Kimozart

I Want the World...I Want the Whole World!

2009-11-11T11:30:00.001-05:00

Opera Theater of Saint Louis is hosting the world premiere of The Golden Ticket, a new opera based on Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. One of my favorite mezzos, Jennifer Rivera, is playing Veruca Salt. (Of course the mezzo would play the bratty kid...)

As exciting as this is, this brings up a topic that I've been thinking about/talking with other people about recently. What is with this new trend of making musicals out of movies? Granted, Charlie is a book, but there are two big movies and a musical based on it already. Now there needs to be an opera of it? I think the question needs to be: is this good operatic material?

So here's my problem: medium. Every medium -- be it opera, broadway musical, movie, play, novel, whatever -- has its inherent strong points. Some stories just work in a certain medium. When you start juggling it around, the story loses its original impact. Shrek the musical? Spiderman the musical? An opera based on An Inconvenient Truth? I mean, come on -- who thought this was a good idea? You see the same thing happen when they make your favorite book into a movie. Some movie renditions are wonderful and they even enhance the original story, but some books just lose all their power when they're put into movie form.

I've noticed a trend, especially in broadway musicals, and I think that these media are being compromised because everything new that is being written isn't taking into account the strengths and weaknesses of the form in mind. I could blame it all on commercialism, but this trend began before the recession came in full-force. I think the cause is more laziness than anything. There isn't a commitment to the craft. There needs to be a commitment to the craft! Nothing good ever came from half-hearted writing.

Joyce Didonato said it perfectly in her last post when she explained Dr. George Gibson's philosophy. He believes in the three Ds: Dedication, Disclipline, and Determination. I think that is such a great motivator and thing to live by. If only the entertainment industry would do the same...

Winter uncovers distances...

2009-11-04T22:55:00.000-05:00

Dear Life,

How can you be so complex and lovely and draining all at once? I've been here so long, trying in vain to peer through you, but all I see are nameless things-- those things which inspire and confound and ignite.

Open to me! Show me your secrets! Explain yourself. Unravel the hand-knit knots that plague my mind. Night and day you stare me down and laugh because I cannot stare back long enough to win against you. Give in just this once--let me beat you!

God, you present such beautiful things: the scent of winter's fireplaces on the night air, the feel of a wool scarf on my fragile throat, the sight of a kiss blown across the room from one so beloved, the sound of enchanting music -- music to break my heart from an abundance of love.

I gather it all about me; I try to let it seep in. My soul desires and yet resists. When will anything make sense?

See, you have tired me out! I can only sleep now. Unconsciousness beckons to me. I cannot push it away; I cannot stop my hearing. I seek it out as it searches after me. Sleep--one of my favorite dance partners. Let us waltz!

Until tomorrow. Only until tomorrow. Then we shall begin all over again. Conflict, love, tension, release, revelation...

Love,
me

The Skinny on Skinny

2009-10-30T10:57:00.000-04:00

I walked into work today and the first words out of my coworker's mouth were,

"Hey there, skinny girl!"

I'm proud to announce that I am wearing a size 10 pair of jeans today. In May, I was pushing a 14. Here's the story:

In May, I was cast in the opera and I said to myself, "Now this is real. In order to have this career, I need to look amazing." I was really inspired by something that Natalie Dessay (a very successful opera singer) said in an interview. She said, "[If you're on stage,] you have to make people dream." I agree with that. Also, I'm totally committed to my artistry and I want to make my character look like they would if they really existed. It needs to be realistic on every level. Prince Orlofsky, a spoiled brat rich teenage boy, is definitely skinner than I am. Besides, I work so hard on my technique and my languages and everything- why should I work any less on this aspect of my performance? I can't let anything get in my way. Therefore I started to try.

The first five attempts/strategies did not work. Some were a lot of work (and I lost literally ZERO pounds) and some made me sick (I got off them immediately) but I've never used pills and I've only done things naturally. (I will talk in a second about the health aspect of this.)

While I was in Austria, I ate tons of pastries and sang my butt off and dropped to a 12. But I couldn't do anything after that and I couldn't go back to Austria and simulate the experience, so I was stuck once again. Two weeks ago, I started a new diet that has finally worked and I am now a size 10. I am thanking God every day because SOMETHING IS FINALLY WORKING! Sure, I'm not eating any of my favorite foods, but it's worth it! I learned that everyone's body is different and you have to find what works for your chemistry. I guess it's like everything else in life: when things don't work the first time, try something else and never give up!

