Absolutely exhausted, after a very long Sunday, indeed! Got up early this morning to hitch a ride to my Chicago-based Central City Opera audition. I got to ride with my good friend Adam Cioffari who, quite apart from being the biggest opera nerd on the planet (and I mean this literally), is absolutely brilliant and great company. We listened to Met broadcasts on Sirius radio the whole ride. Oddly enough, Giorgio Tozzi was featured in every recording we heard (Mr. Tozzi taught both Adam and I at one point).
I should note how awesome that Sirius thing is. Wow, to have met archival recordings at your fingertips 24 hours a day! Incredible. I'm buying my Real Rhapsody subscription as soon as I can afford it. OK, before then, even if I have to sacrifice a meal. That would really be starving for my art... :)
The audition went well. It's always odd singing for a company you've worked with before, but I did not feel particularly uncomfortable. I had really wanted to get to show them some new repertoire, but sadly I couldn't get Vecchia Zimarra up to audition snuff in time. That jerk Puccini wrote some deceptively easy-looking music! I don't think I could devise a harder approach to that Eb, nor a rougher tessitura in which to stay even and lined up! (vocally, I mean)
I spent the afternoon in a practice room, noodling around on the piano, and singing until my throat begged me to stop. So I would give it a break, then start up again. I found out that La Calunnia isn't nearly as difficult an aria as it appears, so I'll be taking a more serious look through it this week, if I can find the time.
This is intense week for everyone at CCM. It's the last week of classes, the most exciting part of the audition season, and... did I mention it's the last week of classes? Cause that's important. I have two spoken foreign-language scenes to present this week, along with an oratorio aria, three auditions and two trips to Chicago. Somewhere in there I have a handful of Slavic songs to learn and coach, which will be a real treat because I don't read cyrillic or speak any slavic languages.
And it's my brother's birthday tomorrow - happy birthday, Dave!
But for now, I am very tired. To Chicago and back in a day is no mean feat! I tell you, as soon as we figure out how to teleport people, I will be all OVER that! Whew!
