Pirates of Penzance was a terrific experience. Conducting again, after a year's passing, teaching young students what it's like to sing with diction, sing with a conductor in a pit, and sing with intention, was all loads of fun!
Glad it's over, though.
The orchestra ended up playing the piece extremely well. It was comprised solely of students, except for the concert master (an amazing Timothy Christie) and a trombonist who subbed in for an ill student. My viola section showed up for one rehearsal with eye patches and bandanas, so I referred all of my viola notes to the Pirate section. I had a good feeling from them, and aside from the usual blips that one hears from ALL orchestras, their performance was splendid. The cast was great too. I had to talk to them about not listening to the orchestra and then singing behind because of said listening (it's an evil little loop that so few conductors understand); frankly I wonder what anyone is teaching young singers nowadays in their schools when it comes to singing with orchestras in pits...
I digress.
A lovely time was had by all, including the sold-out audience of almost 1900 people.
Time to move on. Time to focus on the November 2010 Black Box Festival at McGill (I'm now thinking about doing a VERY German opera...), La Boheme, Imeneo, the outreach programs to start up in Montreal, plus the new-yet-not-done-when-will-it-be-done website (ACK!), the in-laws coming in September, and putting the Montreal West house together (as in UNpacking all those bloody boxes.)
Plus I have to finish "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius". So far, it is just that.
My Top Ten Posts!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Style
What is style?
Tell me. Write in, weigh in.
I've heard a number of young singers over the years worry if they are singing in the appropriate "style"; i.e. singing Britten in the style of Britten, singing Mozart in the style of Mozart, etc. Typically this worry causes them to sing in no style, or worse, something akin to "correctness" that functions as words&music sung where/when/how the composer wanted them. This results in that lovely mediocre performance where nothing is wrong, but sadly -- nothing is right. Lots of people I meet like that sort of thing.
"Style" is defined by Merrian-Webster as "a distinctive manner of expression." It can also be defined as "the state of being poplular." I think the two are linked when it comes to music.
Style, in music, changes over the years. As well, how musicians view a certain time periods' "style" also changes with the years. Remember Raymond Leppard? His 1962 production of Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea" set the whole baroque opera craze in motion. Yet, many of my close and most-respected friends in the Early Music wing of this business can't abide the mention of his name. This is mostly due to the fact that his score has fallen massively out of fashion.
Now some of this is due to the fact that so much has now been learned, written, and understood about early music that we no longer need someone like Mo. Leppard to "translate" a baroque score for us -- with all those confusing numbers and little-to-no actual musical notation being put down for us non-Early heathens who can't figure out figured bass.
I grew up on Leppard's "Poppea" and certainly enjoyed IMMENSELY his rendition of Cavalli's "La Calisto" that was presented in 1989 at the Santa Fe Opera with Tatiana Troyanos and James Bowman (and a young Joanne Kolymejic singing Juno as well as a young Elizabeth Koch singing a Furie in the chorus, complete with electronic lights catching her costume on fire one night!) Now, was it stylistically correct? For 1989, barely. For 2010, not really. I would label it "romantic baroque" now. Particularly Troyanos' full-throated (and gorgeous) voice blossoming next to Bowman's thrilling counter-tenor. It's a performance that made me LOVE baroque opera and music, inspired me to investigate it further. It was EFFECTIVE. However, now it would not be considered CORRECT.
So what is the correct style of singing Mozart? What is the correct style of singing Donizetti? Really, these are important questions.
If the answers are about appoggiaturas, or about trills starting from above, or about cadential ornaments, then I'd venture to say one is searching for pieces of the style -- like buttons on fashionable pants that come and go with the winds of the runways of Paris. These are arbitrary rules and/or collections of rules that one uses to dissect art or music. I find them useful, but not the point.
It's much more interesting to try to get into the head of the composer. To get into the time period in which they were writing. To know and understand who the singers were, (and perhaps what their voices were like), that were in the ears of the composers as they were writing. It's also much more interesting to think about what sort of individual style YOU might have that could connect into another composer's sensibilities.
