SOPRANO

You might remember that of the selections listed on the application forms, Pamina’s aria was a run-away hit. Imagine my relief when Ach ich fühl’s was only offered as a starter aria once. (I do love me some Mozart, mind you, but this aria is deceptively difficult.)

The runner-up on the application lists was Anne Trulove; also only offered first by one singer, probably because of the length of the scene.

4X
Caro nome
Deh vieni
Dove sono

3X
Come scoglio
Ernani, involami
Je veux vivre
Padre, germane, addio
Presentation of the Rose
Sul fil d’un soffio etesio
O zittre nicht
Quel guard oil cavaliere
Song to the Moon

TWICE
Ain’t It a Pretty Night
Be Kind and Courteous
Chacun le sait
Depuis le jour
Dich theure Halle
Donde lieta
Du gai soleil
Einsam in trüben Tagen
Emily’s Aria
Manon’s Gavotte
Glitter and Be Gay
Je suis encor
Lisa’s Aria
Martern aller Arten
O luce di quest’anima
O mio babbino caro
O quante volte
Poison Aria
Quando m’en vo
Regnava
Tornami

ONCE
Ach ich fühl’s
Ach ich liebte
Adele’s audition aria
Adieu, notre petite table
Batti batti
Bel raggio lusinghier
Che tua madre
Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
Durch Zärtlichkeit
Ebben
Ecco l’orrido campo
Es gibt ein Reich
Fire Aria
How Beautiful It Is
I Want Magic
Kommt ein schlanker Bursch gegangen
Mariettas Lied
No Word from Tom
Nun eilt herbei

Piangero
Qui la voce / Vien diletto
Scoglio d’immota fronte
Stridonò lassu
Tacea la notte placida
Volate amori

Salt of the earth, these mezzi. Always dependable. The runaway favorite on the application lists also turns up as one of the arias most frequently offered.

5X
Smanie implacabili
Wie du warst

3X
Cruda sorte
Que fais-tu
Va

TWICE
Composer’s Aria
Must the Winter Come So Soon
Una voce poco fa
Voi che sapete

ONCE
Adalgisa’s Prayer
Card Aria
Che farò
Deh per questo istante
Faites-lui
Iris hence away
Lettres (Werther)
Lullaby from The Consul
Lyubasha’s Aria
Mon coeur
O mio Fernando
Oh la pitoyable aventure
Chaun à son goût
Parto
Pauline’s Aria
Seguedilla
Sgombra è la sacra selva
Svegliatevi
Violin aria
What a Movie
Where Shall I Fly

The most-listed aria on applications was Tamino’s, but it was only actually offered twice. I expect the frequency on the application list is due to our requirement for an aria by Mozart, Rossini, or Handel.

3X
Here I Stand
Una furtiva lagrima

2X
De miei bollenti spiriti
Dies Bildnis
Fra poco
Frisch zum Kampfe
Il mio tesoro
New York Lights
Questa o quella

ONCE
Addio fiorito asil
Care pupille
Del destino (from Florenzia)
Ecco ridente
Heaven Helps Those
Il tuo sangue
La fleur
Mein Lieber Schwan
Pourquoi me reveiller
Recondita armonia
Se all’impero
Si, ritrovarla
The Worm
Un aura amorosa
Vedrommi intorno
Wie ein Rosenknospe
Winterstürme

Like their treble sisters, the baritones are more predictable. (Relax guys; it’s not a bad thing.) Count’s Aria took the field here, as it did on the application lists.

Pierrot’s Tanzlied was also fairly popular, but beware, gentlemen; this isn’t as easy to nail as you think it is.

