “opera moments” that take special care. Maybe I’ll get comfortable with it by October (the start of audition season), but I don’t think it’s going to be ready for the house audition on August 4.
So here is what I think my audition program will look like this year:
English: a Baby Doe aria, either Silver or Letter
French: Frere, voyez…Du gai soleil (Werther)
Italian: Sul fil d’un soffio etesio (Falstaff)
German: Kommt ein Schlanker Bursch (Freischutz)
Mozart: Zeffiretti lusinghieri (Idomeneo)
One for “the road,” meaning the road ahead, to show where my voice is going: Qui la voce (I Puritani)
Written out, that doesn’t look too bad… I think I can work with that.
Things I’m learning right now (or learned in the past couple of weeks):
• “Ich harrete des Herrn,” duet from Mendelssohn’s 2nd Symphony
• the finale of Falstaff (singing Nannetta, natch)
(The above are for an outreach concert here next Thursday.)
• Chi il bel sogno (an aria from a role I will never sing, but for a party trick, it’s perfect)
• “Goodbye, goodbye world,” Emily Webb’s monologue from Our Town, in a song setting by Lee Hoiby. Very moving, and great text.
(I learned the two above for a casual concert at a local piano bar that showcases SFO Apprentices every year. I sang them last night, along with Weill’s “The Saga of Jenny,” which is so much fun in that kind of environment. Lots of audience interaction!)
• the Presentation of the Rose, to be performed August 20.
• two arias that are so old they are practically new: Zeffiretti lusinghieri (Idomeneo) and Kommt ein Schlanker Bursch (Der Freischütz); both are options for the fall’s audition program.
Then there are the things that have appeared on my calendar for next season:
• Jano, the chattering shepherd boy in Jenufa
• Giannetta, “head village girl” in Elisir
(Two new covers at the Met!)
• songs for the recital project: Barber, Harbison, Fauré, Holst, Wolf, Greenstein!
And in the middle of all of this study, I continue to search for my rep. My voice keeps growing, maturing, developing new strengths (and weaknesses…). It seems like every year around this time, I look at my audition arias and think, “None of these really work!” I asked my colleagues in the dressing room the other night if they felt that they had “their five” (code for five audition arias) nailed down. Every head around me shook “no,” accompanied by a very concerned and defeated face. I’m not alone!
Most of the women I talked with that night are between 28-32, so our voices are starting to settle. But they all agreed that for the past few years, their voice changed so much from year to year that they almost had to start over with rep every audition season.
This gets frustrating, because you need to really “live” with an aria for a while before it is solidly in your voice and your body (not to mention your mind). Changing arias every year or so in order to find a better “fit” leaves one feeling ungrounded and clueless, in my case, as to where one’s voice is headed.
Several of us are reaching back to arias we learned 8-10 years ago and finding that they now fit really well. For me, the arias I mentioned above are now strong contenders for my audition program. It’s been a struggle for a while now to find the right Mozart aria. I sang the Queen, but I’m not looking to be that kind of coloratura anymore; Blondchen is ok, but those E’s stress me out; Despina doesn’t feel quite right temperamentally. So when I noticed “Zeffiretti” in an aria compilation last week, I thought I should take another look. I first learned this in 1998, and sang it on my Senior recital. Heaven knows what it sounded like then (PG knows… he just listened to said recital! eek!), but now it shows my strengths of line, a solid middle voice, and some float. Hmm, not unlike Nannetta…
“Kommt ein Schlanker” is an old one, too, from early grad school. The right German aria has eluded me for a while. I know that “Presentation” is used all the time as an audition aria for sopranos, but I’m having trouble with it dramatically. It is four minutes of being star-struck by a young man, and, frankly, I find that hard to convey without a young man! (Or, rather, a young mezzo…) It’s one of those stretched out “opera moments” that take special care. Maybe I’ll get comfortable with it by October (the start of audition season), but I don’t think it’s going to be ready for the house audition on August 4.
