::eurosolo::six::a lesson in critical listening::

So I went to an opera put on by a local opera company just to see what the level is like and whether or not I had a good shot of getting work. What I've discovered is that it's a real hit and miss. But I've also discovered that this, the 2nd worst opera I've been to (the first was Don Giovanni at the Komische Oper in Berlin--which I definitely walked out of) still had a full house! It's dedinitely encouraging!

Seeing this opera was also an opportunitly to learn what works and doesn't. So I've included some of my notes which I wrote as quickly as I could directly after the opera to remind myself: enjoy:)

La bohème--Utrecht
Stichting Internationale opera productie

Act 1:
-Interesting staging: obvious that it was an attempt at modernizing for the sake of modernizing
- started out not bad...but started to get way bad
- entrance of Benoit (drunk and singing about woman part)--close enough to the score but not having a woman appear on stage, getting hired and flashing the audience in her lingerie!
- entrance of mimi--couldn't hear the singing
- mi chiamnano Mimi: tempo was so ridiculously slow
- way too much sliding and portamento that was inappropriate even for Puccini!!
- rodolfo's high note was completely messed up-cracking and everything!
- duet at the end when rudolfo was supposed to sing the high note he sung it down the octave and a third under Mimi instead of singing the right notes!

Act 2:
- seriously messy scene!
- childrens chorus was completely missing replaced by bad women singing mixture on and off stage
- chorus staring at the director for cues from the director and then singing out
- sparce chorus: bad voices were completely over exposed.
-musetta: entrance was awkward--the only notes heard were her highest ones which sounded like clucking: literally!!
- quando m'en vo: what is with the crazy staging and costumes?!
- musetta on the lampole, I thought she was going to pretend to strip
- costume was a horrible short red dress with slits on either side up to her waist
- when she and marcello embraced the entire Audience could see her underwear and her crotch!
- exit scene: why were they awkwardly marching in a line?!?!

Act 3
- why is there another woman dressed exactly like Mimi appearing on the scaffolding every time the real Mimi sings?!
- singing much better: someone must have mentioned it to Mimi during the intermission that she could not be heard
- marcello, best in the first half was starting to sing everything flat
- odd staging made it complicated to see what was sung and what was an aside
- Mimi and rodolfo's goodbye was well sung (in comparison to first half) but the staging was horrid: everytime Mimi sung she would turn back to sing towards rudolfo and everytime there was musical interlude she would slowly walk away...over and over again!

Act 4
- Male singers definitely much better than the women
- quartet stuff was good with rudolfo, colline, schaunard getting better but marcello getting worse
- entrance of musetta much better at least in her costume: longer black dress but her singng definitely did NOT improve!
- mimi's entrance: being carried in and set on table but mimi on scaffolding singing
- concept becomes clear: it symbolizes Mimi looking back on herself--a pretty good idea but could've been done so much better
- end was really a thousand times better but for some reason it just fell flat most likely because of what proceeded.
- curtain call had people shoutng bravo and giving standing ovations(?!) I remained sitting of course
- cast was whipped by the closing curtain ar the end of the second curtain call!!

Can't forget the old man behind us who was humming along completely out of tune!!!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod Touch -

::eurosolo::five::could it be an indication?::

So here I am sitting at the doelen enjoying my free tea on a very swanky white couch. I'm here for a choral ensemble concert. The codarts chamber choir ensemble is singing the Brahms Gesänge, Weltliche Gesänge, Neue Liebeslieder and the Schumann Spanisches Liederspiel. The choir is made entirely from Codarts students and get this: SO ARE THE SOLOISTS...all of them. That's right, my friends, there's no special guests to fill the seats....people are here because they're interested in supporting young people in the arts. In fact there is an entire concert series held right here-- where the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra plays--featuring only students from Codart's classical music academy. Oh and in May, the Codarts symphony orchestra will be playing under the batôn of Yannick Nézet-Séguin himself. I must say I am thoroughly thrilled to see the show.

Oh and there are 12 soloists...at the intermission 2 of them got approached for gigs...how's THAT for opportunity?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPod Touch -