6X
Count’s Aria

5X
Largo al factotum

4X
Lieben, Hassen
Rivolgete
Pierrot’s Tanzlied

3X
Ah per sempre
Mab
Silvio

TWICE
Avant de quitter
Toreador
Within this Frail Crucible

ONCE
A quoi bon l’economie
Aleko’s Aria
Bella siccome un angelo
Come Paride
Come une pale fleur
E fra quest’ansie
Ford’s Monologue
I Am John Proctor
Non piu andrai
Nulla, silenzio
O lêve-toi soleil
O vin
Onegin’s Aria
Onegin’s Act III Arioso
Questo amor
Se vuol ballare
Va, vecchio John
Zazà, piccola zingara

Figaro’s aria edged out Sarastro’s, but it’s a little unscientific to lump bass-baritones and basses together, so don’t draw too many conclusions. I don’t separate them out because the self-labeling of these two voice types is all over the map. (As it has every right to be in a demographic with an average age in the mid-late 20’s.)

4X
Su vuol ballare

3X
O Isis und Osiris
Quand la flame

TWICE
Come dal ciel
Vecchia zimarra

ONCE
Aleko’s Aria
Count’s Aria
Bottom’s Dream
Hear Me O Lord
Ho capito
I miei rampolli
I’m a lonely man, Susannah
Il lacerato spirito
Infelice
La calunnia
Madamina
Non piu andrai
Piff paff
Schweig
Sorge infausta
Tambour major
Vieni, la mia vendetta
Wie schoen ist doch die Musik

Soprano
Mezzo
Tenor
Baritone
Bass & Bass-baritone

These lists represent the frequency with which individual arias were listed in audition packages of singers in that voice type. Next week I’ll compile and post the list of arias offered as first choices in each category.

1. 8,000 miles of safe travel.
2. 1,000 arias that made us laugh and cry.
3. Good health. For even though the last few weeks made me cranky, tired and fat(ter), I stayed healthy.
4. Colleagues who are smart, funny, flexible and forgiving.
5. Family. And mine is the best.

Happy Thanksgiving.

THE WINNER, AGAIN (31X)
Ach ich fühl’s

RUNNER-UP (15X)
No word from Tom / I go to him

11X
Deh vieni
Je dis que reien ne m’épouvante

10X
Come scoglio
Je veux vivre
Song to the Moon (Rusalka)

9X
Be kind and courteous
Caro nome
Depuis le jour
Oh! quante volte

8X
Chi il bel sogno di Doretta
Du gai soleil
Embroidery aria
Je suis encor
Mir ist die Ehre (Presentation of the Rose)
Quel guardo / So anch’io
Sul fil d’un soffo etesio

7X
Du gai soleil
Durch Zärtlichkeit
Non mi dir
Piangerò
Prendi per me
Regnava nel silenzio
Sì mi chiamano Mimì
Tornami a vagghegiar

6X
Ah je ris (Jewel Song)
Dich teure Halle
Gold is a fine thing (Silver Aria)
Qui la voce

5X
Adieu notre petite table
Dove sono
Glitter and be gay
Gluck das mir verbliebt (Marietta’s Lied)
Padre germani addio
Porgi Amor
Zerbinetta’s aria

4X
Ah! fuggi il traditor
Amour ranime mon courage
Batti batti
Come now a roundel
Das war sehr gut
Der Hölle Rache
Donde lieta uscì
Emily’s Aria from Our Town
Fire aria
Il est doux
Kommt ein schlanker Bursch’ gegangen
Lia’s recitative and aria (Azaël)
O luce di quest’anima
Quando m’en vo
Steal me

3X
Ah chi mi dice mai
Ah! non credea / Ah non giunge
Ain’t it a pretty night
Chacun le sait
Come per me sereno
Da tempeste
Dearest Mama
Ebben ne andro lontana
Ernani involami
I want magic
Je marche / Obéissons (Gavotte)
Nun eilt herbei
O zittre nicht
Ou va la jeune Hindoue? (Bell song)
Presentation of the Rose
S’altro che lagrime
Stridono lassù
Willow song

2X
Bel raggio
Comme autrefois
Dis moi que je suis belle
Einsam in trüben Tagen
Endless pleasure
Es gibt ein Reich
Gothic cathedral
Have peace Jo
How beautiful it is
Je suis Titania
Joy beyond measure, mother!
Klänge der Heimat (Czàrdàs)
La maja y el ruiseñor
Lady with a Hand Mirror (Postcard from Morocco)
Les oiseaux dans la charmille
Martern aller Arten
O mio babbino caro
O wär’ ich schon
Or sai
Par le rang / Salut à la France
Se il padre perdei
Steal me sweet thief
Tu che di gel
What good would the moon be

