Bears that sing... and may kill you

I love opera, and I even love teddy bears. But I must admit, Singing Opera Bears creep me out just a tad.

Words of Wisdom: Renee Fleming

I had the great fortune of catching a performance with Renee Fleming at the London Proms when I was in London for all of two nights this summer. Even from very far away, I could see and hear that she both looked and sounded gorgeous. In a flowing, sparkling green dress, she could have been dressed for the role of Rusalka the mermaid, and her warm, voluptuous soprano filled the Royal Albert Hall.

But I didn't come here to write about that performance.

I just heard her on NPR, speaking briefly with producer David Schulman, as part of the series "Musicians in their own words." I jotted down notes, and now I will share them with you, my lovelies.

In her words:

1. You must imagine the voice you want. (Meaning, you cannot really control your voice in the same way an instrumentalist controls their sound. The vocal chords are involuntary muscles.)

2. Walking as a form of exercise is very beneficial.

3. Singing jazz earlier helped me with phrasing in classical music: tension in a phrase, singing slightly off the beat, rubato.

4. Find composers that are a good fit. Don't force yourself into the wrong "clothes." A piece should feel like a "second skin," like it was written for you. Also, you must love the piece as well as the character.

5. In 1995, I sang in Othello 4 1/2 weeks after the birth of my second daughter. I just decided I could do it, and I am very proud of that.

You rock, Renee.

Addio, senza rancor

It's hard to believe that Luciano is gone. He was one of those artists I thought would just be around forever.

I hope he and Beverly Sills are singing duets in heaven.

Insanity

MSNBC.com has an article about the pressures that opera singers are under today, and it is scary. Kudos to them for bringing this to the forefront; I think many people, including actual singers, have no idea how ugly the business can be.

Ceilidhs and haggis are best with a Scottish accent

I am freshly home from opera camp, that is: the Oxenfoord International School for singers and pianists in St. Andrews, Scotland. I worked with some impressive faculty, including Paul Wynne-Griffiths of Covent Garden, international concert accompanist Malcolm Martineau, and Head of Vocal Studies at Guildhall School of Music Robin Bowman, and many others. My head is swimming with new information, and I am anxious to crack open some new repertoire, but I must give it a few days, as my throat is little raw from the travel and temperature change, as well as hard-working American air conditioning.

I would recommend this program to any singer who would like a taste of European musical education as well as additional experience for their resume and general well-being. I performed in a masterclass (with no less than the estimable Irish mezzo Ann Murray), in a student showcase recital, and in opera scenes. There is a strong focus on German lieder at this program, so one should be prepared for that, but there is everything else from Baroque to lighter rep, such as musical theatre and folk melodies. I am especially fond of French song, so my time with Robin Bowman was invaluable.


On the touristy side, I thoroughly enjoyed Britain. Both the Scots and the English could not have been more pleasant and friendly, and Edinburgh is a beautiful city, in an unassuming way. St. Andrews, too, is charming, as well as tiny, but its ruins are impressively large (or echo what used to be large) and inspiring. My whole adventure had a Harry Potter feel to it, having left for Britain just a few days after the latest film and the last book came out, and then taking the train from King's Cross station in London to Edinburgh and then onto to a school that could double for Hogwarts and was without a doubt haunted. (I didn't see any ghosts, thankfully, but one of the passageways at the school was unabashedly named after a ghost. At least they're comfortable with the idea.)

And no, I didn't touch any haggis.