And, if that fails...worry less about style. Think more about being an effective communicator of music, text, character, vocal line, and emotional subtext. That would be my advice.
Tell me. Write in, weigh in.
I've heard a number of young singers over the years worry if they are singing in the appropriate "style"; i.e. singing Britten in the style of Britten, singing Mozart in the style of Mozart, etc. Typically this worry causes them to sing in no style, or worse, something akin to "correctness" that functions as words&music sung where/when/how the composer wanted them. This results in that lovely mediocre performance where nothing is wrong, but sadly -- nothing is right. Lots of people I meet like that sort of thing.
"Style" is defined by Merrian-Webster as "a distinctive manner of expression." It can also be defined as "the state of being poplular." I think the two are linked when it comes to music.
Style, in music, changes over the years. As well, how musicians view a certain time periods' "style" also changes with the years. Remember Raymond Leppard? His 1962 production of Monteverdi's "L'incoronazione di Poppea" set the whole baroque opera craze in motion. Yet, many of my close and most-respected friends in the Early Music wing of this business can't abide the mention of his name. This is mostly due to the fact that his score has fallen massively out of fashion.
Now some of this is due to the fact that so much has now been learned, written, and understood about early music that we no longer need someone like Mo. Leppard to "translate" a baroque score for us -- with all those confusing numbers and little-to-no actual musical notation being put down for us non-Early heathens who can't figure out figured bass.
I grew up on Leppard's "Poppea" and certainly enjoyed IMMENSELY his rendition of Cavalli's "La Calisto" that was presented in 1989 at the Santa Fe Opera with Tatiana Troyanos and James Bowman (and a young Joanne Kolymejic singing Juno as well as a young Elizabeth Koch singing a Furie in the chorus, complete with electronic lights catching her costume on fire one night!) Now, was it stylistically correct? For 1989, barely. For 2010, not really. I would label it "romantic baroque" now. Particularly Troyanos' full-throated (and gorgeous) voice blossoming next to Bowman's thrilling counter-tenor. It's a performance that made me LOVE baroque opera and music, inspired me to investigate it further. It was EFFECTIVE. However, now it would not be considered CORRECT.
So what is the correct style of singing Mozart? What is the correct style of singing Donizetti? Really, these are important questions.
If the answers are about appoggiaturas, or about trills starting from above, or about cadential ornaments, then I'd venture to say one is searching for pieces of the style -- like buttons on fashionable pants that come and go with the winds of the runways of Paris. These are arbitrary rules and/or collections of rules that one uses to dissect art or music. I find them useful, but not the point.
It's much more interesting to try to get into the head of the composer. To get into the time period in which they were writing. To know and understand who the singers were, (and perhaps what their voices were like), that were in the ears of the composers as they were writing. It's also much more interesting to think about what sort of individual style YOU might have that could connect into another composer's sensibilities.
And, if that fails...worry less about style. Think more about being an effective communicator of music, text, character, vocal line, and emotional subtext. That would be my advice.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Conducting in Two
So it's Thursday, July 15th and David Gately is almost finished staging Pirates of Penzance. He started less than a week ago, and in between starting stagings and now, we've performed Die Fledermaus with the same set of singers! Brevard certainly doesn't waste anyone's time, and the singers are beginning to realize just how packed a day can be.
As the conductor, staging rehearsals are a time of patience, a time to focus on the full score, a time to wave your hands at people not paying any attention to you because they're trying to remember where the director wants them to go, or what the choreography is, or simply focusing on their lines or a prop. For whatever reason, the past few rehearsals have been on numbers in the show either written in 2/4 or 6/8 or a quick 4/4; i.e. all numbers where the conductor is going to conduct "In 2" (down, up, down, up, repeat...) It's a rather simple pattern, something that one normally doesn't focus on. In fact, I've taught it to my 8 year old son, and he's been doing a rather good job waving his hands during the rehearsals!