Now, I was committed to losing weight in a healthy way, because I think that it's very important. Looking good means nothing if you're not healthy. Besides, as an opera singer, my body is my instrument and I have changed my lifestyle on a few accounts in order to keep it in top condition. As a singer, you also have to be extremely careful about losing weight because fat distribution affects your singing and technique. (There's an extremely interesting blog post about how your body type affects the sort of vocal problems that you will encounter.) Dropping weight too fast or unnaturally can cause major issues with your voice. That is the last thing I need because it totally defeats the purpose of losing weight in the first place!

So here's my thing: if you want something bad enough, work hard to get it. Go for what you want! I still have a ways to go (and this will probably be a life-long endeavor of mine), but I'm willing to do it because I love what I'm doing and I will do anything I can to be completely successful at it.

Prince Orlofsky, here I come!

Everything = Opera

2009-10-23T12:15:00.003-04:00

I love how everything in my life always relates back to opera.

I was doing laundry with my mom last night (or rather, I was watching her do laundry and blabbing on about my life) and she picked up this red V-neck T-shirt and said,

"I've never seen this shirt before. Who's is it? Is this yours?"

"No," I answered. "That must be Ryan's -- it's a boy shirt. I can tell the difference between boy's clothes and girl's clothes." (I am so proud of my amazing skillz at this point.)

My mom laughed and said,

"Yeah, that's because you wear both."

Touché.

Never a Dull Moment

2009-10-21T12:22:00.006-04:00

We had some interesting moments in opera scenes yesterday that are definitely worth sharing.

First, Christina (Rosalinde in January) came in with kiddie tattoos all over her one arm ("I got a sleeve" she told me jokingly). Isabel saw her from far away and said "What did you do?" Christina assured her that they were not real and that she was just "bored" last night. Isabel gave her the evil eye and said, "I kill you!"

((This reminded me of all the rules about being in a show and I forgot that those restrictions have started already. That's why Isabel was so shocked to see my red hair in September...I'd already been cast at that point. I love how your opera director has the right to dictate your life. At least she hasn't asked me to do anything crazy yet. YET.))

Then, Jackie was doing "Vedrai, carino" (Don Giovanni) and Isabel was trying to explain Zerlina and Masetto. She said, "You guys have probably known each other since you were 5. Who knows, you might even be related." OH-KAY. THAT puts a whole new spin on the story... Hello rated-R Don Giovanni!

Some people did another scene from Don Giovanni and Leporello decided that Masetto had to go so he slung Masetto over his shoulder and walked out. And Masetto was still singing!

I was invited to be a non-singing participant in a scene from Un Ballo in Maschera. There were about 4 girls and one guy chosen besides the girl playing Oscar. Who gets chosen to play the king? Me. Naturally. The one guy, Paul, looked so bewildered. His facial expression was priceless.

A scene from Don Pasquale ended with the kid playing Don Pasquale getting legit SLAPPED in the face. His glasses went flying and a lens popped out! Everyone gasped. This was serious drama! Isabel commented that we need to learn "boundaries." I never thought I'd hear that word come out of her mouth but I'm so glad that it did!

So that was my day yesterday. Never a dull moment in the world of opera!

Der Rosenkavalier Strikes Again

2009-10-14T21:21:00.002-04:00

First things first: SUSAN GRAHAM BOWED LAST!

Ok, now, let me say that the Met's Rosenkavalier last night was divine. The last notes were absolutely heavenly. Overall, the singing was fantastic (I even liked the Faninal!). My only complaint is that La Renee got a little too emotional at times.

Honestly, Susan Graham stood out from all the amazingness. She spun gorgeous, gorgeous lines of nuanced gloriousness that just took my breath away. She was funny and always a treat to watch onstage. I love her Octavian to pieces.

The production was so TRADITIONAL. I was almost in shock from of its traditional-ness. I liked it most of the time. I wasn't as moved by the drama as I usually am. I think there was a bit of stiffness in the joints but overall, the music more than made up for it.

But, Susan Graham...so incredible. She brought the house down for sure and I'm so glad that they gave her last bow because she totally deserved it.

The fact that the Marschallin usually gets the last bow is a major pet-peeve of mine. I mean, she's not there for all of Act II and half of Act III and the opera is named Der Rosenkavalier. Why does the mezzo always get the short end of the stick? Finally, Octavian bowed last and it couldn't have been a better mezzo to do the job.

I am happy. I am tired and over-worked and happy.

E Susanna non vien...

2009-10-11T22:52:00.003-04:00

Opera scenes rehearsals are always interesting, but I had a very special opportunity last Thursday. George, Alex, and Christina are doing the "Cosa sento" trio from Le Nozze di Figaro and on Thursday, Christina had to leave to tutor some unlucky kid in eartraining (I say "unlucky" because he/she is still in eartraining) but the trio still had to practice. When George asked where Christina was, Isabel explained and then she pointed at me and said, "Kim will sing Susanna." I was just sitting there innocently waiting for my Barbiere trio to rehearse. I was slightly shocked and really excited. I got up and said, "I'm not a soprano, but sure!"