So here is what I think my audition program will look like this year:
English: a Baby Doe aria, either Silver or Letter
French: Frere, voyez…Du gai soleil (Werther)
Italian: Sul fil d’un soffio etesio (Falstaff)
German: Kommt ein Schlanker Bursch (Freischutz)
Mozart: Zeffiretti lusinghieri (Idomeneo)
One for “the road,” meaning the road ahead, to show where my voice is going: Qui la voce (I Puritani)
Written out, that doesn’t look too bad… I think I can work with that.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Oh! Look!
Singing is all about muscle memory. What it feels like in your throat when you sing something “correctly,” how to kick in your support muscles, etc. For this reason, partly, it takes a while – years, even – for an aria to really feel settled. The Voice has to become intimately familiar with the twists and turns, ins and outs of a piece before it can stop thinking analytically and just sing.
I was reminded of this last week when I brought “Qui la voce,” an aria from Bellini’s I Puritani, to one of my lessons with Mark. I’ve been singing this for about 15 months now, I suppose, when it was recommended to me by a former teacher after he heard me sing the Queen of the Night. I sang it in a recital last fall, I think, and have put it back in my “working arias” folder for the summer.
For those of you who don’t know the piece, it is structured in typical bel canto style with a slow opening half (the cavatina) and an up-tempo second half (the caballeta) which is often repeated and embellished, sometimes at the composers instruction, with the repeat and changes written in, and sometimes at the performer’s “discretion.” (Historically, discretion is optional; it’s really about showing off!) The tempo of each half generally reflects the mood. In the opening of “Qui la voce.” Elvira is sad and questioning the disappearance of the “sweet voice” who called to her (and who she now thinks ran off with the Queen); in the cabaletta, she sings longingly and excitedly about the joy she will feel when he returns. [This whole structure is reminiscent of the baroque da capo aria, in ABA’ form, with the B section generally having a substantially different mood. These sudden changes in atmosphere can make for some tricky dramatic justification!]
Ok, enough exposition. My revelation last week was about bel canto in general, a style into which I am just starting to delve. It requires a lot: true, taffy-like legato; spot-on coloratura and flexibility; a seamless range from top to bottom. In short, it is a combination of all the vocal elements I have been studying. It needs the warmth of my middle voice that I honed in my “lyric” days, the ring of my high notes from my “high coloratura” days, and the sweet legato phrasing of my “soubrette” days.
About eight years ago, opera appeared to me as a synthesis of all the arts I had studied and loved my whole life: theater, dance, literature, music. I really feel like one day I woke up and said, “Oh! Look! Here’s opera! I can continue to be all these artists (dancer, actor, etc.).” Last week, it was as if bel canto appeared to me similarly. “Oh! Here’s bel canto!” It feels like another brick in the foundation of my development and the path of my career has fallen into place.
Other bel canto projects for the summer/year: Adina in L’elisir d’amore and Lucia from Lucia di Lammermoor. I had a taste of that role last summer, which, I imagine, was when the seeds of the revelation were planted. It all comes to light eventually, doesn’t it?
I was reminded of this last week when I brought “Qui la voce,” an aria from Bellini’s I Puritani, to one of my lessons with Mark. I’ve been singing this for about 15 months now, I suppose, when it was recommended to me by a former teacher after he heard me sing the Queen of the Night. I sang it in a recital last fall, I think, and have put it back in my “working arias” folder for the summer.
For those of you who don’t know the piece, it is structured in typical bel canto style with a slow opening half (the cavatina) and an up-tempo second half (the caballeta) which is often repeated and embellished, sometimes at the composers instruction, with the repeat and changes written in, and sometimes at the performer’s “discretion.” (Historically, discretion is optional; it’s really about showing off!) The tempo of each half generally reflects the mood. In the opening of “Qui la voce.” Elvira is sad and questioning the disappearance of the “sweet voice” who called to her (and who she now thinks ran off with the Queen); in the cabaletta, she sings longingly and excitedly about the joy she will feel when he returns. [This whole structure is reminiscent of the baroque da capo aria, in ABA’ form, with the B section generally having a substantially different mood. These sudden changes in atmosphere can make for some tricky dramatic justification!]