However, conducting in two -- day after day -- has been difficult for me. Not only is each "2" slightly faster or slower than the other, but the repeated injury occurring to my right shoulder has now resulted in the need for a massage. Remember, please, that I don't conduct all that often anymore -- I spend my time at McGill directing shows, not conducting them. It's like a marathon runner not running all year and then jumping into a race (this race being conducting from 10am to 10pm).
I'm really not complaining, but it has been an adjustment on my getting-older body, shoulder and arm. It's something I'm not all that proud of having to worry about, let alone complain about.
It'll all be over rather soon, however. We start running the show (and there are numbers in 3 and in 4!!) later today. This Sunday there is an aria concert which I'm playing on, then Monday morning I have my first orchestra reading.
We open (as in an open dress rehearsal that they sell tickets to) a week from Tonight!
down, up, down, up, down, up...
As the conductor, staging rehearsals are a time of patience, a time to focus on the full score, a time to wave your hands at people not paying any attention to you because they're trying to remember where the director wants them to go, or what the choreography is, or simply focusing on their lines or a prop. For whatever reason, the past few rehearsals have been on numbers in the show either written in 2/4 or 6/8 or a quick 4/4; i.e. all numbers where the conductor is going to conduct "In 2" (down, up, down, up, repeat...) It's a rather simple pattern, something that one normally doesn't focus on. In fact, I've taught it to my 8 year old son, and he's been doing a rather good job waving his hands during the rehearsals!
However, conducting in two -- day after day -- has been difficult for me. Not only is each "2" slightly faster or slower than the other, but the repeated injury occurring to my right shoulder has now resulted in the need for a massage. Remember, please, that I don't conduct all that often anymore -- I spend my time at McGill directing shows, not conducting them. It's like a marathon runner not running all year and then jumping into a race (this race being conducting from 10am to 10pm).
I'm really not complaining, but it has been an adjustment on my getting-older body, shoulder and arm. It's something I'm not all that proud of having to worry about, let alone complain about.
It'll all be over rather soon, however. We start running the show (and there are numbers in 3 and in 4!!) later today. This Sunday there is an aria concert which I'm playing on, then Monday morning I have my first orchestra reading.
We open (as in an open dress rehearsal that they sell tickets to) a week from Tonight!
down, up, down, up, down, up...
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Update from Hot Brevard
So it's gotten hot here up in the mountains of North Carolina! Not as hot as Montreal currently - which is simply weird - but still darn tootin' hot!
Being stuck with a cold hasn't helped either. It started in the first week and simply won't let go of me. I tried sleep, tried lots of liquids, tried over-the-counter meds, tried beer, tried starving it, etc. Nothing has worked. If anyone has any great ideas for getting rid of a summer cold - please send them my way!
In it's first three weeks, Janiec Opera Company has produced the musical "TinTypes", taken part in the von Stade concert, and performed a rather large scenes program off in Hendersonville. The scenes program went quite well, considering that the students were cast on just the second day of the program and had little time to prepare the scenes. But as many of us know, if you have two weeks, it'll take two weeks; if you have two months, it'll take two months. That's a good lesson for all.
But it does beg the question: When is something ready (as in ready to perform)?
When it's perfect? No, nothing's ever perfect.
When it's almost perfect? Well, if you're measuring against something that doesn't exist, then how can you know you're "almost" to it?
When someone in authority (a coach, conductor, or director) says it's ready? No, how should they know when something outside of themselves is ready?
It's a difficult question to answer. Perhaps we shouldn't be looking for "ready", perhaps we should be looking for something that's ready to be shared that has as much information in it as possible. Information like text and character, vocal colors and line, physical gestures and content, musical thoughts and subtextual emotions. Stuff like that is great to share. One doesn't have to be "ready" to share these things. One has to be WILLING to share these things.
It's a choice, really.
Wanting to share all that important information, by entertaining an audience (I tire of my colleagues who don't get that we're ENTERTAINERS!), is what motivates me to be "ready".
The quote from Maryanne Williamson comes to mind as well: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be?"
Pirates starts staging this Friday. Can't wait...