ONCE
Adele’s Audition aria
Ah fors’è lui / Sempre libera
Aria Snegurochka (Snowmaiden’s aria)
At night we dream of love (Heggie)
Bester Jüngling
Chanson du Rossignol
Che tua madre
Der kleine Taumann heiss’ich
Di cor mio
Do not utter a word
Du bist der Lenz
Ecco lorrido campo…Ma dallarido stelo divulsa
Elle a fui
Go to sleep, my dolly dear
I always carry a handmirror
I can smell the sea air
I have dreamt
I know you love me, Tom (Hotel Casablanca)
Il primo ardor
In uomini
Injurious Hermia
Io son l’umile ancella
L’altra notte
Ma quando tornerai
Marfa’s Aria (The Tsar’s Bride)
Mein Herr Marquis (Laughing song)
Meine Lippen, sie küssen so heiss
Merce, dilette amiche
Mi tradì
Myself I shall adore
Neghittosi or voi che fate
Non disperar
O Dieu Brahma
Ombre pallide
Partir, o ciel, desio
Pleurez mes yeux
Qual farfalletta
Ruhe sanft
Scoglio d’immota fronte
Son pochi fiori
Son vergin vezzosa
Tacea la notte / Di tale amor
Tatyana’s Letter Aria
Ten lasky sen (Bartered Bride)
This is the face….
Trahir Vincent… Mon coeur ne paut changer (Mireille)
Trees on the mountain
Un bel dì vedremo
Vissi d’arte
Vivan los que rien
Volate, amori
Welche Wonne welche Lust
Zachem zhe eti slyozy (Lisa’s First Act Aria)
Zeffiretti lusinghieri

THE WINNER (19X)
Smanie implacabili

RUNNERS-UP (12X)
Must the winter come so soon
Svegliatevi nel core
Va! laisse couler mes larmes

10X
Voi che sapete
Wie du warst

9X
Cruda sorte
Que fais-tu

8X
Sein wir wieder gut
Una voce poco fa (mezzo)

7X
Things change Jo

6X
Parto parto

5X
Give him this orchid

4X
Adieu forêts
Nobles Seigneurs salut
Non piu mesta
O mio Fernando
Pres des remparts (Seguidilla)
Vois sous l’archet (Violin aria)

3X
All’afflitto è dolce il pianto
Je vous ecris (Letter scene)
Pauline’s aria (Podrugi milïye)
Thy hand Belinda / When I am laid in earth

2X
As I was saying (Baba the Turk)
Chacun à son goût (Ich lade gern)
Connais-tu le pays
Deh per questo istante
Dopo notte
Enfin je suis ici
Faites-lui mes aveux
I shall find for you (Lullaby)
Iris hence away
L’amour est un ouiseau rebelle (Habanera)
Me voici dans son boudour
Priva son d’ogni conforto

ONCE
A Prayer (The Mighty Casey)
Ah! mon fils (Le Prophete)
Batti, batti
Beppe’s Aria ( L’amico Fritz)
Cara speme, questo core
Che farò
Contro un cor
Dal crudel che m’ha tradita (Tamerlano)
Di tanti palpiti
En vain pour éviter
I am an actress (Nina’s aria)
I am easily assimilated
Je vais mourir
Lyubasha’s Aria (Tsar’s Bride)
Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix
My father left me here (Therese Raquin)
New York has Changed Me (An American Tragedy)
Nimmermehr wird mein Herze…
Non . . . vous n’avais jamais (Les Huguenots)
O! la pitoyable aventure
Or la tromba
Perfido, di a quell’empio tiranno
Povero amico
Romance from La Damnation de Faust
Sgombra è la sacra selva / Deh! Proteggimi
Sta nell’Ircana
There is a garden
Vedro con mio diletto
What a movie
Where shall I fly