I've heard the trio before but I've never sang it. So I was sight-reading, but I wasn't too scared. Mozart is my ally. :)

It all went fine. I was able to supply a Susanna so they could practice. What fun! I love singing a character that I never would otherwise. I can hit all the notes without a problem -- it's just the heaviest Susanna that I've ever heard.

Gosh, I love that scene. That trio is genius.

I'm not sure if Isabel picked me because she knew I'd be able to do it or because she was trying to push me out of my comfort zone. She's been doing the latter a lot lately-- I've noticed and I appreciate it. A little push never hurt anyone.

A funny story from Fledermaus rehearsal:

We've been having Fledermaus chorus rehearsals for some time now and they finally let the principals come in on Thursday. So I got to sing my solo stuff with the chorus. We were halfway through the Act II Finale and I have this tricky entrance (the meter changes, I get one beat of entrance from the conductor, I come in without a note...you get the idea) so I was really concentrated.

I came in on time, in meter, and on the right note but in the wrong language. WHOOPS.

We're doing Fledermaus in English but it's originally written in German. When I came in, I was singing in German. I don't have the German words in my score, I've never seen the German words to this section before, and I've never practiced this in German. I have NO idea why I started singing it in German! Only I would sing a foreign language when I should be singing in my native language. Oh boy.

Everyone burst out laughing and we had to start the number over. We had to take a minute so I could recuperate from the laughing (it WAS really funny). Ally, who's playing Ida, turned to me and said,

"That was so adorable!"

Good times. I'm sure there will be MANY more to come. I can't wait to start rehearsing Fledermaus in earnest! It's going to be so much fun...

Zitti, zitti, piano, piano!

2009-10-06T09:48:00.002-04:00

The opening of Il Barbiere at the Met last Saturday was a real treat. Even though it is THE MET, every performance is not perfect (my college buddies are still grumbling about the Fri night Aida) but this one came real close. Every singer was dead-on and the orchestra was so clean. It was just lovely.

I really loved hearing Joyce Didonato sing live. There's definitely something "lost in translation" when you hear her recordings. There's this special dimension to her voice that I've never heard before until I heard her live on Saturday. She didn't let anyone down (by any means!) with her performance.

There was one moment when I gasped because Bartolo and Almaviva were fighting over her (as they do throughout the entire opera) and she fell over. All I could think was "OH NO! She's still recuperating from her broken leg!" But she bounced right back up like nothing had happened. If you didn't know that she was recovering, you never would have known. She whipped around that stage like it was nobody's business. Actually, I think her Rosina was more active than in the simulcast from the 07-08 season.

In short, the performance was immensely enjoyable from start to finish. What a great way for me to kick off this season!

Less than a week until Rosenkavalier!!! I CANNOT WAIT!

You Gotta Use What You Got

2009-10-03T11:51:00.003-04:00

So whoever said that music doesn't have magical properties? The funniest thing happened at opera scenes yesterday:

I was running through my Werther piece with George (on piano). It was just a musical run-through and no one was actually supposed to be listening. But, alas, it's rather hard to NOT hear my voice (through walls, down the street, you get the idea...).

So after I finished, I went to sit down and Brian (one of my good friends) leaned over and said,

"One day, I'm just going to propose. There's something about when you sing...whenever you sing, you make me want to marry you."

Haha!

Then Rachel, hearing this, leaned over and said,

"I never told you this, but last semester at opera scenes, Pat [her boyfriend] said to me, 'Honey, you sang beautifully, but when Kim sang I just wanted to marry her.'" LOLZZZZ

So apparently my singing has magical powers. At least it inspires people to virtue (and not other things). Marriage is a good thing! This could be very useful. Maybe this will work in real life...

In other news, I'm going to see the opening of Il Barbiere di Siviglia tonight!! This is my first time to the Met this season. I've been dying to go back since the opening gala. I'm really excited because this is my first opportunity to see Joyce Didonato live. I ADORE Joyce Didonato and I'm so pumped about finally seeing her live. I've tried so many times before but it's never worked out. Now, it's happening!! Yes!

Besides, Barbiere is one of my favorite operas. Also, I'm doing a scene from it this semester and an aria from it on my Junior Recital in May. :)

8:30 can't come soon enough...

Maybe a Psych Degree is Good for Something After All

2009-09-30T12:19:00.002-04:00

My Mom finally put her psychology degree to good use: she helped me with my opera homework.