Being stuck with a cold hasn't helped either. It started in the first week and simply won't let go of me. I tried sleep, tried lots of liquids, tried over-the-counter meds, tried beer, tried starving it, etc. Nothing has worked. If anyone has any great ideas for getting rid of a summer cold - please send them my way!
In it's first three weeks, Janiec Opera Company has produced the musical "TinTypes", taken part in the von Stade concert, and performed a rather large scenes program off in Hendersonville. The scenes program went quite well, considering that the students were cast on just the second day of the program and had little time to prepare the scenes. But as many of us know, if you have two weeks, it'll take two weeks; if you have two months, it'll take two months. That's a good lesson for all.
But it does beg the question: When is something ready (as in ready to perform)?
When it's perfect? No, nothing's ever perfect.
When it's almost perfect? Well, if you're measuring against something that doesn't exist, then how can you know you're "almost" to it?
When someone in authority (a coach, conductor, or director) says it's ready? No, how should they know when something outside of themselves is ready?
It's a difficult question to answer. Perhaps we shouldn't be looking for "ready", perhaps we should be looking for something that's ready to be shared that has as much information in it as possible. Information like text and character, vocal colors and line, physical gestures and content, musical thoughts and subtextual emotions. Stuff like that is great to share. One doesn't have to be "ready" to share these things. One has to be WILLING to share these things.
It's a choice, really.
Wanting to share all that important information, by entertaining an audience (I tire of my colleagues who don't get that we're ENTERTAINERS!), is what motivates me to be "ready".
The quote from Maryanne Williamson comes to mind as well: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be?"
Pirates starts staging this Friday. Can't wait...
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Brevard thoughts
So Brevard Summer #3 has begun! We're already into week 2, which is fantastic. The musical revue "TINTYPES" opens this Saturday, right after Flicka's concert (on which she's singing with two of our students, Veronique Coutu and Nathaniel Olson) this Friday. We've cast the scenes program and a few are already ready for staging. The scenes go up next Friday (there's 19 of them - everything from Monteverdi to Britten!) and I think they'll be a huge success. Also this Friday, Fledermaus stagings begin.
That's a lot of activity. I have to say, that once again, my theory of preparedness has proven true. Those singers who've come in REALLY prepared are waltzing through these first weeks with very little stress, and are learning things about themselves, their voices, the music, etc. Those that didn't are already looking a bit tired because they're learning that there's no time to learn their scenes music when they're still trying to memorize their chorus music.
Elizabeth is working hard every day -- 8 to 9 students a day, which is tricky but she loves it! The boys are having LOADS of fun with Lily -- today they're all back at a waterfall (there are over a 100 named falls in the area) in the Pisgah National Forest. It's a great watering hole that they can swim in.
The water is clear and fresh, as is the air. The people are smiling and all happy to be here. Lots to learn and work on for everyone. I'm actually enjoying working on Pirates and am looking forward to the rehearsals - which won't start for two more weeks.
Gotta run to a massage at Elements Spa -- one of THE great reasons to be here at Brevard!
That's a lot of activity. I have to say, that once again, my theory of preparedness has proven true. Those singers who've come in REALLY prepared are waltzing through these first weeks with very little stress, and are learning things about themselves, their voices, the music, etc. Those that didn't are already looking a bit tired because they're learning that there's no time to learn their scenes music when they're still trying to memorize their chorus music.
Elizabeth is working hard every day -- 8 to 9 students a day, which is tricky but she loves it! The boys are having LOADS of fun with Lily -- today they're all back at a waterfall (there are over a 100 named falls in the area) in the Pisgah National Forest. It's a great watering hole that they can swim in.
The water is clear and fresh, as is the air. The people are smiling and all happy to be here. Lots to learn and work on for everyone. I'm actually enjoying working on Pirates and am looking forward to the rehearsals - which won't start for two more weeks.
Gotta run to a massage at Elements Spa -- one of THE great reasons to be here at Brevard!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The talented member of the family...
I've been meaning to write this blog for awhile. It's about my wife, Elizabeth Koch. Many know her as "Beth" (friends and family from Burlington, IA) while most students call her "Liz". She's a voice teacher - but really I think she's a Voice Whisperer. More on that later.
