Been gone for a while, but ... Opera!

I haven't posted at the TWC for some time, because I've been involved in politics. Thoroughly disgusted with the process, I'll tell everyone what I'm doing ....

I'm practicing for my comeback at a major opera company! When I decided to do this, I considered my age, the quality of my voice, and other factors, and decided that I had a chance.

I've been practicing for the better part of a year, now, and just received word that I will be contracted with the Company, starting in the 2013-14 season. Congratulations are in order ...

My practice sessions consist of 30 minutes of exercises, gradually increasing in intensity, including arpeggios. This is followed by 7-8 operatic arias, back-to-back. I finish off with O Sole Mio!

The unique thing about this is that I was the youngest chorister the Company ever hired (I was 15, when I signed the contract, and 16 when I started singing). When I return, I will be the oldest person under contract with them (I will be 64).

Just for your information, I am a spinto tenor, which is sometimes called a Lyric counter-tenor. The word spinto refers to the ability to "push" the voice to do things that a Lyric Tenor cannot do ... like ringing the rafters and breaking glass! For those who know, my range is from a-flat2 to d5. This is about 2 1/2 octaves.

In 1964, I auditioned with Recondita armonia, from the opera Tosca, by Puccini. I did so, again, last December!

I've posted here because I intend to post more often at the TWC, but will not be drawn in the political drama, here. I'm done with that scene, baby!

EDIT: I'm soon goiing to change my avatar and signature, though doing so has nothing to do with abandoning my beliefs!

Yeah, opera rules.
I am more into the female voices though.

But still, Oldgamer, are any of your auditions or rehearsals available online (youtube or something) and would you like to post them for us here perhaps? Or maybe just point out what is great opera from your point of view.
We recently had a new opera house where I live, but I was pretty disappointed in what I saw there. Not in the music and singing, but in that awful modernistic scenography that for some reason is the order of the day at the moment. I could really use seeing some real classical opera without acid green neonlight installations or the like, but with a scenography that helps the story rather than hurt the eye.

@Logios

Thanks for the response!

I'm trying to set up a video session, so I can have something to put on YouTube. When that's available, I'll make sure that you know. There is also a thread, possibly somewhere in the archives of the TWC, of a very old recording (circa 1980) of me singing Nessun Dorma. I'll see if I can find it.

I'm a fan of Italian opera, for the most part, and the music of Giuseppe verdi and Giacomo Puccini, in particular. My repertoire includes most of the tenor arias of both, though there are some that I like more than others. A singer has to determine what his voice is most suited to, and run with that.

I was luckier than most, since when I first started singing professionally, Alfredo Kraus was one of the three premier tenors in the world, and he regularly sang where I did. He gave me personal masters' classes, and said that I was clearly a spinto, though he warned me of singing overly dramatic roles like Canio, from Pagliacci. He recommended to my company that they send me to the American Conservatory of Music, in Chicago, to study with Dr. B. Fred Wise (who specialized in teaching tenors). What Dr. Wise taught me has lasted a lifetime.

Like you, I much prefer classic scenery, lighting, and costumes. Although it shouldn't overwhelm the singers, it should help the story. For example, in the duet scene from La Boheme, it can be as simple as a stairway "landing" with a window, and a chair, as Rodolfo helps Mimi "find" her key. In the opening scene of Rigoletto, however, it shoud look like a palace, and the costumes should give credence to this.

Diana Damrau is amazing, isn't she? I thoroughly enjoyed your video. Since the Magic Flute" is a fantasy, you can do a lot with scenery and costumes.

You might be interested in knowing that I dated one of the most famous coloraturas in the world, many years ago. I was 17 when I met her, and she was 34, but we hit it off famously. When we went out, she had to go in disguise, because she also had a television show. Her name? Anna Moffo. Please google her, and not only listen in awe, but watch.

As Paul Harvey would have said, "And that's the end of that story!"

Sorry for the novella!

Congratulations! I also love opera and want to become a singer.

Kraus is the greatest lyric tenor on record, to my ear. What was he like in person? I won't ask anything about Anna Moffo...

Originally Posted by iudas

Congratulations! I also love opera and want to become a singer.

Kraus is the greatest lyric tenor on record, to my ear. What was he like in person? I won't ask anything about Anna Moffo...

In real life, Alfredo was a warm, kind man, who wanted to help other people achieve their goals. He could demonstrate the advice he gave, and was able to sing well into his 70's (in that, he reminds me of Placido Domingo!).

It's all right to talk about Anna. She was one of the most beautiful women in the world, when I knew her, and loved to talk. Indeed, she did so for hours on end. Although there was a hint of the frightened little girl in her ... which was appealing, in a weird sort of way ... she was also tough. She recalled with a stony glint in her eye an encounter she had with then-US Attorney-General Robert Kennedy, in which he made one of his ubiquitous attempts to bed her.

She told him, "I'm the most famous coloratura soprano in the world, and I can get any man that I want. You think that I would give up my pride to you, for the hope of becoming Mrs. Attorney-General? Something we both know wouldn't happen?"

I told her, "I would have paid real money to see the look on his face!"

She laughed so much, that she almost gave away her disguise!

EDIT: What's keeping you from singing? Are you pursuing it?

Originally Posted by Oldgamer

EDIT: What's keeping you from singing? Are you pursuing it?

I do take lessons. I'm still in highschool though.

Congratulations.

Originally Posted by Oldgamer

Congratulations are in order ...

Congratulations, sir! Reliving such experiences could be compared to the rebirth of a Phoenix from its ashes, really.

Originally Posted by Oldgamer

Just for your information, I am a spinto tenor, which is sometimes called a Lyric counter-tenor.