Ok, enough exposition. My revelation last week was about bel canto in general, a style into which I am just starting to delve. It requires a lot: true, taffy-like legato; spot-on coloratura and flexibility; a seamless range from top to bottom. In short, it is a combination of all the vocal elements I have been studying. It needs the warmth of my middle voice that I honed in my “lyric” days, the ring of my high notes from my “high coloratura” days, and the sweet legato phrasing of my “soubrette” days.
About eight years ago, opera appeared to me as a synthesis of all the arts I had studied and loved my whole life: theater, dance, literature, music. I really feel like one day I woke up and said, “Oh! Look! Here’s opera! I can continue to be all these artists (dancer, actor, etc.).” Last week, it was as if bel canto appeared to me similarly. “Oh! Here’s bel canto!” It feels like another brick in the foundation of my development and the path of my career has fallen into place.
Other bel canto projects for the summer/year: Adina in L’elisir d’amore and Lucia from Lucia di Lammermoor. I had a taste of that role last summer, which, I imagine, was when the seeds of the revelation were planted. It all comes to light eventually, doesn’t it?
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
What’s next?
This has been a very full week, not only rehearsals and performances and all that goes along with putting on a show, but also so much going on in my head. Big changes are coming in the next year or so, and well, big changes are hard.
With all of the big events of this trip – successful cover rehearsals, securing a management team (who, for now, will stay unnamed on this blog), auditioning for and being (all but) hired by the Met (contract still pending…) – I have really been thinking about my career path. Not only the future, but the past. I realize that, in part, I have gotten to this point based largely on my talent and good luck. Sure, I’ve done some work, and been ambitious, but I know I can work so much harder. And now is the time for hard work!! There are lots of talented people, and luck can run out. Getting a manager and a contract at the Met is not an end-point; it should be only the beginning. I feel like I’m ready now, for the focus and drive that this next phase is going to require.
To that end, I have a list of roles that my manager wants me to learn asap. Not just look at, but really learn. These are roles that he feels I can be hired for right now, and he wants to know that if someone calls him and says, “We need a Sophie next month!” he can recommend me without hesitation and that I will go to the job and make us both look good. After all, as my brother said the other night, “It’s not just you now, 10% is Msr. Manager.” True indeed.
What’s on the list, you ask? Many soubrette roles, a few “coloratura” roles, even a light lyric thing or two. In short, a perfect group of roles to exhibit all my strengths. No more struggling with trying to label myself – I will be Fach-less. If something on my audition rep list doesn’t make sense to an auditor, let them ask me for it so I can show them that it belongs there.
The List: Olympia, Sophie (Werther and Rosenkavalier), Echo & Naide (Zerbinetta is on a different list…), Zerlina, Blondchen, Nannetta, Oscar, Marie (Daughter of the Regiment), and a bit of Gilbert & Sullivan: Mabel and Yum-Yum.
That should keep me busy! I’ve compiled a list of the scores I don’t own, so if you’re wondering what to get me for my 30th birthday next month, I have a few ideas…
We made several role lists, my manager and I. The Priority List is above. Then we have “Useful immediately, but wait to learn until hired;” roles like Baby Doe and Zerbinetta are here, things that I, an emerging artist, probably won’t be hired for in the next two years. Once I’ve learned the Priority Roles, I’ll move on to these. Next is a list of Future Roles: Gilda, Anne Trulove, some bel canto.; Msr. Manager feels that my voice needs to develop a bit more heft before getting into these roles. Finally there’s the “Forget about it” list: operas that are so rarely performed that I don’t need to spend time on the roles until I have a contract to sing one of them. Eurydice (both Gluck’s and Offenbach’s), Hero and Ophelia, and a handful of lesser-performed Mozart operas, among others.