I'm studying a scene from Werther and I couldn't figure out Charlotte's super-objective. She's a very complicated character and I really needed someone to talk with about it. It took about an hour of conversation, but it was worth it! I went in to Isabel with my idea and she was totally satisfied. I told my Mom and she's like, "I wasn't a psych major for nothing!" hahah

I don't have anything against psych majors; I'm just being silly. My Mom actually did a lot with her psych degree. She went into advertising and eventually got a high-level job with A. C. Nielsen (the people responsible for TV ratings). She's very good at figuring people out and she has given me valuable insight on more than one occasion. It's like having my own personal shrink. ;)

Either way, I'm very happy with how my "character work check-up" went yesterday. Isabel was excited by the things I was spewing out. I even got a "that's intense" from George. SCORE.

I was reading an interview with Vesselina Kasarova (an EXCEPTIONAL opera singer) and she said something very interesting about acting. She almost alludes to the fact that you can mess up your mind and your emotional state if you take on the wrong characters at the wrong time. She says it this way,

"Beside the vocal range, it’s also very important to know the character of the role. For example, there are roles I could sing now because all the notes are there, but the problem is to bring in the character, and that I couldn’t do right now. Maybe later, with more experience, then it would all come together. With the dramatic repertoire, the point is that you are singing with so much emotion that these emotions really can damage your voice. It's not the notes which are written, but there is so much happening in your mind.. For example, if young singers try certain roles too early, it can be a problem, because on stage these emotions, these feelings, don't fit your personal state of being. Maybe a boy who's thirteen years old isn't ready to do certain things. It's the same for the singer. You will have difficulties to control the balance of all these big emotions. So it's better to be a bit older."

(You can find the entire interview here.)

Interesting, no? I've always wondered about this and I find it very interesting to actually see that someone else has an opinion on it.

Most people think that don't have to act to be an opera singer, but this is ENTIRELY untrue. Opera is an extension of straight theater and therefore it adheres to the principles of drama. The actual physical act of singing does sometimes hamper the movement onstage, but this isn't to the degree that most people believe.

This is a whole other discussion in itself (so I'll leave it for the moment), but what I'm trying to say is that this character of Charlotte is definitely stretching my limits. She's my age but she's been through much more than I have and so, in one sense, she's older than I am. It's going to be very interesting learning how to balance the emotions and the music in this scene. This is a very dark, charged scene and I'm going to have to figure out how to let the dark elements of the scene leak in without letting too much in (because that would destroy everything). I have my goals laid out for me.

Oh, and keeping my sanity is always a good thing.

Werther!...Werther!

2009-09-24T00:08:00.005-04:00

First and foremost: if there is anyone out there who knows Massenet's Werther (or even Goethe's Werther), please leave me a comment or shoot me an email. I want to talk! I need some informed opinions on a couple of things. Thank you. :)

Second of all: ah, there is so much going on! My life is so musically rich right now; it's crazy. Not only am I singing Charlotte's Letter Scene for opera scenes, but I'm also singing the "zitti, piano" trio from Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Guys, this is epic. I'm playing TWO women in one semester! SCORE! Not only that, but two of the most amazing women mezzo roles known to mankind. It doesn't get much better than this!

To top things off, we're playing Berlioz's Nuits d'ete in symphony and Tammy is singing! AND we're singing Brahms' "Lieberliedes Walzer" in Chamber Singers. There's a mezzo solo in that. ;)

And as if life couldn't be amazing enough, I'm seeing Joyce Didonato in Barbiere on Oct 3 and then Fleming, Graham, and Persson in Rosenkavalier twice in one week (Oct 13 and 19)!! THERE IS SO MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO!

I can't contain myself right now. I just might burst.

Much Love to PBS (and Music in General)

2009-09-16T22:32:00.004-04:00

How lovely to turn on the TV and see La Diva lighting up the stage with her rockin' self. This was truly a wonderful day.

My day: discovery of Hindemith's orchestral suite from "Mathis der Maler" (<3), Chopin's "raindrop" prelude in Form Analysis class, Fledermaus in practice time, 3 amazing new CDs and one on the way (Haydn's L'anima del filosofo; Orfeo ed Euridice!!), Messiaen and Berlioz and Renee Fleming on plasma TV to finish it all off.

Tomorrow: lesson with the Tammeister in which there will be much Orlofsky, opera scenes in which I will unveil my Werther scene (über goosebumps and crossed fingers for that one...), Chamber Singers rehearsal in which I will complain and yet be so happy, Italian 3 in which I will laugh and seem intelligent.

