Maria Stuarda

The Yankee Diva is doing Maria Stuarda again this year! The story behind the beheading of Maria Queen of Scot is often portrayed on film and in theater, however often they are from Elizabeth's perspective, given Elizabeth, who was threatened of her throne, played the up hand and finally eradicate her political and personal rival. People are curious about what must have happened and what took place between the two, sisters by blood and political nemesis by fate. It is no news that powerful families have a history of murdering eachother over wealth and power, however people are made of conflicts, and that's what is interesting. We are making decisions daily on big things and small matters, but to sign off to kill your sister, that is something extraordinary. The opera "Maria Stuarda" captures the battle between the queens, but from Stuarda's point of view.

From Un Ballo to Aida

The two operas we saw within a month were "Un Ballo in Maschera" and "Aida".  My favorite part of "Un Ballo" was soprano Sandra Radvanovsky.  As I have mentioned already in the previous post,
Radvanovsky really brought out the character, not only through her singing, but also through her acting which sometimes can compromise a production.  She was both emotional, full of life and confidant in her range. With Aida, it was a complete different mind set.  The production by Sonja Frisell has been well received by audience since 1988- its elaborate set up, vast stage design and spectacular dancing/in-show entertainment have created a gorgeous, mind blowing moment in opera lover's experience.
(The current singers: Ramis- Stefan Kocan  Radames-Roberto Algna  Amneris-Olga Borodin  Aida-Liudmyla  Mondastyrska  The King-Miklos Sebestyen) are a perfect fit (I use "perfect"lightly here because there were moments of discomfort in range).  But the two women, the two seemingly opposing women, both are daughters of a king. Yet they are so different, whether in their political or personal position, or their shared admiration for Radames, all blend perfectly -- the jealousy, the fear, the pity and the final acceptance. When Amneris cries to Radames, begs him to marry her, to not only be able to escape death but he will "have her crown, her land and her kingdom", only to be rejected outright by Radames.  In the final scene, Ramis and Aida face their doomed fate, Ameris prays for Radamess soul, the trio was heart wrenching.  I think it was the final act that really is the reason why people are so captivated by opera.  Opera certainly is a form of entertainment, but its charm is beyond just "beautiful singing and spectacular stage design", if you take your time to listen and absorb it, its literary context  can be surprisingly rich.  I look forward to "La Rodine" in the NEW YEAR :)

Marty Sohl © 2012 The Metropolitan Opera.

Ramis- Stefan Kocan

Radames-Roberto Algna

Amneris-Olga Borodina

Aida-Liudmyla Mondastyrska

The King-Miklos Sebestyen

Maria Callas, Master Class at Juillard

A perfect Saturday morning

Two amazing ladies hit the door step this morning! :)

Last night's Un ballo in mascara at the Met

I had not seen the score but have read the liberatti -- I love the story, which is based on an assassination attempt on Napoleon III, the censors in Naples basically wanted to gut the whole opera to keep any political incorrectness under away. Whenever a production is "modernized", it meets challenge. One of the biggest challenge is the potential negative reaction from the audience who are use to traditional set ups. I remember back when I saw "Gianni schicchi" in Philadelphia ( a shout out to my Philly singers!!), as soon as the lights went off and the curtain raised, we were given the full view of the minimalist stage set up. The lady behind me complained instantly -- "Well, that's IT for me...!" I could never understand why she judged the entire production value based on a mere look. NOW I GET IT! In Un ballo, I wanted to see the historical context in its origin, and I was afraid that my experience would somehow be compromised because of David Alden's modern approach. Also, I had been curious about Keith Miller and Kathleen Kim. One is a former football player turned classical singer; the other a friend of a friend. I'm glad I was able to see both in one production. So, on the next scout, Aida coming soon!

