Here's something you might be interested in.
During the lunch break of The San Diego District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, one of the accompanists asked me my opinion about the singers we'd heard so far.
I was at a loss. 10 singers had presented themselves during the morning session and I hadn't heard anything exciting.
I want to make sure everyone understands that this not an audition. This is a competition which is called an audition. I don't know why.
Soprano Laura Mitchell performed her two pieces very well but she was reaching the upper range of the age limit which meant she wasn't moving through. The age limit is 30 but youth rules in this competition. At least, that appears to be the case.
For those who aren't familiar with "The Met Auditions", the format is simple. Singers aged 20 to 30 must prepare five opera arias in at least two languages. The singer chooses their first aria and the judges choose the second from the four remaining arias. Three singers move through to the Los Angeles Region and from there one will go to New York for The Nationals.
That's easy to understand but there is strategy involved. Selecting five arias, that are appropriate to the singer's voice type and age, is crucial.
Of the 21 singers, 17 had at least one Mozart aria in their five. Puccini and Verdi, combined, were included by nine singers. Of those nine, three were Quando me'n vo (Musetta's Waltz) from La Boheme. For some reason, this Puccini aria is allowed without question. No one included Wagner.
I'm not sure how Mozart would feel about being deemed appropriate for immature singers while Verdi and Puccini are not.
Mozart says: I don't like it one bit. My music is NOT for amateurs.
Mozart, Handel, and anyone else who was pre-Verdi are in. Verdi and Puccini, caution. Wagner? You better blow the doors off the building.
Thems the unwritten rules.
I'm not sure why this standard exists. There is no evidence that Mozart wrote music for young, unaccomplished singers. I'd say it's the other way around. I think to sing Mozart, a singer must have the ultimate musical and vocal technique.
After lunch, the level of singing was different. We were no longer hearing singers with potential, we were hearing accomplished singers with a few layers of polish to boot.
The three singers who passed on to Los Angeles were, in alphabetical order, Sasha Hashemipour, Christen Blair Horne, and Karin Michelle Wilcox.
Ms. Hashemipour went to Rancho Bernardo High School and is currently at The Academy of Vocal Arts.
Ms. Horne is an undergraduate at Point Loma Nazarene.
Ms. Wilcox graduated from Point Loma Nazarene, spent two years as a "core" chorister with San Diego Opera and has been accepted into the graduate program at USC.
Remember I mentioned that youth rules? Their respective ages were 23, 21, and 25. I'm not saying that they were put through because of their age, all three gave phenomenal performances.
For myself, the best overall performance was by Sarah Eve Brand. For her second aria, the judges selected Steal Me Sweet Thief from Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief. I've known Sarah for about five years and I've heard her improve year over year. Her singing of Steal Me had a level of emotional content that I found to be genuine and compelling and it moved me.
During the lunch break of The San Diego District Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, one of the accompanists asked me my opinion about the singers we'd heard so far.
I was at a loss. 10 singers had presented themselves during the morning session and I hadn't heard anything exciting.
I want to make sure everyone understands that this not an audition. This is a competition which is called an audition. I don't know why.
Soprano Laura Mitchell performed her two pieces very well but she was reaching the upper range of the age limit which meant she wasn't moving through. The age limit is 30 but youth rules in this competition. At least, that appears to be the case.
For those who aren't familiar with "The Met Auditions", the format is simple. Singers aged 20 to 30 must prepare five opera arias in at least two languages. The singer chooses their first aria and the judges choose the second from the four remaining arias. Three singers move through to the Los Angeles Region and from there one will go to New York for The Nationals.
That's easy to understand but there is strategy involved. Selecting five arias, that are appropriate to the singer's voice type and age, is crucial.
Of the 21 singers, 17 had at least one Mozart aria in their five. Puccini and Verdi, combined, were included by nine singers. Of those nine, three were Quando me'n vo (Musetta's Waltz) from La Boheme. For some reason, this Puccini aria is allowed without question. No one included Wagner.
I'm not sure how Mozart would feel about being deemed appropriate for immature singers while Verdi and Puccini are not.
Mozart says: I don't like it one bit. My music is NOT for amateurs.
Mozart, Handel, and anyone else who was pre-Verdi are in. Verdi and Puccini, caution. Wagner? You better blow the doors off the building.
Thems the unwritten rules.
I'm not sure why this standard exists. There is no evidence that Mozart wrote music for young, unaccomplished singers. I'd say it's the other way around. I think to sing Mozart, a singer must have the ultimate musical and vocal technique.
After lunch, the level of singing was different. We were no longer hearing singers with potential, we were hearing accomplished singers with a few layers of polish to boot.
The three singers who passed on to Los Angeles were, in alphabetical order, Sasha Hashemipour, Christen Blair Horne, and Karin Michelle Wilcox.
Ms. Hashemipour went to Rancho Bernardo High School and is currently at The Academy of Vocal Arts.
Ms. Horne is an undergraduate at Point Loma Nazarene.
Ms. Wilcox graduated from Point Loma Nazarene, spent two years as a "core" chorister with San Diego Opera and has been accepted into the graduate program at USC.
Remember I mentioned that youth rules? Their respective ages were 23, 21, and 25. I'm not saying that they were put through because of their age, all three gave phenomenal performances.
For myself, the best overall performance was by Sarah Eve Brand. For her second aria, the judges selected Steal Me Sweet Thief from Menotti's The Old Maid and the Thief. I've known Sarah for about five years and I've heard her improve year over year. Her singing of Steal Me had a level of emotional content that I found to be genuine and compelling and it moved me.