How exciting to have something specific to work on that isn’t connected to an upcoming gig, and how motivating to have someone expecting results! I look forward to mapping out my studies for the next few months…
With all of the big events of this trip – successful cover rehearsals, securing a management team (who, for now, will stay unnamed on this blog), auditioning for and being (all but) hired by the Met (contract still pending…) – I have really been thinking about my career path. Not only the future, but the past. I realize that, in part, I have gotten to this point based largely on my talent and good luck. Sure, I’ve done some work, and been ambitious, but I know I can work so much harder. And now is the time for hard work!! There are lots of talented people, and luck can run out. Getting a manager and a contract at the Met is not an end-point; it should be only the beginning. I feel like I’m ready now, for the focus and drive that this next phase is going to require.
To that end, I have a list of roles that my manager wants me to learn asap. Not just look at, but really learn. These are roles that he feels I can be hired for right now, and he wants to know that if someone calls him and says, “We need a Sophie next month!” he can recommend me without hesitation and that I will go to the job and make us both look good. After all, as my brother said the other night, “It’s not just you now, 10% is Msr. Manager.” True indeed.
What’s on the list, you ask? Many soubrette roles, a few “coloratura” roles, even a light lyric thing or two. In short, a perfect group of roles to exhibit all my strengths. No more struggling with trying to label myself – I will be Fach-less. If something on my audition rep list doesn’t make sense to an auditor, let them ask me for it so I can show them that it belongs there.
The List: Olympia, Sophie (Werther and Rosenkavalier), Echo & Naide (Zerbinetta is on a different list…), Zerlina, Blondchen, Nannetta, Oscar, Marie (Daughter of the Regiment), and a bit of Gilbert & Sullivan: Mabel and Yum-Yum.
That should keep me busy! I’ve compiled a list of the scores I don’t own, so if you’re wondering what to get me for my 30th birthday next month, I have a few ideas…
We made several role lists, my manager and I. The Priority List is above. Then we have “Useful immediately, but wait to learn until hired;” roles like Baby Doe and Zerbinetta are here, things that I, an emerging artist, probably won’t be hired for in the next two years. Once I’ve learned the Priority Roles, I’ll move on to these. Next is a list of Future Roles: Gilda, Anne Trulove, some bel canto.; Msr. Manager feels that my voice needs to develop a bit more heft before getting into these roles. Finally there’s the “Forget about it” list: operas that are so rarely performed that I don’t need to spend time on the roles until I have a contract to sing one of them. Eurydice (both Gluck’s and Offenbach’s), Hero and Ophelia, and a handful of lesser-performed Mozart operas, among others.
How exciting to have something specific to work on that isn’t connected to an upcoming gig, and how motivating to have someone expecting results! I look forward to mapping out my studies for the next few months…
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Two words
I have two words for myself: bel canto.
God, this stuff feels good to sing! And for some reason I can ring a high E-flat for days (well, not days) at the end of “Qui la voce” but not “Glitter and be Gay.” Go figure.
More repertoire hammerings are underway. I’m sure that my impending meeting with management is causing it. I don’t want to be wishy-washy with my Fach and the knowledge of my voice. At last week’s audition, one of the auditors said, after my first aria, “Do you consider yourself a Lyric or a Lyric Coloratura? ‘Cuz I hear you more as a lyric but most of what you have here is mostly LC.” I admitted that I was in transition, so he asked for my most LC piece (“Mein Herr Marquis;” no Glitter that day…) with a “Let’s see how you do with this.” I did ok, I think, but probably not as good as the Nannetta.