A Documentry of Edita Gruberova

Edita Gruberova is one of the most celebtrated sopranos of today -- She is still working; helping young artists and doing master class all over the world.  Watching her preforming is like having a master class of its own, so energetic and so vivid, especially with high notes sang in such ease and joy.. Most women at 62 would assume that they have accomplished their "mission", Gruberova has all and some --she still has a world renowned career and reputation as one of the most beloved coloratura sopranos of the time. But most of all, she continues to be an inspiration for today's and tomorrow's artists. This is a must watch for singers and opera lovers.

So True!!

The Yankee Diva posted this, I just can't help but sharing it with my fellow singers!

Ain't that the TRUTH??

About last night...

Last night's Le Nozze di Figaro was somewhat an expected pleasure mixed with unexpected disappointment.

Ah....October is the month of Cookie (with one bite to it)!

The legendary Dame, Marilyn Horn sings the "famous cookie aria" in Sesame Street.

As far as the audition goes, I'll be making my demo at Sean Swinney Studio in mid town. Sean (who is super nice) was recommend to me by two friends and other singers as well. At the moment I'm working on "o luce di quest'anima" to complete the list of repertoire, so there's still a lot to do! I think I might have a heart attack if I do somehow get accepted to the conservatory, since one of the greatest opera singers (to me) Anna Moffo studied there in the 40's...this is all very exciting but let's calm down and focus now =)

Greetings from the best season of all~

As explained in the title of this post, you can probably tell that I love Autumn. I love the brisk mornings and the scent of burning wood; the birds chirping for their friends flown south; and most of all, seeing my loved ones wrapped in the long scarfs that I knitted...  The Fringe show was a great experience -- I was fortunate to work with a group of amazing and talented singers, dancers and accompanist. It was also my first Sister role, hoping to do more in the future.

 

What makes good opera singing? Dedicated to my fellow singers.

Singing opera is hard, singing opera and have a life at the same time is even harder (though not impassible), even though opera as an art form comes form life, mythology and historical events. Opera is a serious business which especially  requires tremendous skill from the singers.  Often opera singers are perceived as "people who can sing", but the truth is so much more beyond just being able to reiterate notes on stage. A good opera singer is a conscious musician, a qua-lingualist; an actor and a hard working bastard.  In this profession, no one will let you on easy, or care about your tears and personal issues -- the show must go on with or without you.  Generally, opera singers must be able to sing Italian, German, French, English repertoires (hence the "Qua-lingualist"), more the better of course. In the older days, the requirement for the singer's physical appearance was a lot more forgiving, that is not the case today. With HD TV making its way into theaters, now audiences can see each and every flaw.  The old fashion "big lady wearing Horn" phenomenon is no longer common on bigger stages (I guess the show never ends then?).  However, since I am a coloratura, I will never get to wear the horn (darn it!).  I'm one of the "inas" (Zarlina, Babarina, Gretelina (ha!)...etc.)
Bottom line, it's a tough business but people can still make it in today's world.  A mother is willing to do anything for her children, so should the singers, who must treat their work with patience and passion, and most of all -- confidence.  Never let anyone tell you that you "can't" do something (unless the conductor), just do it for yourself.  My dear mother, a tough, independent woman (with wicked sense of humor) who raised a family all by herself, is working on getting her MD degree today, that is remarkable, especially when there was (and still is) so much resistance to this path.  In the years of accumulative work, she never gave up just because someone or something is in her way.  My field is not nearly as frustrating as hers (I still get to practice in the shower!), but the world can always use a good doctor and a good opera singer :)
So chin up and keep up with that breathing exercise and seemingly boring scales singers, they are the foundation to success!

Last rehearsal! Philadelphia Fringe Festival

Sephro The Vengeance (by Fantasy Weavers)

This will be my second Philly Fringe experience, this year I am both sister Samantha on stage as well as the graphic projection director for the opera.  The photos below are from the final dress rehearsal, what a fun night everybody:)  The opening is Saturday September 8th at 7pm; and Sunday, September 9th at 3pm (matinee). 
The crew would like to thank Kate, John and Dorothy for creating and directing this opera; and a special thanks to my husband Steve, for helping the graphic projection :) Thanks you guys!