In short: music is everywhere and life is good. :)

An item from my wishlist to feed my current Orpheus obsession:

Puttering

2009-09-12T23:37:00.002-04:00

It's true; it's all true. The Merchant Marine Academy played (and defeated!) the Coast Guard Academy. I saw half of the game. I really tried to get into it but my brain just couldn't enjoy it. So at half-time, I left and my sister and I watched Vesselina Kasarova on my I-pod, played "guess that artist," and played "cast that opera" (in which an opera is proposed and you make up your dream cast). So I'm a nerd. I can't help it!

Just for the record, we decided that our ideal Cosi would be:
Fiordiligi - Malin Hartelius
Dorabella - Vesselina Kasarova
Despina - Joyce DiDonato
Guglielmo - Gerald Finley
Ferrando - Juan Diego Florez
Don Alfonso - Hakan Hagegard

Fighting the College Stress (or just Life Stress)

2009-09-11T11:21:00.004-04:00

School's back in session and that means BRING ON THE STRESS! (Especially if you're a music major and you have 10 days to learn 10 pages of music in French plus do all your homework and practice everything else and show up for rehearsal and... Need I go on?)

So, here are 5 ways that I've found to reduce stress and bring a little HAPPY! into your life.

1. Read Jennifer Rivera's blog, Trying to Remain Opera-tional. She's so funny and down-to-earth and you'll always learn something about the "real world of opera." Or you'll learn something about life -- she can be very deep. Either way, it's a great way to add a little flavor to your day.

2. Listen to Mozart on the way to class. There's nothing like Mozart to lift your spirits no matter WHAT is happening. MP3 downloads on Amazon are easy and cheap! I suggest The Overture to The Marriage of Figaro (only $0.99!) or one of the beautiful duets of all time, "Ah perdona al primo affetto" (from La Clemenza di Tito) which is also only $0.99.

3. Take 10 minutes to just sit and drink a cup of coffee (or other comforting beverage of choice). Taking time to just "chill" gets you prepared to face the rest of the day.

4. Read a Psalm. Even if you're not "into the God thing" or whatever, you have no idea how these words can bring peace into your life. They're so reassuring and calming -- definitely worth turning to when you're really stressed out. You can find a "modern" version of the Bible (no "Thou art" and such) online. Here's two really good spots: Psalm 37 and Song of Songs 4:8-15.

5. Write a letter. Writing a letter to someone is such a nice (and unexpected gesture). Not only will it give you time to relax and just enjoy something for a moment, but it will have a nice effect in the future when that person gets the letter. Draw pictures on it for extra stress relief. :)

Confidence!

2009-09-08T09:34:00.003-04:00

I have confidence in sunshine! I have confidence in rain!

Singers and their egos -- an age-old conversation about the nature of the diva.

Proposition: is it possible to be a singer and not have an ego? Is being "confident" the opposite of being "egotistical"? Is there a distinction? It is possible to have a healthy ego?

Answer: I'm not sure that it's possible to pursue your goals (as a singer, as anything) without some thought of "I can do this." If you don't have any prospect of success, why would you pursue it?

So, a singer must have some level of confidence in her/himself. I suppose the real question is: when does that level of confidence get too high?

I'm always worried about being overly sure of my musical skills-- I have so much to learn and improve upon. But then, so does everyone. This summer I realized that I've been underestimating myself all along and this has been detrimental to the way that I present myself. In a way, underestimating is just as bad as overestimating because I wasn't giving God credit for the talents that He gave me. It's like someone giving you a Rolex and then you turn around and say "Oh, my watch isn't that great" just to seem humble. That's not helping anyone and it's offensive to the person who gave you the watch in the first place.

This summer I acquired some CORAGGIO! and MUT! and I am much better off. Once again, life is all about finding the balance between two extremes. We all have to re-adjust from time to time; I just had to tip my scales a little bit.

Now, farther up and further in!

Survival of the Thinnest

2009-09-04T12:23:00.002-04:00

I survived my first two days of classes. I actually didn't die (as I feared I would) in my German 3 class and I didn't get lost! Not even once! This is truly worth celebrating.

However, with college comes too much work, too little sleep, and no money. I have been living on coffee and bananas (since they are the cheapest/healthiest things on campus) and I'm not too sad about it. I eat at home when I can (amazing chicken caesar salad last night!!) and eats bananas when I can't. Oh, the life of a diva -- so glamorous.

I had a very interesting lesson with Tammy yesterday in which I learned a lot about singing, life, myself, and Mozart. It doesn't get any better than that. Also, I inadvertently made Tammy laugh. I could not get this one thing and she just said "down bow!" and I got it no problem. She just looked at me and laughed to herself. I love those moments. (For those of you who don't know, "down bow" is cello lingo. Tammy and I both play the cello.)

