And now for something totally different

As an opera singer, you spend the majority of your time singing music from composers of the 18th, 19th and early 20th century. The wealth of roles and composers is extensive and one has to do quite a bit of homework in order to not only understand the pieces musically, but also dramatically and what was actually happening historically in order to understand the composer's intentions. There are vocal coaches and singers who serve as an invaluable resource in helping a singer navigate the terrain of what the composer and librettist intended. Coupled with the singer's intentions and the guidance of the stage director, a singer hopefully creates a fully dimensional character.

At the present, I am singing the world premiere reading of an opera called The Mark of Cain by composer Matthew Harris and librettist Terry Quinn. Because the piece is brand spanking new, it is a luxury to have the composer and the librettist there at the rehearsals offering insight, correcting pitches we might be approximating (some of the intervals-distances from pitch to pitch-are very tricky), and clarifying why a certain passage was set a certain way whether musically or dramatically. It has helped me in creating a character, finding vocal colors and gaining a better understanding of what the composer and librettist had in their ear when they were writing and composing. It's actually very exciting! Imagine being able to tell Verdi and Piave or Mozart and DaPonte that you really love this particular passage or have them give you notes on text and music or, even better, have them tell you that you are fantastic!

One of the other interesting things about working on a 21st century opera is gaining insight into the composer's musical language. The overall piece is filled with some difficult tonality, but is incredibly tonal. It has a wide range (at least my role does) and yet it is highly singable. The librettist's text offers some beautiful moments of operatic language while at the same time is highly fresh and current. I had an opportunity to speak to both of them about their process and was fascinated to know that the composer started with the middle of the opera and worked his way out while the librettist and the composer worked separately and connected via email. This reminded me of the letters betweeen Verdi and Piave and while there has been many years since we've communicated via letters, the practice of working apart is still in practice.

I've worked on two new operas in the past, but this experience is the most special. I think my knowledge as a singer and an actor has allowed me to enjoy the process a lot more. I also think the fact that I am the lead and that the text, music and character seem to fit my voice well makes me want to champion this new opera and hopefully have the chance to sing it again!

Peace,
Eric