*Tickets can be purchased here.

 

What is your Fach?

RISD grad Seth MacFarlane and Anna-Jane Casey perform Seven and a Half Cents - BBC Proms 2012 I've always been very impressed with Macfarlane's vocal ability, whether it is him doing multiparty characters with total distinctive style on Family Guy, or belting something out like this live. Everyone should go and get a Placement exam, you might be surprised:)

Theremin- Clara Rockmore play "Song of Grusia" (Rachmaninov)

Montserrat Caballé - Master Class 2011 Suzanne Shakespeare

This is simply AMAZING, pretty sure I cried listening to this amazing beautiful, vibrant and ultra strong coloratura soprano.  How often does Caballé say "BRAVO"  to you and no the other way around? My hat is totally off to you girl!!

Beverly Sills and Danny Kaye

I just can't get over this!!! I love this Original American DIVA Beverly Sills!!

Save the date!

Folks,

 if you are looking for information for Kate Quinn's opera <> (The Sephro Chronicles), you are at the right place. I will be singing both Sister Mary Samatha and in the chorus. Additional, I will be creating the digital graphic projection for the production. The show opens on September 8th (Sat 7pm) and 9th (Sun 3pm) at The Rotunda. (Tickets can be purchased at the door.)  If you would like any additional information regarding the production (ticket reservation etc.) please email me at suniartblog@gmail.com

This is my last posting before vacation, but feel free to email me as usual!

I look forward to seeing you!

SEPHRO: THE VENGEANCE Cast/Crew Information 

Crystonian—John Rudolph(cell)215-951-9989 • Cryss—KateQuinn

Lurin—Dennis Kalup

Tanna—Stephen Ream

Craela—Elizabeth Oliver(phone)

Corianna—Eve Edwards(cell)610-812-6128(home)610-287-4477(email)evesedwards@aol.com •

 Jondu—Jim Longacre

 Cranlaw/Reverend Mother Mary Rose/Chorus(alto)—Sharon Derstine

Armino/Chorus(bass)---Raja Vaidya

Arlaw/Chorus(tenor)—Peter Haas

 Sister Mary Samantha/Chorus(soprano)—Echo Shi

 Sister Mary Katelynne/Chorus(alto)—Alyssa Lehman

 Aera’s Ghost/Chorus(soprano)?—Heather Green

 Chorus(bass)—Aaron Edwards

 Chorus(bass)—Jeff Edwards

Producer—Kate Quinn

Stage Director—Dorothy Cardella 

 Musical Director—Carla Mariani

 Costume Designer—Lois Babbit

Set Projections—Echo Shi/TBD 

Light technician—Gina Renzi/Jason ? 

Sound Technician—Tariq Hipps?

The Academy Alma Mater

Singing The NYAA Anthem!

I will be singing the NYAA anthem (with two of my peers) at The Graduation in May!! :)

Anna Bolena--Maria Callas- Teatro alla Scala Milan, April 4, 1957

Click here for audio sample
Non v’ha sguardo a cui sia dato`

Click here to purchase

Metropolitan Opera National Council Audition 2012

After missing the 2011 audition, we had determined not to miss this year's audition.  What a sunny day it was not today, the sun was playing hide and seek with us for the better part of the morning.  We sat around for awhile, somehow we made there with plenty time to spare-not like us

My husband and I have both been watching especially for singers from Philadelphia(AVA and CURTIS). This year there were two singers from both AVA and CURTIS, Ms. Margaret Mezzacappa-mezzo (AVA) and Mr. Kevin Ray-tenor.  Both singers were very impressive and we were especially glad to see Ms. Mezzacappa at the Met.  We remember her from her first year recital performance at AVA, already a well seasoned singer then.  Our hats off to Ms. Mezzacappa, for giving a very compelling performance!  Among the winner, were Mr. Andrey Nemzer--what a VOICE!  What control and range!  When Mr. Nemzer belted out his high note, our hearts went through a roller coaster ride, I felt the hair on my arms standing up.  Bravo and best of luck in the future!!