That is awesome.

Originally Posted by Logios

I am more into the female voices though.

The full version of the Zauberflote, starring Diana Damrau, is available on Youtube. Still, nothing can beat Florence Foster Jenkins' performance though

Originally Posted by Logios

I could really use seeing some real classical opera without acid green neonlight installations or the like, but with a scenography that helps the story rather than hurt the eye.

I fully agree on that although I could come up with a couple of exceptions.

Originally Posted by Oldgamer

I was luckier than most, since when I first started singing professionally, Alfredo Kraus was one of the three premier tenors in the world, and he regularly sang where I did. He gave me personal masters' classes, and said that I was clearly a spinto, though he warned me of singing overly dramatic roles like Canio, from Pagliacci.

Kraus was indeed one of the best tenors out there and the fact that he unselfishly employed his phenomenal skills to the benefit of others makes him an even greater human being. As it happens, I watched this clip some days ago.

Originally Posted by Oldgamer

Her name? Anna Moffo. Please google her, and not only listen in awe, but watch.

You lucky man, she was gorgeous back then... . This clip is from 1968, when she was 36 (our very own Oldgamer can be heard starting at 1.55 )

Originally Posted by Maximinus Thrax

The full version of the Zauberflote, starring Diana Damrau, is available on Youtube. Still, nothing can beat Florence Foster Jenkins' performance though

You totally made me look. Nice one.

Originally Posted by Maximinus Thrax

You lucky man, she was gorgeous back then... . This clip is from 1968, when she was 36 (our very own Oldgamer can be heard starting at 1.55 )

Thank you so much for embedding this @Maximinus. I have listened to it several times, enjoying that beautiful voice as it dawned on me: I have never actually seen La Traviata, this is something I need to do. I took a look at my local operahouse's webpage, and it turns out: It is playing this spring!:
http://kglteater.dk/Alle_forestillin..._traviata.aspx
I sure hope Gisela Stille/Anne Margrethe Dahl are anything like Anna Moffo.
So great you brought this to my attention, sometimes you can lose focus when there is so much great music to hear and so little time

Originally Posted by Logios

sometimes you can lose focus when there is so much great music to hear and so little time

Ars longa vita brevis. My thought exactly, especially now that the Early Music revival is in full swing.

Originally Posted by classical_hero

Congratulations.

Thank you! Also, thanks for the videos.


@Maximinus Thrax
You're right about reliving experiences. The Phoenix arises, indeed. I've been an old man for 20 years. Now, I feel like I'm 20 years old!

Alfredo was among the people who heard my first audition (which led to singing with the Lyric Opera, one year later). I was 15 years old. Poor me, I didn't even know who he was. I was questioned by the chorusmaster, at length, after my audition, and then Alfredo spoke. He said, "Young man, how old are you?"

I thought I had done something wrong! However, I sheepishly replied, "Fifteen, sir."

He smiled and said, "Extraordinary."

Two days later, I got a telegram from the Lyric with one word on it ... "Accepted."

Now, I'd like to do the same thing that he did, by helping young people not only appreciate opera, but want to sing it.

Anna was extraordinarily beautiful, even when she was in her "disguise"! I cannot fathom why she would have wanted to date someone half her age, like me. But I was honored by her attention to me, to say the least.

Kip Bohannon
There was a sitcom, a few years ago, starring Nathan Lane as a great operatic tenor who loses his voice when his vocal cords are damaged by EMTs. He comes to live with his family on their vineyard, while he plots his comeback (which turns out to be a disaster). At the end of that episode, he's sitting on his bed, lip-singing with one of his recordings of Nessun Dorma. The camera fades as the tears begin to flow.

I decided that I would not be Nathan Lane's character, and that I would go back to what I should have been doing, all along.

@Iudas
First, you have to determine what your voice is suited for. It may, or may not, be suited for the music that you like the most.

Then ... and this is all I can do for someone I only know over the internet ... you need to find a teacher who will train you to sing classically. If you can sing classically, you will be able to sing anything you set your mind to.

An example: Both Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra were tremendously popular singing stars, in the United States. But when you listen to them, you start to hear a "sameness" to the types of music that Sinatra could sing (although he was arguably the most popular of the two). But listen to recordings of Bing Crosby. His music ranges from pop to classical, religious, and even opera. Why? He was classically trained.

When you find the right teacher ... practice, practice, practice ...

... You know the drill, soldier!

I wrote a thesis on Turandot this past semester at school and truly enjoyed the experience. If you dig up that recording you mentioned of Nessun Dorma I'd love to have a listen!

Dating a married woman must have been quite the scandal.

Congratulations!

A favourite of mine;



"Ah mes amis" from La fille du regiment

Only opera I've ever seen was Aïda. I liked most of it, especially the triumphal march, but opera is really too long for me.

Hey, can you post some audio of your singing? Considering all the extraordinary attention you got it sounds like your voice must have been or still is rather exceptional.

Even more considering you have all these other talents, advising the Karl Rove's of this world etc.

@Carl
Pavarotti! I never get enough of him. Many thanks for the audio.

You might find this interesting then;



As Pavarotti attempts to sing the aria that made him famous things go a little wrong. He faces some serious trouble as he tries to do the 'Pour mon ami!' part.

(bear in mind though that he was ill at the time)

A not quite a Mozart Opera. Enjoy.

Originally Posted by classical_hero

A not quite a Mozart Opera. Enjoy.

Victor Borge was a classic ... he could have been one of the world's great concert pianists. However, he chose to make people laugh, instead. I want to do this "Mozart" opera. I can see why he wrote Salieri's name on it!

Enjoy it, Oldgamer.