Temperament

I am in St. Louis working on one of the greatest operas in the repertoire: Faust! The story of an old, cynical man who sells his soul to the devil in order to pursue young love combined with Charles Gounod’s sensual music is what opera is all about. It’s always great when you get to sing a dream role and Valentin is one of mine. I am thrilled to be “living the dream” to quote a wonderful tenor colleague. I have also been having some wonderful discussions about what it takes beyond the talent to succeed in opera. The word that seems to keep coming back is “temperament.” According to Merriam-Webster, temperament is defined as the usual attitude, mood, or behavior of a person or animal. Singers are two people, student and artist. At any given moment we are either learning our craft or sharing our craft and we have to be strong enough to take the criticism of teachers, coaches, directors, conductors and critics and also have the inner-strength to perform as if we are the greatest thing in the world.

Opera singers also have to have a high level of adaptability. We go from city to city singing with artists of all different backgrounds and skill levels. Sometimes we end up staying in the homes of people who may not quite understand the needs of artists to really focus. One has to be a good people person in rehearsals, at donor events and whenever one is presented under the umbrella of the company. And then there is the travel! I have experienced delays, lost luggage, missed pick-ups and trouble getting to rehearsal on time. One must learn to just breathe and keep going knowing that eventually you will get where you are going and get what you need.

Another important thing is that a singer has to be able to be alone…for extended periods of time. Not only because we often spend a lot of time needing to recharge from a full day of rehearsal, but also because there is a necessary discipline needed to be a singer. Sometimes you feel like a monk because as much as you want to go out and about and explore, you have to think about “the voice” and what it needs. I am thankful for the internet and television for being my constant “companions” while I am away from home. As an only child, I like solitude because I get a lot done and since I see singing as my job I put in hours in the morning, take a break, then more hours in the afternoon, early evening. If I have a lot to do, I will work “overtime” to get my daily agenda done.

If I had to make an equation it would be talent + temperament (ability to learn and perform consistently + adaptability+ discipline) + unknown factors that are completely out of our control or x (I consider this the ultimate variable)= a career as an opera singer.

When people say that I am lucky for having work I smile on the inside because I know that luck is a small percentage of why I am fortunate enough to get to perform. I also believe that I am cut out to take the rejection, learn from the critiques and see the career of singing opera as my daily job (and sometimes my life!)

Peace,

Eric