MOST POPULAR (16X)
Dies Bildnis

RUNNERS-UP (11X)
Here I stand
Una furtiva lagrima

6X
Ah lève-toi soleil

5X
Ah mes amis

4X
Ah la paterna mano
Dein is mein ganzes Herz
Il mio tesoro

3X
Addio fiorito asil
Ecco ridente
Fra poco a me ricoverò
Frisch zum Kampfe
Ich baue ganz
It’s about the way people is made (Sam’s aria)
La fleur (Flower song)
New York Lights
O wie ängstlich
Outside this house
Pourquoi me reveiller
Tarquinius does not wait
Total Eclipse

2X
Che gelida manina
Dal labbro il canto
De Miei Bollenti Spiriti
Fantaisie aux divins mensonges
Firenze è come un albero
Kuda kuda (Lenski)
Lonely House
O Colombina
Parmi veder le lagrime
Quanto è bella
Questa o quella
Salut! demeure chaste e pure
Sì ritrovarla
Un aura amorosa

1X
Ach so fromm
Ah fuyez
Ah! Je vais l’aimer – Béatrice et Bénédict – Berlioz
Albert the Good
Alles fühlt der Liebe Freuden
Amor ti vieta
Aria of the worm
Barbaro fato
Be not afeard
Care pupille
Ch’ella mi creda
Ciel e terra
Deserto in terra
Di rigori armato il seno
Divinite des grands Aames
D’ogni pieta mi spoglio
E un folle un vile affetto
Heaven helps those
I know that you all hate me
Im Gegenteil (Tanzmeister)
In that country (Adventure of Pinocchio)
Je crois entendre
Jour et nuit
Languir per una bella
Magische Tone
Mein lieber Schwan
O blonde Ceres
O Go! Go! Go Away!
O nature pleine de grâce
O paradis (L’Africaine)
O Souveraign
Oh jours heureux
Once when I was a young man
Open Thou my lips, O Lord
Peter Grimes’ mad scene
Povero Ernesto
Prologue – Turn of the Screw
Se all’impero
Se fosse in torno al trono
Tradito schernito
Tu vivi e punito
Un momento di contento
Va pour Kleinzach!
Vainement ma bien aimée
Vedrommi intorno
Wie eine Rosenknospe
Winterstürme

THE BIG WINNER (22X)
Hai gia vinta la causa

10X
Ah per sempre
Mein Sehnen (Pierrot’s Tanzlied – Die Tote Stadt)

9X
O du mein holder Abendstern

8X
Avant de quitter ces lieux

7X
Bella siccome un angelo
Come Paride vezzose
Lieben Hassen

6X
Largo al factotum
E fra quest’ansie (Silvio)
Votre toast (Toreador)

5X
Mab
O vin dissipe la tristesse
Within this frail crucible
Billy in the Darbies

4X
Papageno’s suicide aria
Questo amor
Sois immobile

3X
Donne mie
Ein Mädchen
Onegin’s aria
Onegin’s Act III Arioso
Rivolgete
Vision fugitive

2X
And farewell to ye
Aprite un po quegl’ occhi
Come un’ ape
Maxim’s
Se vuol ballare
Vien Leonora
Warm as the autumn light
When the air sings of summer

ONCE
A quoi bon l’economie
Deh vieni all finestra
Deh, ti ferma
Der Vogelfänger
Di Provanza il mar
Do you know the land?
Du côte de la barbe (Cendrillon)
É sogno?
Fin ch’han dal vino
Friedrich’s Aria (Das Liebesverbot)
George’s Aria
I’ll be there (Grapes of Wrath)
Io morro ma lieto in core
Johanna
Madamina, il catalogo è questo
My Friends (Sweeney Todd)
News has a kind of mystery (Nixon In China)
Nothin’, that’s how you people see me
Nulla, silencio
Nur Mutig, mein Herze
O Nadir
O Rosalinde
Per me giunto…
Prince Igor (Ni sna ni)
Scintille, Diamant
Snooks’ Aria (A Wedding)
Ves tabar spit (Aleko’s Cavatina)
Voilà donc la terrible cité
Yeletsky’s aria (Ya vas lyublu)
Zazà piccola zingara