What’s going one? One year ago, I was embracing my inner Queen of the Night and grappling with high notes. I was looking for something special about my voice that would set me apart. I had high notes (sometimes) and a good tone up there, so that must be it! High notes must be my strength. Ok, here goes…
And then this summer I discovered that the true strength of my voice is line, especially high, floaty lines. I’m less comfortable with the pointillist coloratura lines of Zerbinetta then I am with the long, high lines of Sophie. I still can’t get my head around Despina, but my voice likes her better than Blondchen. Then there are Ilia, Norina, Adina, Zerlina, Gilda, and let’s not forget Nannetta. What do they have in common? You could work a high D or two into some of the Donizetti, but most of those roles don't go above a high C.
I think 2006 is going to be the year of embracing my inner soubrette… And, please god, let this be the last identity crisis! I’m getting too old for this…
God, this stuff feels good to sing! And for some reason I can ring a high E-flat for days (well, not days) at the end of “Qui la voce” but not “Glitter and be Gay.” Go figure.
More repertoire hammerings are underway. I’m sure that my impending meeting with management is causing it. I don’t want to be wishy-washy with my Fach and the knowledge of my voice. At last week’s audition, one of the auditors said, after my first aria, “Do you consider yourself a Lyric or a Lyric Coloratura? ‘Cuz I hear you more as a lyric but most of what you have here is mostly LC.” I admitted that I was in transition, so he asked for my most LC piece (“Mein Herr Marquis;” no Glitter that day…) with a “Let’s see how you do with this.” I did ok, I think, but probably not as good as the Nannetta.
What’s going one? One year ago, I was embracing my inner Queen of the Night and grappling with high notes. I was looking for something special about my voice that would set me apart. I had high notes (sometimes) and a good tone up there, so that must be it! High notes must be my strength. Ok, here goes…
And then this summer I discovered that the true strength of my voice is line, especially high, floaty lines. I’m less comfortable with the pointillist coloratura lines of Zerbinetta then I am with the long, high lines of Sophie. I still can’t get my head around Despina, but my voice likes her better than Blondchen. Then there are Ilia, Norina, Adina, Zerlina, Gilda, and let’s not forget Nannetta. What do they have in common? You could work a high D or two into some of the Donizetti, but most of those roles don't go above a high C.
I think 2006 is going to be the year of embracing my inner soubrette… And, please god, let this be the last identity crisis! I’m getting too old for this…
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Finally!
My website has soundfiles!! Erik and I stayed up way too late last night, even though it was once again a “school night” for him, getting the Downloads page set up, and I’m very happy with how it turned out. He even found a really simple way for us to have the files available for streaming or for download, rather than one or the other. Once again, technology is very cool!
I’m happy with the files I’ve chosen, too. They are all from live performances, as I have had no time this fall to get a recording session organized. (You’d think it’d be easier for me, since I have a husband who is a recording engineer and a friend with great recording equipment and another friend with access to a church, but, no.) Listed in reverse chronological order, the first recording is still a year old. The oldest is just over two years old, from October 2003. Here are my thoughts on each.
The Lakme Flower Duet was recorded in January of this year at the Opera Rescue Tsunami Benefit concert at Town Hall Seattle. It is a gorgeous piece that really needs no introduction, other than to say that Sarah and I had a wonderful time singing together and we are both happy with the recording! (It is posted with her blessing.) That is a rare thing, as singers are picky! Our voices blend beautifully, which is really key for this duet. I decided to post the whole thing, since it is an “opera gem” that I figured people wouldn’t mind hearing!
My first public outing for Zerbinetta is next, from a Ladies Musical Club of Seattle concert at the Asian Art Museum (great recital hall in the basement!). I want to record this again, but for now, I’m happy with what this shows. I feel that in the past year, I’ve gotten more free with it and I’m having more fun. There is one note that I’m still not totally happy with, but I’m working on it… And, no, there is no prize if you can figure out which note! I’ve included the last half of the (12-minute) aria, the half with all the fireworks.
My first full role with orchestra, Britten’s Tytania, is next. I chose to use her first aria, “Come, now a roundel,” rather than “Be Kind & Courteous” for a few reasons. You don’t hear it as often (in auditions), which I think is a shame. I guess those spectacular strings are hard to replicate on the piano. Also, the legato is a nice contrast to the fireworks in the other arias. And, hey, a nice floaty high-C# never hurts, either!