 Andrey Nemzer

                                                               

  Margaret Mezzacappa

                                                              

Janai Brugger

 

Anthony Clark Evans

 

Matthew Grills

                                              

Congratulations to all finalists and winners! See you all soon on stage!

Latonia Moore at the Met

Understudy Latonia moore who replaced Violeta Urmana in "Aida" is achieving her biggest success yet. 
We first saw Latonia in PA at one of the venues.  At the time she was just flawless on stage.  Afterwards my husband and I kept talking about how really very seasoned she sounded comparing to the rest of the talents.  We always talk about our observations and thoughts after  movies or a concerts.  Even though my husband doesn't sing (doesn't mean he can't sing, he's quite good when no one is around, actually..) He was surprised to have heard  a voice so mature, pure and ardent.  We thought it was just a matter of time before more people get to know her.
NOW THEY DO!  CONGRATS LATONIA GIRL! MAKE YOUR VOICE YOU STATEMENT AND ENJOY LIFE!! :)

 

Cory Weaver/Metropolitan Opera

Just ordered, so excited!

Get MARIA CALLAS THE COMPLETE MASTER CLASS
DVD SET
  HERE

GET Callas at Juilliard: The Master Classes 

[Paperback]

HERE

My attribute to the meme movement....

Some great singing tips for everyone----

My fellow singers and music lovers, I want to share some exciting and practical singing tips with you, something I recently found from John Axsom's website.
I read the whole writing and found the tips to be very easy to comprehend, anyone can start at any given time.  If you love singing or reading about the science of vocalization , check this out!
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1. RELAXATION

If you are tense, stressed, or upset it causes your vocal cords to become tight and to shorten. When your vocal cords become shorten and tense you can't sing correctly, you can't sing your full range, you lose resonance. It is important that you practice relaxation exercises as a daily routine so that you can condition yourself, or simply WILL-YOURSELF to become relaxed. You should be able to become relaxed at the snap of a finger. You can't do this, unless you practice relaxation exercises consistently. Here are simple daily exercises you should practice a few minutes through out the day. Sit down in a comfortable chair. Tighten up your fists, now suddenly relax it, let it go limp. Now do the same thing with the leg muscles. Tense them up and then purposely take control over these muscles and make them go limp, relaxed, and totally under your control. The most important tension / relaxation exercise is the jaw muscle. Do the same procedure with the jaw muscles.


Another exercise is to create a big smile on your face and hold it for one full minute. That's a real challenge, most people want to let it go after about 15 seconds. Can you keep it going for a full minute. You will notice that the smile actually creates a sense of relaxation over your body. You will also notice that this prolong smile will actually cause your brain to secrete endorphins which make you feel good. This is why singers come out onto the stage smiling. They try to smile as much as possible, it actually relaxes their body which in turn helps the vocal cords to be relaxed, loosened and elongated. The smile makes the singer feel good, which in turn sends out an emotional vibration to the audiences which in turn makes the audience feel good and receptive to the singer's performance.


Practice shaking your arms and then letting them go limp. Gently rotate your head and neck back and forth to take the tension out of the neck muscles. Shake your hands and then let them go limp. Open your mouth as far as you can then gently let the mouth close back to its normal position with a controlled feeling of relaxation of the muscles around the mouth and jaw.


Some professional famous singers get daily massages to relax their muscles which in turn help to relax their vocal cords. This is nice if you can afford it. However, we all have friends, spouses, or others who can help in this area.

2. MOISTURE

Your vocal cords need to be wet and moist in order to sing well, to sing the high notes, and to sing the low notes. Moisture protects your vocal cords from damage. Dryness shrinks the vocal cords making them less resonant and creates an environment where inflammation or infection can set up in the larynx and in the vocal cords, creating hoarseness, and a sore throat.