She's the "talented" member of the family, as in our family, because she actually is -- plus that's how I refer to her when I describe her to my colleagues, friends, strangers, and students. I mean it, with deepest sincerity! I've also arrived at this description from a rather objective place (those who know me, understand that my judgement about talent has nothing to do with whether I like, dislike, love, or hate a person!), that being from our first meeting in 1983 until now - 27 years later.
Most of my early career was spent being her pianist. I got most of my gigs by virtue of playing for her and getting some notice, which would lead to more gigs. When I was at Juilliard, I was the boyfriend of the soprano singing "Vanessa" while Richard Bradshaw conducted. When I was playing at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and we'd go to opening night parties for operas she was singing in, I was her husband ("and what do YOU do?" the patrons would ask me...) Back in our undergraduate degree, she sang Antonia, Gretel, Drusilla, and Mimi, plus won 4 NATS in a row, got a full-ride to MSM, etc. She was the big deal there (along with a number of other great singers!) and I was happy to play for her. I learned a great deal of rep - to this day I still hear her voice in certain arias like "Dove sono" and "Donde lieta". The level at which she made music, operatically speaking, was way beyond my abilities. A rather large number of people would cry when she sang, because the colors and sounds of her voice, plus her ability to turn a phrase into a living experience, was so intense. In a word, beautiful.
I'll stop gushing now. The interesting turn of events, which led me into conducting at places like Memphis and Tulsa, then later running the Glimmerglass young artist program, also led to a turning in how people (both insiders and outsiders) viewed the two of us. No longer were patrons asking me what I did, they were turning to Elizabeth and coyly asking her "what do YOU do dear?"! She became the wife of the Director of this, or the wife of the Director of that. She did it with grace and always a smile - even after we'd had kids and the real answer was "I'm a really tired Mommy who's up late tonight after watching an opera and now eating a meal at midnight with rich people who don't really want to know what I do?"!
During this time, she stopped singing. One of her last performances was also one of my last professional conducting experiences: she sang the Mother in Dallapiccola's "Il prigioniero" in a double-bill with Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle. She got great reviews in little papers like the NYTimes and such. That was also the summer we got pregnant with our youngest son. One kid works, but two kids is really hard to make work and still sing (unless you're famous and have loads of nanny's!) However, she started teaching - and THAT is what she's extremely talented at.
I'm a good coach - better than many if I may be so bold - but her ear is amazing! Whether it's developing an understanding of how to teach a technique that works for Belting (as in musical theatre) as well as Opera (yet a different kind of belting!), she's evolved into a voice teacher who enables singers to craft a technique that works within them and works for them. After seeing some amazing changes happen - after a few lessons - with so many singers now, it's clear to me that she's the one that should be out there teaching full time.
I think this because I hear such wonderful singing coming from so many of her current and former students. Sara Milonovich comes to mind. Buy her CD of folk/bluegrass music and you'll be rather impressed. Download Aaron Tveit singing "There's a World" from Next to Normal and you'll hear someone who has total technical control over his voix mix. Go hear Veronique Coutu sing with Frederica von Stade on June 25th in Brevard and you'll hear someone who sounds so much like Elizabeth when she was 29 years old it's frightening! These are just a small number of former students who blossomed with her.
About the Voice Whisperer thing. If you've seen the Dog Whisperer in action, then just transfer that to a voice teacher and imagine Elizabeth with a student. With a sense of calmness and ease - and initially just a few exercises and suggestions - she moves a singer's voice into a more flexible, freer place which allows them to breathe and sing with less tension and more expressiveness. I've played the lessons, heard them from the other room, and seen the results - some of which are so shocking and transformative I can't believe it's the same voice! She does it all with humility, a sense of humor, and an earnestness that the work is important, but not brain surgery.
I write this, as a bit of a public display of affection, but also as a warning. If and when the time arrives and she decides to teach full-time, I'll be the first to pack up our bags and follow her. I played for Marlena for two years and LOVED it. I can do the same for Liz!