The next song, “In a Gondola” by Ned Rorem, is one of those stage moments a performer treasures her entire life. I sang this song and another (“Song for a Girl,” both from Rorem’s Six Songs for High Voices) at the Tanglewood concert celebrating the composer’s 80th birthday. I was terrified when I saw my music, as they are truly HIGH! The other we ended up transposing down a half-step (dear, sweet, talented pianist!), and it still ended on a sustained high-Eflat. Eeeek. But, when it came time to sing, the magic of the moment was truly with me, and I just lived the music. It was transporting for me, taking me to the realm of performance where we get to stop worrying about the words and the notes and the breath and the legato and all that intellectual stuff that can get in the way of truly inhabiting the stage. Afterwards, a friend said to me, “If you keep singing like that, people are going to start asking you to sing Zerbinetta!” Ha! This performance is one of the reasons Tanglewood is so special to me. To read the text, visit such stuff.
Finally, my favorite recital closer: the Prima Donna Song! I know people find this piece annoying, but I think it is so fun when performed totally tongue in check. Lots of places to work the audience! The little chuckle you hear at the beginning is in response to a little curtsey I gave, already in character, and this character hates to curtsy. Unless she’s doing big Diva Bows, which I do during the interlude and then chastise the audience for not clapping. Fun! Also, a moment that doesn’t really translate on recording: I hold the final high note FOREVER (it’s only a B)!! With my arms up and eyes closed, totally wrapped up in myself, and then, towards the end, I take a peek to see if the audience is still with me. Again, just a fun moment!
I’m going to home for three uninterrupted months this spring, so I’m planning to record some more arias. Nannetta, of course, along with Adele and maybe Sophie (Werther). I also have some concerts from the fall that might have usable tracks; we’ll see. I don’t want to have more than five or six at any one time, though. Don’t want to give it all away! Enjoy.
I’m happy with the files I’ve chosen, too. They are all from live performances, as I have had no time this fall to get a recording session organized. (You’d think it’d be easier for me, since I have a husband who is a recording engineer and a friend with great recording equipment and another friend with access to a church, but, no.) Listed in reverse chronological order, the first recording is still a year old. The oldest is just over two years old, from October 2003. Here are my thoughts on each.
The Lakme Flower Duet was recorded in January of this year at the Opera Rescue Tsunami Benefit concert at Town Hall Seattle. It is a gorgeous piece that really needs no introduction, other than to say that Sarah and I had a wonderful time singing together and we are both happy with the recording! (It is posted with her blessing.) That is a rare thing, as singers are picky! Our voices blend beautifully, which is really key for this duet. I decided to post the whole thing, since it is an “opera gem” that I figured people wouldn’t mind hearing!
My first public outing for Zerbinetta is next, from a Ladies Musical Club of Seattle concert at the Asian Art Museum (great recital hall in the basement!). I want to record this again, but for now, I’m happy with what this shows. I feel that in the past year, I’ve gotten more free with it and I’m having more fun. There is one note that I’m still not totally happy with, but I’m working on it… And, no, there is no prize if you can figure out which note! I’ve included the last half of the (12-minute) aria, the half with all the fireworks.
My first full role with orchestra, Britten’s Tytania, is next. I chose to use her first aria, “Come, now a roundel,” rather than “Be Kind & Courteous” for a few reasons. You don’t hear it as often (in auditions), which I think is a shame. I guess those spectacular strings are hard to replicate on the piano. Also, the legato is a nice contrast to the fireworks in the other arias. And, hey, a nice floaty high-C# never hurts, either!