Well, it's almost time for my Form Analysis class. Dr. Cinnamon said this is our "first real theory class" even though I've been taking theory for four semesters. Joy.

Junior

2009-09-02T11:50:00.004-04:00

First day of school! Last night my sister asked me what I was going to wear and I'm like, "As if I've actually thought about this already...I'll figure it out in the morning." I guess by the time you're a junior in college, you get over the "first day of school outfit" hype. That, or I'm just a mezzo loser. Probably the latter.

I've already assisted many a wandering freshman and watched the professors/administrators/other-important-people walk to Convocation in their Harry Potter robes and hoods. They had bagpipes playing at the head of the procession! I didn't remember that from last year's convocation. I wonder who sang the National Anthem. You think I'd be up on this sort of stuff...

My first class was sufficiently bogus. It's a "real life math" class (aka "Kim needs a math class and this one isn't Calculus") and I'm sitting in class wondering if the person who created this class was serious or purposely creating something ridiculous. I guess I'll never know. My professor takes it pretty seriously.

I already saw some people and Alyssa (one of the Adeles and <3) asked me where my recital partner was and expected me to know. Haha Rachel and I are being associated now. As if I'm supposed to keep tabs on her just because she's my recital partner. It's so cute! :)

Today I still have German and Form & Analysis, my two hardest classes. I'm a bit nervous (especially for German) but I'm sure everything will go well. I have a much easier day tomorrow. Isabel (finally) emailed us and we have opera scenes on Tues. :D I can't wait to see everyone again! Isabel is so funny; our company is called Hofstra Opera Theater so she calls it H.O.T. and when she wrote the email today, she started it with "Hello HOTTIES!" haahahahahahhaha She makes my life.

Tammy lesson tomorrow! Can't wait. The verdict's still out on my opera scene choice, so I'll be excited to know. :)

And just to prove that I can do something besides sing and rant about opera, here's the first poem in a set that I'm writing called Songs of Orfeo. Let me know what you think.

1
Euridice

Sunlit sky calls to you:
“Come to me! You are mine!”
Your soul – a gathering of feathered light—
stretches to the heavens.

Can your soul escape its prison,
this slight form of flesh
(this one called Euridice),
to return home?

If the light-crafted soul escapes,
what will become of you,
my own—my Euridice?

Will you melt into the earth, into darkness,
never again to see the sun?
Never again to wake with me in the light?

New

2009-08-31T11:06:00.007-04:00

I've been thinking that this blog has become (or always was) rather boring and un-me, which is sad. I want to be able to show off my personality and interests here, but it seems like I've always been tied down by the idea that I have to write a "good" post or that I have to have a "proper" blog. I'm not sure if that idea is right or not, but I think I'm going to throw it out the window. Bon voyage!

From now on, I'm going to write as me. Even that sounds pretentious. OH WELL. I'm sorry if this blog becomes horrible or whatever, but I don't care anymore. I'm just going to write about me and what I'm doing and what I'm dealing with.

This is a new semester, a new year, a new opportunity to be a better human being. I cut my hair pretty short -- it's my version of "growing it out." You have to even it out before it can grow out, right? Right.

*sigh* Haircuts...the bane of my existence. If only my hair was as nice and manageable as it was when I was 10. Then life would be perfect. (ha) Still, why is it that when I was ten years old, my hair looked like it walked right out of a Hollywood dressing room every day? I didn't DO anything! Just more proof that life is never fair. (Mercy makes life unfair just as soon as politics ever does.)

So, this semester is opera-exciting because 1. we have Fledermaus (and I have Orlofsky!) in January and 2. we have opera scenes starting in the next week. Tammy originally wanted me to sing the letter scene from Werther but I didn't have enough time with Europe and such to learn it (it's long!). This is epically sad because that scene is so incredibly gorgeous and I'd love love love to sing it. Instead I'm going to suggest Sesto's "Parto, parto," an aria which makes up for the Werther, makes my heart stupidly happy and simultaneously shows off my mad coloratura skillz. Of course, I could just unveil my "Una voce" but then what would be left for my recital, "Der Hölle Rache"?

Somehow I don't think that would go over well...

Now I must have two declarations of love.

One, to my new favorite blogger Jennifer Rivera. Her blog Trying to Remain Opera-tional makes me laugh and feel better about myself every day. Much love to her and her honestly humorous antics. The fact that she is a mezzo just makes it all the better. She talks about Sesto and my heart melts (Mozart, honestly). Also, I've learned a lot from her posts on stage kissing and traveling and all those other wonderful things that I have to deal with. Reading about her experiences was like re-living my European Adventure. It's so nice to not be "the only one"! There's something cathartic about reading your thoughts in someone else's words.

