Colds abound. People dropping like flies here. Our sitzproben this week was missing colleagues, all bit by bugs. And my hands are very very dry from all the hand sanitizer goo I put on them 50 times a day. My sleeves are showing holes in them from being used to open door handles.
The Sitzproben, for me, went very well. The Orchestra Proberaum is a dead cave of a place. Orchestras detest the acoustics we singers love. For them to play well together, having a ringing space makes it quite difficult to actually hear each other, so usually opera companies have rooms specially built for their needs. Curtains hanging on the walls. Imagine singing into a pillow. Not very gratifying, but informative nonetheless.
Another thing that is challenging is the timing with which orchestras attack a phrase. In America, it's quite often right on the downbeat (the ictus). But in Europe, the mentality is "A good orchestra plays on the downbeat. A GREAT orchestra plays together after the downbeat." For visiting artists, unaccustomed to the particular timing as to exactly WHEN the note starts is a tricky thing. Not only are we at a disadvantage as to their timing, but the distance between us as we move into a theater compounds the problem. No longer will regisseurs allow singers to stand and look at a conductor only. Peripheral vision is used nearly exclusively, except for one or two times a night. So, all we can do is guess and hope it all comes together. Fortunately in Stuttgart we have been given the opportunity to have Orchestra Rehearsals the past 3 mornings, so some of the kinks are getting worked out for me. I am beginning to feel the orchestra more.
And I think they are feeling me. It was certainly exciting to sing the final Aria "Nur eine Waffe taugt" last nite and have the players nodding their heads.
Here's Placido nailing it. Out of the ballpark singing. And he keeps his clothes on!
Quick addendum:
A very good read and more intelligible discourse by this blogger. Perhaps my questions are more about Definite and Formless emotional content. Highly interesting to get others thoughts on this. Much more thought provoking than my own. Thank you Brian.
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7 comments:
For me a "concept" only works if it conveys the message of the opera as intended by the composer, or enhances his vision in a positive way which means something to the audience and not just the producer.
Having said that, and being a long standing and frequent operagoer, I am prepared to explorealmost amything, and would hate to dismiss any production l out of hand because I didn't like the producer.
So therefore I wish I could be in Stuttgart to see this production Andrew. I always think it must be thrilling so the tenor singing Nur Eine Waffe as it is such a glorious melody at the pivotal moment. I guess it would even be thrilling if you have to be naked when singing it!
Toi toi
just seen a typo - I meant thrilling FOR the tenor singing Nur Eine Waffe
It is definitely a tingle factor moment
Thanks for the link! Not sure if I'd claim to be "more thought provoking" though. Just participating in the ongoing discussion. :)
Stay healthy.
Booo, "bugs in the air" is too scary. Take care!
2 weeks to go eh?! ;)
Brian didn't see that Armida by Bieito he's referring to. To reduce that --most sensational-- production to a "marketing trick" is just not serious. It's like talking about the book by looking at its cover (if not even worse).
The 4th paragraph would be downright mean if there wasn't that last sentence to explain it all.
There are 2 Bieito's opera-productions on DVD: Don Giovanni and especially Wozzeck. Just saying :)
For the record, my clothes, such as they are, stay on during "Nur eine Waffe taugt." We have our first dress reh on Tues and hopefully I'll be able to put up a picture of my costume.
That must be a relief for you Andrew!
@ Opera Cake...
I don't think I ever claimed that Bieto's productions were actually marketing tricks. In fact I try to clearly say otherwise. In his interviews he seems to be very genuine in his vision and I have the utmost respect for that. Perhaps the opening paragraph was a bit too coy about that, but heck, I need to get people to read my wall of text somehow. :)
I do stand by the content of the post (which isn't really much about Bieto at all). And I will certainly pick up the Wozzeck DVD. Thanks for pointing that out.
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