The next song, “In a Gondola” by Ned Rorem, is one of those stage moments a performer treasures her entire life. I sang this song and another (“Song for a Girl,” both from Rorem’s Six Songs for High Voices) at the Tanglewood concert celebrating the composer’s 80th birthday. I was terrified when I saw my music, as they are truly HIGH! The other we ended up transposing down a half-step (dear, sweet, talented pianist!), and it still ended on a sustained high-Eflat. Eeeek. But, when it came time to sing, the magic of the moment was truly with me, and I just lived the music. It was transporting for me, taking me to the realm of performance where we get to stop worrying about the words and the notes and the breath and the legato and all that intellectual stuff that can get in the way of truly inhabiting the stage. Afterwards, a friend said to me, “If you keep singing like that, people are going to start asking you to sing Zerbinetta!” Ha! This performance is one of the reasons Tanglewood is so special to me. To read the text, visit such stuff.
Finally, my favorite recital closer: the Prima Donna Song! I know people find this piece annoying, but I think it is so fun when performed totally tongue in check. Lots of places to work the audience! The little chuckle you hear at the beginning is in response to a little curtsey I gave, already in character, and this character hates to curtsy. Unless she’s doing big Diva Bows, which I do during the interlude and then chastise the audience for not clapping. Fun! Also, a moment that doesn’t really translate on recording: I hold the final high note FOREVER (it’s only a B)!! With my arms up and eyes closed, totally wrapped up in myself, and then, towards the end, I take a peek to see if the audience is still with me. Again, just a fun moment!
I’m going to home for three uninterrupted months this spring, so I’m planning to record some more arias. Nannetta, of course, along with Adele and maybe Sophie (Werther). I also have some concerts from the fall that might have usable tracks; we’ll see. I don’t want to have more than five or six at any one time, though. Don’t want to give it all away! Enjoy.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
A day off
It has been a delightful day, and it’s only 3:00. I slept in (a good thing, too, since I didn’t “come down” from the post-competition high until about 1am), got a latte from the cart in the lobby, ate a makeshift breakfast from the groceries I bought on Thursday, and watched a bit of the Missouri-Nebraska game (sadly, once I stopped watching, the Huskers stopped playing…). After a short meeting with the finalists at the Hult Center, right across the street from my hotel, I was released into the unseasonably beautiful Oregon afternoon. Sunny and 65º, perfect weather for perusing the Saturday Market. I found some real treasures, giving me a head start on my Christmas shopping. This evening I think I'll grab some dinner and see a movie, then try to head to bed early. Nice to have a "day off!"
So, more about last night. I was first again, as they kept the same order from the morning. Not an ideal spot, what with 23 other singers to come after you and potentially erase any impression you might have left on the judges minds. But since they got to hear us twice in one day, a nice set-up, the effect of going first was negated a bit, I think. One bonus of being first is that I got a few minutes in the green room with the pianist, Daniel Lockhart. Turns out he’s played for the West Coast Opera Auditions for the past few years, and I told him my awkward tale of this year’s audition! Had a good laugh about that, once again. We also looked through the music for my aria, and I pointed out the things to watch out for, i.e., getting a little “Viennese” on the first few “Ha ha ha”’s. Getting to have this conversation in detail off stage was great, rather than tossing the music at him on stage and saying, “Watch me here, and try to meet up with me here, and …” while hurrying to my spot to sing. It gave us both a level of comfort that carried over into the performance. It really felt like we were a partnership performing and sharing, not two strangers trying to muddle through. And he’s playing again tomorrow!
I have to say I enjoy singing Adele in German more than in English. There are just more fun and naughty and flirty words to play with! Even if the audience doesn’t speak German or have titles, the text is easy to play up and give them the general idea. For the first time, I was truly comfortable with the coloratura at the end, taking my time to really breath and set up each different section as a different sort of “laugh.” It was fun! And finally, as if a culmination of all the work I’ve been doing these past few months, the high D at the end was everything I wanted it to be. It was if Nina was there with me, in one instant telling me all the things she’d helped me with this summer: open your throat, connect the high note to the lower note, let that note vibrate! It felt so good. Now if I can just get that feeling to connect on Eflat and E, I’ll be in like Flynn.