THE WINNER (9X)
Se vuol ballare

RUNNER-UP (8X)
Vous qui faites l’endormie

6X
Come dal ciel
La calunnia
Madamina (Catalogue aria)
O Isis und Osiris

5X
Hear me O Lord
Il lacerato spirito
Vi ravviso

4X
Come master
Épouse quelque brave fille
Gremin’s aria
Quand la flamme
Vecchia zimarra
When my cue comes call me
Aprite un po’

3X
I miei rampolli femminini
I rage / O ruddier than the cherry
I’m a lonely man Susannah
In diesen heil’gen Hallen

Twice
Aleko’s aria (Ves’ tabor spit)
Arise ye subterranean winds
Deh ti ferma
Ella giammai m’amò
Infelice
Schweig’! Schweig’!

Once
Abenlich stralht der Sonne Auge
Als Büblein klein
Di cupido
Ho capito
Le Tambour-Major
Le veau d’or
Leave me loathsome light
Mein Herr und Gott
Nel mondo e nell’abisso
Non più andrai
Oh Beauty, oh handsomeness, goodness
Ombre di mia prosapia
Piff paff
Rucker’s Sermon
Scintille diamant
Tirannia
Vieni, la mia vendetta
Voici des roses
Voli colla sua tromba
Wahn!, Wahn ueberall Wahn
Wie schon ist doch die Musik

So, befitting our scattered state of mind, some random observations:

Chicken and Egg

I have a slight resistance to a certain Britten opera that shall remain nameless. (Normally I adore Britten, but I have a specific block about this one.) Anyway, an aria from said opera was offered the other day, and since I knew the singer very well, I allowed myself the atypical luxury of a groan. The end of the story? He sang the spots off the scene, and I was won over. I’ve thought a lot about it, and I have a theory.

So often this opera is sung by young singers whose technique and artistry are still developing, and as a result, I’ve gotten used to hearing it sung without a lot of legato, expressive flexibility, or finely tuned pitch center. And I’ve begun to equate those student performances with the piece itself. Sung with detail, accuracy and sensitivity, it took on a whole new aura.

The Delight is in the Details

Our Studio Artist candidates offer a brief contemporary monologue as part of their audition package. Some of them dread being asked for it, as their training and confidence as actors tends to lag behind their musical development. But I’m here to tell you that even though many of them aren’t thrilled to perform their monologues, we find a lot more detail in those brief scenes than we do in the arias they’ve been working on for months or years.

The take-away here? Please please find as much detail, interest, and context in your singing as possible. A single generic emotion spread out over 5 minutes of music does not cut it, even if that emotion is extraordinarily strong and heartfelt.

It’s Not About You

Don’t sing for yourself.

Or to yourself.

It’s not about you. It’s about the audience, the music, and the characters that connect the two. I know that you feel it deeply, otherwise you probably wouldn’t still be at this crazy game. But you have to get out of your head (and your heart) if you want us to come along with you. Don’t be indulgent and selfish

I don’t know if this makes sense, but this distinction is a big one.

LA: Epilogue

I said I’d post on Sunday after the MONC competition finals, and I failed. It was a marvelous weekend, and I thoroughly enjoyed being able to make a small contribution to the marvelous talent discovery machine that is the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions. But the process of adjudicating those auditions is necessarily very different than what we do in our casting for Wolf Trap, and I’m happy to be back in my comfort zone.

While I was in LA, I heard the LA Phil and Gustavo Dudamel in Verdi’s Requiem, and it was an unforgettable experience. All forces were on the top of their game – newly engaged by, it seemed – this piece of standard repertoire. There’s a lot of buzz around this new music director, and (is not always the case) it’s so lovely to discover something behind it. And on top of that, I adored being in Disney Hall. Too many times one tolerates the physical space in order to hear a performance – in this case, it was completely comfortable and aesthetically pleasing to be there. What a refreshing change.

• Monday – The Second Aria
• Tuesday – Musical Preparation
• Wednesday – Physicalization
• Thursday – Props
• Expert Friday – Chicago-based colleagues weigh in

Do You Have Any Mozart?