There are many things a person can do to make sure that their vocal cords remain moist. Drinking plenty of water through out the day helps. Many of the professional singers from the past used an atomizer filled with water to spray down their throats which would bring moisture to the vocal cords. There are many commercial products that are a spray can with various formulas that will allow one to directly moisturize their vocal cords. One such product that one can purchase on the internet is called ENTERTAINER'S SECRET. One can go to any drug store and purchase an over the counter product called SALIVART ORAL MOISTURIZER. The person using these products should open the mouth wide and inhale through the mouth a little bit and spray this moisturizer down the throat before they start singing. Any person wishing to use such products should get permission from their personal physician first.


Whenever you sing a lot or talk a lot there is a constant flow of air moving across your vocal cords. This steady stream of air can dry out your vocal cords. This is why you need to have a bottle of water at your side at all times if you are speaking a lot or singing a lot. The atomizer, and commercial products work better. Drinking water does not allow the fluid to reach the vocal cords whereas the spray products do.


A really good place to practice singing is the shower. A lot of people instinctively sing in the shower with no apparent reason other than they like to do it. But, singing in the shower has a lot of merit. Why? Because the shower stall becomes like a steam room and the air is charged with moisture which reaches your vocal cords when you breathe in. When you breath in the moisturized air in the shower it causes your vocal cords to relax and to elongate. This is why you can actually sing your best in the shower. When you are in the shower you can hit the high notes, you can sing the low notes, you can sing with great resonance. Why? Because your vocal cords are moisturized to the max. They are elongated to the max. The shower relaxes you. The relaxation of all the muscles also contributes to the elongation of the vocal cords. If you want to become a good singer, sing in the shower. Practice your scales in the shower. This is a really safe place to do a vocal workouts on your vocal cords and to make them strong without the worry of injury. All the ingredients are present in the shower stall: moisture, warmth, relaxation, and the increased blood circulation and the flow of endorphins in the brain. If you practice your singing exercises outside the shower, then you run the risk of stressing out your vocal cords if you sing to long, or you sing to hard and loud. Of course, you have to sing outside the shower at some point. But, the shower is the ultimate place to safely "pump iron" for your vocal cords, to make them strong, resilient, and conditioned to hit those high and low notes without feeling tightness and stress. Once your vocal cords are built up like a weight lifter builds up his muscles, then you will start singing like a pro on stage. (No, you don't have to bring your shower stall on stage with you, Ha! )


Smoking dries out your vocal cords. People desiring to become a professional singer should not smoke. Alcohol and caffeine also shortens the vocal cords. Again, one who desires to be a professional singer should try to avoid soft drinks, teas, and alcohol.

3. AIR CONTROL

All opera singers have great air control when they sing. They sing from the diaphragm. Many people wonder what it means to sing from the diaphragm. It means you push the air down deep into the abdominal cavity as you inhale. This air pushes the diaphragm downward which is a sheet of muscle which is actually a muscular floor that the lungs sit on within the body. If you push this muscular floor downwards by breathing in deeply, then when you let go the diaphragmatic muscular floor springs back up just like a coil or a spring and pushes the air out and past the vocal cords, without you even trying or straining. This allows you to sing effortlessly. If you breathe in a small amount of air that just fills the upper lungs, then there is no coil effect to push the air out. In order to push the air out now, you have to use your neck muscles and other muscles to squeeze the air out. This process causes the vocal cords to tighten up and to shorten which is just the opposite of what you want.


Here are some exercises that will help people to learn AIR CONTROL. The individual should sit in a comfortable chair, lean forward until the stomach is actually touching the upper thighs. The arms should drop along side the legs, the hands might actually reach the floor depending on the height of your chair. Now, the person should breathe in deeply into their stomach, and allow the air to make the upper body move upwards, then slowly exhale and let the upper body fall back onto the legs. ONE SHOULD NOT ALLOW THE BACK MUSCLES TO MAKE THE UPPER BODY TO MOVE UP AND DOWN. THE AIR ENTERING THE LUNGS IS THE ONLY FORCE THAT SHOULD MAKE THE UPPER BODY MOVE UP AND DOWN. This breathing exercise is like pumping up a tire. As one puts air in the tire, the vehicle moves upward. As one takes air out of the tire, the vehicle moves downward.


