Auditions

[soho_iced]

A successful audition for once: with Guildford Opera again (Oskar in Un Ballo in Maschera). I am waiting to confirm until I hear whether N also got the part he went for, though as he was one of three men auditioning on the whole day vs about 20 women, I'm pretty confident

Comments

[spiritsense]

Just wanted to ask you: are all the parts you audition for with amateur productions? Have you auditioned for professional roles in the past? (all rather naive questions!). I'm only asking because the orchestra I play in (Sinfonia of Leeds) has strong links with Opera North (the leader of their Orchestra is our conductor and music director).

Our next concert (22nd April) is an Opera Gala with soloists from the Chorus of Opera North, with the Bradford Festival Choral Society. There's a list of what we're performing here.

Quick Q: if you work during the day, how much time do you get to learn a new part?

Paul

[soho_iced]

Not a naive question - singers I know who only do choral or session work, for instance, have been surprised at the amount of unpaid or almost unpaid work people wanting to get into opera are prepared to do. At this stage (I'm 29) I'm still pretty young in singing terms so I try to do at least one production a year, even if I only get paid expenses, to build up my CV so it looks more attractive to professional companies. I have worked with some small professional companies in the past, though the dividing line is surprisingly blurry: some companies are quite well funded, they just rely on young hopefuls or students who they don't have to pay, then spend their money on sets or an orchestra instead

[spiritsense]

I don't 'do' concertos - unfortunately. I'm one of the many musicians who learnt whilst at school and then - due mainly to life coming along - my musical pursuits were left on one side. Then after my divorce I took up the viola again more seriously. So now I play in the Sinfonia of Leeds - which involves attending the weekly rehearsals and giving four or five concerts a year. But I don't have time to do much private practice for that at home. I have two sons who come to stay at weekends and one night mid-week, so my time is pretty much taken up. But I do sometimes dig out my old solo music from my teens and have a play through...

PS Opera Gala programme

[soho_iced]

The Te Deum scene from Tosca is one of my favourite bits, not even so much musically as dramatically. I hope you have a suitably menacing Scarpia: I grew up on the Callas/Di Stefano/Gobbi recording, which still sends chills down my spine.

[gratiana]

Pst, here's a secret message from a new friend - me.

Tant que je vive, mon coeur ne changera
Pour nul vivant, tant soit il bon ou saige,
Fort et puissant, riche, de hault lignaige,
Mon chois est fait, aultre ne se fera.

Oooh, suddenly I'm having visions of my future - or past - self, and hearing a woman's voice calling through a fire, Aucassins! Damoiseau! Sire!

[gratiana]

Or...

Mi chiamano Poppy, ma il mio nome è Grazia.
La storia mia è lunga, in cotone brilliante
io cucio le coperte.
Restabilisco l'arte,
ed è mio svago
far belle pitture.

Right, that's enough translating. Thank you, babelfish.

[soho_iced]

Hey, very impressive! (I went to see Boheme the other day for a belated birthday present and had a wonderful time: opera with hot fudge sauce and chocolate on top.)

Good to see you! Hope life is treating you a bit better these days.

[gratiana]

Life is treating me better, thank you! Oooh, was it a good Boheme? Who did it? I've never yet seen a perfect, ideal, NORMAL Boheme, and it's close to being my favorite opera, alas (second only to Billy Budd, by a fraction. But they're so different, and I love them so differently, that maybe they can both be my favorites).

Speaking of Tant que je vive, I've meant to ask you, do you know about the CD "The Musical Worlds of Niccolo and Lymond"? I quite like it.
http://www.dorothydunnett.co.uk/durenband.htm