The judges for the semi-finals were Jonathon Field, Pamela South, and Erie Mills, a coloratura soprano of much renown. I actually thought at one point, while singing, “Ms. Mills surely has sung this role; I wonder what she thinks!” She will also be on the panel for the finals tomorrow, along with two new judges. A carry-over from the semis is a really good idea; she can contribute information about the full performance of the singer, not just the few minutes the other judges will have seen.
The other finalists are two mezzos, one baritone, one bass, and six sopranos! Most of the sopranos are lighter voices; rep for the finals includes “Caro nome,” Manon’s “Gavotte”, the Silver Aria, and Nannetta (me, big surprise!), with “Ain’t it a pretty night?” and Rosalinda’s Czardas (Fledermaus) being offered by the heavier lyrics. Oddly enough, no real “fireworks” pieces were chosen (the arias were chosen by the judges, and while we were allowed to give our opinions, very few people changed their assigned aria). I thought about asking to sing “Glitter and be Gay,” but then I thought that I should ride the wave of success that Nannetta seems to be bringing me!
Thanks for all your kind words. Hope you’re having great weekends, too!
So, more about last night. I was first again, as they kept the same order from the morning. Not an ideal spot, what with 23 other singers to come after you and potentially erase any impression you might have left on the judges minds. But since they got to hear us twice in one day, a nice set-up, the effect of going first was negated a bit, I think. One bonus of being first is that I got a few minutes in the green room with the pianist, Daniel Lockhart. Turns out he’s played for the West Coast Opera Auditions for the past few years, and I told him my awkward tale of this year’s audition! Had a good laugh about that, once again. We also looked through the music for my aria, and I pointed out the things to watch out for, i.e., getting a little “Viennese” on the first few “Ha ha ha”’s. Getting to have this conversation in detail off stage was great, rather than tossing the music at him on stage and saying, “Watch me here, and try to meet up with me here, and …” while hurrying to my spot to sing. It gave us both a level of comfort that carried over into the performance. It really felt like we were a partnership performing and sharing, not two strangers trying to muddle through. And he’s playing again tomorrow!
I have to say I enjoy singing Adele in German more than in English. There are just more fun and naughty and flirty words to play with! Even if the audience doesn’t speak German or have titles, the text is easy to play up and give them the general idea. For the first time, I was truly comfortable with the coloratura at the end, taking my time to really breath and set up each different section as a different sort of “laugh.” It was fun! And finally, as if a culmination of all the work I’ve been doing these past few months, the high D at the end was everything I wanted it to be. It was if Nina was there with me, in one instant telling me all the things she’d helped me with this summer: open your throat, connect the high note to the lower note, let that note vibrate! It felt so good. Now if I can just get that feeling to connect on Eflat and E, I’ll be in like Flynn.
The judges for the semi-finals were Jonathon Field, Pamela South, and Erie Mills, a coloratura soprano of much renown. I actually thought at one point, while singing, “Ms. Mills surely has sung this role; I wonder what she thinks!” She will also be on the panel for the finals tomorrow, along with two new judges. A carry-over from the semis is a really good idea; she can contribute information about the full performance of the singer, not just the few minutes the other judges will have seen.
The other finalists are two mezzos, one baritone, one bass, and six sopranos! Most of the sopranos are lighter voices; rep for the finals includes “Caro nome,” Manon’s “Gavotte”, the Silver Aria, and Nannetta (me, big surprise!), with “Ain’t it a pretty night?” and Rosalinda’s Czardas (Fledermaus) being offered by the heavier lyrics. Oddly enough, no real “fireworks” pieces were chosen (the arias were chosen by the judges, and while we were allowed to give our opinions, very few people changed their assigned aria). I thought about asking to sing “Glitter and be Gay,” but then I thought that I should ride the wave of success that Nannetta seems to be bringing me!
Thanks for all your kind words. Hope you’re having great weekends, too!
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