Saturday, December 12, 2015

Past two weeks in review

Dear Readers,

A quick update from these last two weeks for you:

I had the great fortune to work with visiting guest artists Martin Katz, Kathleen Kelly, and Sara Chiesa.

We're ploughing through my repertoire. We worked through pieces by Wolf, Brahms, Donizetti, Romberg, Liszt, Verdi, Strauss, and Tchaikovsky. We worked through art song, arias, and operetta. It's really nice to woodshed old and new repertoire.

Meanwhile, we've also been preparing Copland's The Tender Land with Suzanne Acton, which opens in March.

Last, but not least, I have been preparing for a performance of Mozart's Missa Brevis [et solemnis] in C K.258 ("Spaur" or "Piccolimini"). Video Courtesy of You Tube

In preparation I've been watching and reading about historically informed performance practice. Check out this video.

Thanks for reading,
Joe

Friday, December 4, 2015

a thought

"the effect you have on others is the most valuable currency there is."

Thursday, December 3, 2015

December Post 1

Dear Readers,

Thank you for a great response to my Thanksgiving post! I apologize for it, but grateful that you were so kind to accept it and me.

I had the esteemed pleasure to sing for Dr. Joel Kahn on two occasions this past week. I sang for the opening of his vegan restaurant GreenSpace Cafe in Ferndale, MI, and again there, for a friend's 25th wedding anniversary.

Dr. Kahn is a sweet and generous man, not to mention a pioneer and gem of an advocate for our bodies.

I was very fortunate, there always seems to be a blessing in disguise, to work with Siobhan Cronin and her mother Anne Marie Cronin for the first gig. It's exciting to meet, and network with new people in a new city. The task, as I am sure you know, is daunting at first. Leaving New York for Detroit meant leaving behind contacts, gigs, and opportunities harvested through networking and friendship.

We're starting out work on Aaron Copland's the Tender Land this week. The show goes up in early March, but I think having this advanced preparation on it will lead to fantastic results. I am in the camp of singers who prefer to have as much time to get a piece in to their mind, body and throat before it has to be up on its feet. Other prefer the Duke Ellington approach = deadline are self-motivating.

Cheers to more fun, more music, and a strong end to a crazy year... despite the hardships and days that seemed to last for years, 2015 has come and is going fast. It feels like yesterday that I was thanking everyone for the success of completing my doctorate - now... I am in Michigan.

Time flies, as trite as it maybe be - whether it is fun or not - it flies.

Happy December opera fans.

Yours,
Joe