Second, my love for a new CD that I just got from my beloved amazon.com: a collection of mezzo arias sung by Vesselina Kasarova. Her singing blows my mind. The one thing that I love most about it is her ability to be so expressive without sacrificing musicality or technicality. She's always spot on with her technique and she never disrespects the music or the composer. And yet, there's something new in her interpretations -- a life and expression that I haven't heard elsewhere. Her "voi che" and "che faro" and "nacqui all'affano" are to DIE for. Actually, the whole album pretty much is worth dying for. Best $7.99 of my life!

It amuses me that I can feel so much for words on a computer screen and the effect of air moving past two folds of cartilage. Words and music...how I love you both!

101

2009-08-28T11:53:00.002-04:00

This is my 101st post! WOO-HOO!

In other news, I had my lesson with Tammy and she's thrilled with how I sound after my European excursion. Score! She's very happy with how I fared and what I learned. (I survived and I'm happy for that. To get her approval is even better!)

I'm so ready for this semester! Granted, I still have some French to tackle for my opera scenes selection and I have to iron out the harmonies for the Fledermaus choruses... Otherwise, I'm pumped! I haven't been this excited for school since...I don't know, since a while. I can't wait to see everyone and to start all my ensembles again. My summer was filled with music and learning and I'm sure that this semester will be the same! It will be a bit more stressful than my summer, but I'm willing to take it since it comes with such good company. And all the incoming freshman! Can't wait to see what admissions dragged in this time.

There's so much to look forward to this year: my junior recital, accompanying Tammy on Berlioz's Nuits D'ete, the concerto competition, Fledermaus (of course!), being a junior, my Mahler honors project, German classes, surprises, Rosenkavalier at the Met, my 21st birthday, new friends... The list keeps going and it's pretty sweet. I'm happy and excited and ready. Let's go!

Safe and Sound and Fighting Jet Lag

2009-08-24T16:20:00.004-04:00

I'm home! I've never been so happy to see the United States and my house! It was so fantastic to come home. It was a great two weeks -- I learned SO much and it was a really good experience for me. I'm so glad that it all worked out. The repercussions of this trip will be felt for years to come; I'm sure of that!

I still have to finish uploading and organizing photos. I'm sure I'll be mentioning stories and such for some time still. This trip definitely opened my eyes to so many new things. We'll see how it all turns out. :)

Glücklich

2009-08-21T16:46:00.003-04:00

School is over and done. I passed! It was a really incredible experience studying with Edda Moser. She is a wonderful teacher and a fantastic singer. In my opinion, her Queen of the Night is unparalleled. She was uber-patient with us all and I've really taken a lot from the experience.

Tomorrow we have one last day to explore Salzburg. We'll go to the closing concert at night and then be up early the next morning to get on the flight home. It's been an interesting two weeks in Austria. It was an experience that I needed to have and that will help me immensely in the future. I can't wait to really absorb everything that I've learned here and apply it in my life. So much to do!

I've really been blessed -- I'm so glad that I was able to come here and do this. Mom and I have had quite an adventure --and it's not over yet! Here's to tomorrow!

As always, pictures are here.

Zwar langweil' ich...

2009-08-19T16:54:00.003-04:00

Today was wonderful. A Sound of Music bus tour in the morning, a great lesson in the afternoon, and a beautiful trip to the castle at night.

The Sound of Music tour brought us to places where they filmed the movie and where the actual Von Trapps lived. The tour guide was so cute and entertaining. We sang along with the soundtrack on the way there and back. Overall, it was tons of fun.

My lesson in the afternoon went shockingly well. I did Orlofsky's aria and my Mozart concert aria ("Alma grande") again. She only fixed one musical/technical thing in the Orlofsky (!) and she was blowing me kisses during the Mozart. She is so impressed with me and how I've improved these two weeks. She told me that! If I were more elated, I'd burst from it!

The Hohenburg castle was so cool. I felt like I was in Lord of the Rings and hanging out at Helmsdeep. There's a great view of Salzburg from up there and we got to see a gorgeous sun set. We came out from the inner section of the castle just as the sun was setting over the city. Mom said, "Well that wasn't a coincidence. Thank you, God!"

We took way too many pictures. They're still uploading as I type this. I can't stay up to wait for them to finish, so you can check my flickr page tomorrow if you want or you can wait until I have time to put descriptions on them all. We'll be taking a trip to Munich tomorrow (I have a day off) so I probably won't be updating the pictures until Friday or so. And on Sunday, it's back to the States! It's been quite an adventure here in Europe. There are so many stories to be told and so many things to remember. I have one more lesson with Ms. Moser on Friday. I'm interested to see how it all turns out.