Much of the time, you’ll get to choose your first audition aria. Sometimes it’ll be your only aria, but occasionally, you’ll be lucky enough to get to sing two. Or three!

You’ve gotta love that brief yet amazingly angst-filled moment after you finish your first audition aria. Waiting for the panel to say “Thank you” (translated: “We don’t need to hear another aria”) or to ask for another selection.

We try to minimize the awkwardness by being ready to ask for your second piece in fairly short order after you finish your opener. (Often, we do this by conferring with each other about the 2nd aria choice via instant message on our computers. Look for a discussion of technology in the audition room next week.) Frankly, I’d rather you take the 15-30 seconds in between to gather your thoughts and prepare yourself, rather than spend it discussing amongst ourselves while you hang out in the front of the room trying not to appear as if you’re listening to us argue.

It’s one thing to be ready to fully invest yourself, dramatically and vocally, in the first aria of your choice upon which you can focus even before you enter the room. But giving up control and allowing the panel to choose the second piece from among your list of 4 or 5 requires a different skill set.

I only have one main piece of advice: Don’t second-guess.

Given the chance, singers grill me endlessly about how we pick second arias. Yes, there is something of a system to it. If your first aria doesn’t address very specific issues like coloratura, or legato, or specific language fluency, or extremes of range, we’ll often gravitate toward a second aria that answers those questions. But often there are multiple ways to address those questions, and the choice is often less than scientific – sometimes even based on instinct.

No amount of deduction will reveal what you’ll be asked for. So stay loose and find a way to look forward to singing whatever it is that gets picked.

I do have one more suggestion: Don’t be visibly disappointed in the panel’s pick (even if you are), and don’t put anything on your list that you aren’t completely willing and able to sing. You might be surprised to know that at least a dozen times a season, our request for the second piece is met with shaking of the head, muttering under the breath, exasperated sighing, and actual expressions of disbelief. (“I can’t believe you picked that…”)

And as I mentioned before, just be glad you won’t be judged solely on your best 16 bars in a Broadway cattle call!

Lest you feel deprived, consider that you could be working in musical theatre, searching for your best 16 bars. Pity party over.

I wish that the audition were an artistically satisfying, purity-driven experience, in which nothing but the composer’s true and complete intentions were acceptable. But it’s not. We are so lucky to work in the arts, where the stuff of our regular days has the potential to fill our souls. But we can’t get all hung up in what will happen to the architectual structure of a scene if we hack a big chunk out of it in audition.

My colleagues in symphonic, chamber, and choral music are far less barbaric. They usually gasp when I take out my scissors. (Real or metaphorical.) And perhaps I am too willing to sacrifice for the sake of practicality. But I still think it’s best to think of it in cost-benefit terms. If you sing this cabaletta/aria/scene better than almost anything else in your rep, and it can be brought into play by trimming it to a “highlights only” version, you’d be foolish to walk away from it entirely.

Warnings

Mark the cuts in your music so that they can’t possibly be misinterpreted. Cover over the parts you don’t want with white paper. (Then make sure you don’t change your mind and want what’s covered up…) Check out the standard cuts for a scene before you get too creative. If the standard works for you, consider using it. (It got to be traditional for a reason.) It makes life easier for everyone.

Be clear in the list you offer to the panel. If you are offering the cavatina only (or the cabaletta only, for that matter), be clear in the way you list it. If you really feel good about the whole scene, list its components and indicate the ways that you are willing to excerpt. (“Ah non creadea / Ah non giunge: aria only, cabaletta only, or entire scene”) Singers are often willing to be cut short in a long scene, but very often, what we really need to hear is the second half. So find a logical starting midpoint, practice starting there, and mark the optional starting point for the pianist.

If you list a long scene in toto, you take your chances. Be prepared for the panel to ask for it to be sampled in chunks, even if you don’t offer it. If it throws you off to have to start in the middle or to be stopped before the ornamented repeat in the cabaletta, then don’t set yourself up for heartache.

The weekend looms. Tomorrow is Expert Friday, bringing tips and observations from Glimmerglass and LA Opera!