Here's something you might be interested in.
My San Diego Opera chorus audition is tonight at 7:37 pm.
This is the first time I've auditioned, at San Diego Opera, for anyone except former chorus master Todd Simmons.
I'm not sure what to expect. For the first time in 10 years I've been asked to bring in a resume and head shot. I'm guessing that everyone was asked to bring those in.
It's not a big season for the chorus. The only opera that has a mixed chorus of women and men is Don Pasquale by Donizetti. Salome has no chorus, The Barber of Seville has men's chorus as does Moby Dick.
The format of the audition is still the same except that they requested one song in English and one in Italian. In the past it was just two songs in different languages.
There is also the prepared "reading." Seven days before our audition we receive an excerpt from one of the upcoming season's operas. Usually I listen to a recording to get an idea of how it sounds and then work on my part.
This year the prepared reading is from Moby Dick. There is no recording. This is 21st-Century music and it isn't easy to learn. It's interesting but not something that sticks right away.
It was looking bleak and I was resigned to looking like an idiot who doesn't know how to read music until super-chorister Chad Frisque came to the rescue with a midi file.
It's still a little shaky.
Hear goes nothing.
Here are links to the two pieces of music I've chosen to sing. I picked a big, fat, Italian aria to show off and a small, intimate, English art song to be sensitive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ny0Jbab_AY&feature=fvst
I'm surprised that this was the best version I could find of the second piece. ~grimacing~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S-xkaNEQ-c
My San Diego Opera chorus audition is tonight at 7:37 pm.
This is the first time I've auditioned, at San Diego Opera, for anyone except former chorus master Todd Simmons.
I'm not sure what to expect. For the first time in 10 years I've been asked to bring in a resume and head shot. I'm guessing that everyone was asked to bring those in.
It's not a big season for the chorus. The only opera that has a mixed chorus of women and men is Don Pasquale by Donizetti. Salome has no chorus, The Barber of Seville has men's chorus as does Moby Dick.
The format of the audition is still the same except that they requested one song in English and one in Italian. In the past it was just two songs in different languages.
There is also the prepared "reading." Seven days before our audition we receive an excerpt from one of the upcoming season's operas. Usually I listen to a recording to get an idea of how it sounds and then work on my part.
This year the prepared reading is from Moby Dick. There is no recording. This is 21st-Century music and it isn't easy to learn. It's interesting but not something that sticks right away.
It was looking bleak and I was resigned to looking like an idiot who doesn't know how to read music until super-chorister Chad Frisque came to the rescue with a midi file.
It's still a little shaky.
Hear goes nothing.
Here are links to the two pieces of music I've chosen to sing. I picked a big, fat, Italian aria to show off and a small, intimate, English art song to be sensitive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ny0Jbab_AY&feature=fvst
I'm surprised that this was the best version I could find of the second piece. ~grimacing~ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4S-xkaNEQ-c