Guten Abend!

Maggie Stiefvater's New Adventure Into Faerie-land

2009-08-19T16:52:00.000-04:00

BALLAD, Oct 1 Be there. :)

The City of Music

2009-08-18T14:41:00.005-04:00

A recap of Vienna, the city of music:

First of all, I want to show you some pictures of the locals. (Uncle Bob, this is for you.)

The main streets of Vienna were a lot like a circus. There was always something going on. Below are some (rather interesting) street musicians.

The square group (playing Chinese music):

The triangle group (playing "Non piu andrai" from The Marriage of Figaro with a Spanish flair):

Here's a video of the triangle group:

And, last but not least, the creepy street musician:

Now, onto the sights. My favorites had to be the Stephansdom (the huge cathedral where Mozart was married), the Vienna State Opera House, and the Hofburg Palace.

First, the Stephansdom. Here's a taste:

You can see all my pictures of the Stephansdom here.

The Vienna State Opera House was interesting because on the outside it was bigger than I expected but on the inside it was smaller than I thought it would be. It only sits about 2000 (the Met sits 4000). It seemed small to me because I'm used to the Met. I'm spoiled, what can I say?

You can see all the pictures of the Vienna State here.

And the Hofburg Palace. This place was crazy. It was beyond huge and it was covered in marble. Floors, walls, ceilings -- all marble. It blew my mind.

Inside the Palace, there were three museums. We went to the musical instrument collection, the arms and armor collection, and the ancient Roman ruins collection. Here are some of the highlights:

See all the Hofburg Palace pictures here.

And of course, as always, you can see all the pictures here. For just Vienna, you can start here.

Now, a special section: FOR THE MUSIC GEEKS.

There were many *squee!!* moments during my trip to Vienna. Here are some of the highlights. :)

1. On the streets of Vienna, I started to notice these stars on the ground. I looked and behold - each one was dedicated to a different composer or important music person! You can see them all here.

2. It's Mozart Land II. Here's another beautiful statue of him and more paraphernalia.

The BEST part of it was standing in his apartment at 5 Domgasse. I stood in the rooms he lived in and stood at his windows and saw the things he saw (the street outside his study window was preserved!). I had goosebumps standing there knowing that he and his family had romped around in that living room, that Haydn and Leopold Mozart had stayed in that guest room, and that Mozart had sat in his study composing The Marriage of Figaro, my favorite opera of all time. They didn't kill the apartment by adding modern things to it like they did to the other two Mozart houses (in Salzburg) and the bare shell of the house made it all the more exciting. There was so much room for imagination and speculation. There are no words to describe my feelings.

3. This piano was given to the Schumanns as a wedding present by the maker. The Schumanns used it until Robert's death at which time Clara gave it to their good friend Johannes Brahms. Brahms used the piano until his death and he always treasured it as a precious gift. I TOUCHED that piano! How cool to think that less than 200 years ago, it was used by three great composers. How absolutely fantastic.

What else is there to say? The place was bursting with music and I loved it to death. I want to go back.

Vienna Waits For You

2009-08-16T17:51:00.006-04:00

How do I even start?

There are no words to describe Vienna. It's everything I could have dreamed it to be and more. It really is the musical capital of the world. You can feel the love and respect for music in the air. All the great composers are like rock-stars there. (As it should be!) Everywhere you turn, there's mention of Mozart or Beethoven or Haydn or Mahler. It was just fantastic.

And the buildings. They blew me away. The Stephansdom was even more massive and gorgeous than I thought it would be. The Hofburg Palace was unlike anything I'd ever seen before -- unthinkably huge and covered (floors, walls, and ceilings) in marble. They had Mozart's Domgasse apartment intact and the view from the window was almost exactly what Mozart saw. As you stood in the room, you could almost hear the ruckus of his household.

And the food! The coffee was out of this world. The Sachertorte was divine and the spätzel was definitely worth hunting down.

It was just win-win-win. The pictures and stories can never do the place justice. As much as Salzburg annoyed me sometimes, Vienna made every moment of annoyance on this trip worth it. I only wish I could have stayed there longer. It is definitely a place that I'll look forward to going back to.

I'm still uploading the pictures (there are A LOT of them) and I'm too tired to tell stories right now. That will have to wait.

Tomorrow is school again and dress up time at night -- we're going to try to get into the (frickin') Salzburg Festival. Should be fun if nothing else. ;)

Here's to Mozart - the greatest Austrian composer ever!