She's the "talented" member of the family, as in our family, because she actually is -- plus that's how I refer to her when I describe her to my colleagues, friends, strangers, and students. I mean it, with deepest sincerity! I've also arrived at this description from a rather objective place (those who know me, understand that my judgement about talent has nothing to do with whether I like, dislike, love, or hate a person!), that being from our first meeting in 1983 until now - 27 years later.
Most of my early career was spent being her pianist. I got most of my gigs by virtue of playing for her and getting some notice, which would lead to more gigs. When I was at Juilliard, I was the boyfriend of the soprano singing "Vanessa" while Richard Bradshaw conducted. When I was playing at Lyric Opera of Chicago, and we'd go to opening night parties for operas she was singing in, I was her husband ("and what do YOU do?" the patrons would ask me...) Back in our undergraduate degree, she sang Antonia, Gretel, Drusilla, and Mimi, plus won 4 NATS in a row, got a full-ride to MSM, etc. She was the big deal there (along with a number of other great singers!) and I was happy to play for her. I learned a great deal of rep - to this day I still hear her voice in certain arias like "Dove sono" and "Donde lieta". The level at which she made music, operatically speaking, was way beyond my abilities. A rather large number of people would cry when she sang, because the colors and sounds of her voice, plus her ability to turn a phrase into a living experience, was so intense. In a word, beautiful.
I'll stop gushing now. The interesting turn of events, which led me into conducting at places like Memphis and Tulsa, then later running the Glimmerglass young artist program, also led to a turning in how people (both insiders and outsiders) viewed the two of us. No longer were patrons asking me what I did, they were turning to Elizabeth and coyly asking her "what do YOU do dear?"! She became the wife of the Director of this, or the wife of the Director of that. She did it with grace and always a smile - even after we'd had kids and the real answer was "I'm a really tired Mommy who's up late tonight after watching an opera and now eating a meal at midnight with rich people who don't really want to know what I do?"!
During this time, she stopped singing. One of her last performances was also one of my last professional conducting experiences: she sang the Mother in Dallapiccola's "Il prigioniero" in a double-bill with Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle. She got great reviews in little papers like the NYTimes and such. That was also the summer we got pregnant with our youngest son. One kid works, but two kids is really hard to make work and still sing (unless you're famous and have loads of nanny's!) However, she started teaching - and THAT is what she's extremely talented at.
I'm a good coach - better than many if I may be so bold - but her ear is amazing! Whether it's developing an understanding of how to teach a technique that works for Belting (as in musical theatre) as well as Opera (yet a different kind of belting!), she's evolved into a voice teacher who enables singers to craft a technique that works within them and works for them. After seeing some amazing changes happen - after a few lessons - with so many singers now, it's clear to me that she's the one that should be out there teaching full time.
I think this because I hear such wonderful singing coming from so many of her current and former students. Sara Milonovich comes to mind. Buy her CD of folk/bluegrass music and you'll be rather impressed. Download Aaron Tveit singing "There's a World" from Next to Normal and you'll hear someone who has total technical control over his voix mix. Go hear Veronique Coutu sing with Frederica von Stade on June 25th in Brevard and you'll hear someone who sounds so much like Elizabeth when she was 29 years old it's frightening! These are just a small number of former students who blossomed with her.
About the Voice Whisperer thing. If you've seen the Dog Whisperer in action, then just transfer that to a voice teacher and imagine Elizabeth with a student. With a sense of calmness and ease - and initially just a few exercises and suggestions - she moves a singer's voice into a more flexible, freer place which allows them to breathe and sing with less tension and more expressiveness. I've played the lessons, heard them from the other room, and seen the results - some of which are so shocking and transformative I can't believe it's the same voice! She does it all with humility, a sense of humor, and an earnestness that the work is important, but not brain surgery.
