This week marks my return to opera singing full-time... and what a wonderful feeling that is! I feel so much more in my element in the musical world, it's felt like a real release.
I arrived in Memphis on Sunday night, for a Monday start of my contract with Opera Memphis. I'm one of the young artists here, basically we're here to do a children's opera tour in schools, with the occasional concert or audition thrown into the mix. I know when most people hear me say 'I'm a professional opera singer again', the last thing they imagine is Jack and the Beanstalk for 3rd graders! But fundamentally, we're telling a story through music and good singing, and that's really what gets me pumped.
Having just recently finished a couple of concerts, I can say from a direct comparison: I like this so much more. Even just rehearsing the first few days of a funny kid's show, there's something about this that really gets me going. I'm sorry, all you art song enthusiasts, the majority of that stuff just isn't fun for me to sing. I'm not sure if it's having a plot that I enjoy so much, or the physical challenges of singing opera, or what... but there's a difference between the experience of singing song and that of singing opera, and in the difference seems to lie my passion.
This Jack and the Beanstalk is a re-setting of the music from Gounod's Faust, to a completely different plot (obviously) scripted for kids. As silly as the text can be sometimes - actually, there are bits that are downright hilarious - the music is very serious stuff for me at least. I get to sing both of Mephistopheles' arias, and neither of them is a cakewalk for a low bass. In fact, the whole role is pretty solidly in bass-baritone territory, so for me this is a healthy stretch for my voice. Actually I feel like the role fits my instrument very well, but that doesn't make it much easier to sing! In any case, this is exactly the direction I want my voice to move, so I'm thrilled about the opportunity to grow this way.
The big downside - two performances a day, for three weeks. One of those performances will be at 9 or 10am every day. That's not exactly an easy time to sing challenging repertoire! I'm thinking of it as a challenge. If I can successfully sing those two arias with good technique at 9am for 3 weeks... that will be a great accomplishment for me, and very good training for my voice!
Since it's been so long since I've updated, here's the plan for the next few months: Memphis until May 16th, a concert with Bryn in Indianapolis on May 21st, hopefully a couple of auditions, then covering Escamillo in Carmen with Utah Festival Opera from the end of May till August 8th (talk about a challenge!). From Utah Bryn and I will fly directly to France; we've signed a lease to live in Paris for a year at least. With any luck I'll be flying back to the 'states a few times for gigs, and making occasional audition and performance excursions in Europe.
In short, happy days are here again! I'm a singer again, I'm happy to be here, and dammit things are looking up!
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