What the critics say...

People think that being an opera singer is a “cool” job. While I have to admit that I love it, there are components of the job that can make the faint of heart run. Of course, every job has its plusses and minuses, even ones that you love to do. One of the things that can be tough for any singer is the “review.” Every time you get on stage there is someone judging you (critic, producer, director, audience member etc…) so being critiqued is nothing new.

Reviews can often be a double-edge sword. It’s certainly possible that a good review can bring about more work and seeing your performance being lauded in public (print and/or online) can make your next performance even better (not to mention how good it feels for someone to “get” what you do.) But as a friend of mine says, “If you believe the good reviews, you have to believe the bad ones.” So what you do when you get a bad review?

I’ve received a handful of bad reviews. I can usually shake them off and say, “well that’s their opinion and they are entitled to it,” but one particular review really stung. I was singing a supporting role in a regional opera company several years ago and the reviewer wrote for a fairly large magazine. The review was bad and I remember the exact moment I saw it and felt like I had been punched in the stomach. What made it worse was that the review was going to be read by LOTS of people. It really hurt and I think it was the beginning of the blow to my vocal self-esteem. I was upset for many days and I remember just feeling like I was wasting my time. Another friend of mine (It’s good to have them handy,) made me feel much better by saying something that made perfect sense: In this business there are going to be people who just don’t like YOU. It doesn’t matter what you do, they just don’t like you and you are in a business of putting yourself out there to be “judged!” If you let one person’s opinion of you deter you from singing, then you are in the wrong business. (And it should be noted that I took some time off to figure that out.) While we don’t care if people don’t like our clothes, hairstyles or choice of television programs, there is something painful about someone not liking our interpretation of a role.

Her advice, while very true, wasn’t some magic pill of truth that I simply swallowed. It took time to let go of the pain, but it did give me perspective. Just like it’s my job to perform and give the audience a show, it is the critic’s job to express how they viewed the performance. Sometimes they say things like “dashing, vibrant character,” or “a voice of power and brilliance.” And other times they say things like “disappointing,” or even worse “what in the h#$% where they thinking in hiring this kid?” What matters most is that the person performing has to believe in their gifts enough not to worry about what someone else has to say. If you sing for love, then that will translate and the audience will get it. Of course we continue to refine and revamp what we do in order to make it the most professional it can be, but ultimately we have to have the soul of an artist and the hide of an elephant.

Reviews are a necessary evil of the opera world and those of us who get them on a regular basis have to learn to brush them off and still do our best because in truth, we are not performing for the critics, but for the audience. That is the relationship that should motivate us. Whether good or bad, a review can affect us, but every time we step onto that stage, it’s got to be about giving the audience the best show possible.

Peace,

Eric