I write this, as a bit of a public display of affection, but also as a warning. If and when the time arrives and she decides to teach full-time, I'll be the first to pack up our bags and follow her. I played for Marlena for two years and LOVED it. I can do the same for Liz!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Red Hair, Planning, Imeneo, and The Bohemian Rhapsody
Red Hair:
So, I'm seeing lots of dye jobs running around Montreal. I have to say, they kinda remind me of the circus clowns I saw as a child in Omaha! Perhaps the penchant for loving clowns, which runs a bit amok here, is the subconscious reason for these ladies (of ALL ages mind you) to move to so unnatural a color? Forgive me, colour? Just a random thought for the beginning of June...
Planning:
I've got the detailed La Boheme staging schedule done (I can tell you what we're doing at 4:30 the first Wednesday of January!), the Black Box festival schedule done (even though I'm not sure exactly what we're doing...), the Imeneo schedule done (that one's tricky and will be a huge challenge.), and the classes for opera all scheduled.
Imeneo:
The only time I've seen it and worked on it was at Glimmerglass. It had a GREAT cast: Michael Maniaci, John Tessier, Amanda Pabyan, Meghan Monaghan, and Craig Philips. They sang it brilliantly, but the production was, how shall I say, less than Glimmer's best. Alden chose to do his distorted world view - as in physical distortion = emotional pain - and it failed, for me, almost as much as the horrid double-bill where the natives attacked the clown... I'm hoping to return to the story and see what it brings. The characters are interesting, but really -- the music is just sublime; some of the best Handel wrote. As far as what I'll do with it as a director, I'm not in the groove yet - no big ideas, just local ones. I've got a few months before anything has to be decided.
The Bohemian Rhapsody:
However, there ARE big ideas running around this head where La Boheme is concerned! Opera McGill produces it this January - full production, big chorus, full orchestration - and we're setting down to design it next week. By "we're" I mean Vincent Lefevre (sets), Ginette Grenier (costumes), and me. Ginette's thinking 1830s. I'll see what she shows and go from there. The other exciting news is the documentary we're going to make surrounding this production - from next week's design meeting to the fall auditions, to the coachings, fittings, stagings, and stage rehearsals. It'll all be put up on Opera McGill's new website - which is being designed over the summer. Look for even more surprises to happen around Montreal before AND after the production!
So, I'm seeing lots of dye jobs running around Montreal. I have to say, they kinda remind me of the circus clowns I saw as a child in Omaha! Perhaps the penchant for loving clowns, which runs a bit amok here, is the subconscious reason for these ladies (of ALL ages mind you) to move to so unnatural a color? Forgive me, colour? Just a random thought for the beginning of June...
Planning:
I've got the detailed La Boheme staging schedule done (I can tell you what we're doing at 4:30 the first Wednesday of January!), the Black Box festival schedule done (even though I'm not sure exactly what we're doing...), the Imeneo schedule done (that one's tricky and will be a huge challenge.), and the classes for opera all scheduled.
Imeneo:
The only time I've seen it and worked on it was at Glimmerglass. It had a GREAT cast: Michael Maniaci, John Tessier, Amanda Pabyan, Meghan Monaghan, and Craig Philips. They sang it brilliantly, but the production was, how shall I say, less than Glimmer's best. Alden chose to do his distorted world view - as in physical distortion = emotional pain - and it failed, for me, almost as much as the horrid double-bill where the natives attacked the clown... I'm hoping to return to the story and see what it brings. The characters are interesting, but really -- the music is just sublime; some of the best Handel wrote. As far as what I'll do with it as a director, I'm not in the groove yet - no big ideas, just local ones. I've got a few months before anything has to be decided.
The Bohemian Rhapsody:
However, there ARE big ideas running around this head where La Boheme is concerned! Opera McGill produces it this January - full production, big chorus, full orchestration - and we're setting down to design it next week. By "we're" I mean Vincent Lefevre (sets), Ginette Grenier (costumes), and me. Ginette's thinking 1830s. I'll see what she shows and go from there. The other exciting news is the documentary we're going to make surrounding this production - from next week's design meeting to the fall auditions, to the coachings, fittings, stagings, and stage rehearsals. It'll all be put up on Opera McGill's new website - which is being designed over the summer. Look for even more surprises to happen around Montreal before AND after the production!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)