When a person is in the shower before they start the singing exercises, they could place their hands on their belly button. The next step is to breath in deeply forcing the hands on the belly button to move outward. One can practice these exercises a few times in the shower before they start their singing exercises.


Here's another breathing exercise. The person should lie on their back on the carpet. There should be a pillow under the head. One should be comfortable. Next, the person places a large book on their stomach and then they breath in and out to make the book move up and down. By making the book to move up and down, the individual learns air control and learns what it is like to breathe from the diaphragm.


Here is another breathing exercise. The person should find a comfortable place to stand. They should breathe in and at the same time silently count to from one to five. The flow of air should be coordinated with the count. When they finish the number five, they need to reverse it. Next, they should count silently again from one to five as they exhale the air. One can figure out how many repetitions of this exercise is comfortable for them. One should be careful that they do not become dizzy. Do not attempt any of these breathing exercises unless you have permission from your doctor. As a legal precaution on my part, I must state clearly that I am not responsible for any injury that one may experience from practicing these breathing exercises or any exercise listed on this webpage. All exercises must be discussed with your physician and you must have permission from your physician first before you begin these exercises. All the ideas expressed on this webpage are only ideas that I use for myself, and are in no way prescribed to any individual or should they be construed as advice on this webpage. These are just ideas that are protected under the constitution as freedom of speech. The word YOU, does not apply to the individual reading this webpage. It is a simple writing technique that applies to people in general such as "one who sings". Any individual who practices these exercises does so at his or her own risk, and the writer of this webpage is not liable.

4. IMITATION

Once you are well established in some form of physical breathing exercises, relaxation exercises then your next step is to practice singing scales. Sing the scales with just one syllable such as LA. Then try out other syllables such as DOE, RAY, ME, FA, SO, LA, TI. Sing up the scale and down the scale. You will need a piano or a keyboard to do this. You should sing scales EVERYDAY. Also, sing chromatic scales, pentatonic blues scales, minor scales, and other modal scales. Once you are established at singing a MAJOR SCALE, your next step is imitation. I think the best musical form to imitate is OPERA. When you imitate opera you are forcing your vocal cords to go to the CORRECT position for singing. It is simple....just imitate opera voices the same way you might try to imitate the sound of a cat by meowing, or the sound of a chicken. It's not that hard. People imitate other sounds all the time. If you can imitate the sound of a monkey or a cat then you can imitate the basic sound of an operatic voice. Now, I am not inferring that you can sing the high and low notes that an accomplished opera singer can sing...but, you can sing your scales in the medium range with the imitation of an opera singer. The whole point I am trying to make is that by imitating the sound of an opera singer you put your vocal cords in the best position for singing without causing harm to them. If you try an imitate pop singers you can damage your vocal cords. Now, once you have mastered that operatic sound, and strengthen your vocal cords by doing so, then you can let go and move into the "folk" singing sound, or the "pop" sound. But, be careful do not imitate screamers, growlers, or people like Janis Joplin, or heavy metal, rock and roll singers. Many of these people abuse their voices and pay for it later on in life. Try to imitate the older popular singers like Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Pat Boone, Connie Francis, Peter-Paul-Mary, and so on. Only imitate singers who have a natural resonant sound. Never sing when you are tired. Never sing when you have a cold. Never sing when your voice feels sore. Never sing when you have a sore throat. Never over sing. Before any singing engagement get plenty of rest, sleep, water, and listen to good music of other singers that you want to emulate.
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Now you have read the whole thing, get started!  It's never too late to have your dream come true, just work hard and do your best!!

RIENZI- LINCON CENTER (Review by Mike Silverman)

The New York Opera Orchestra (NYOO)'s Rienzi conducted by Eve Qualer (bravo!) was not only a pleasant arrangement, but also a breath of fresh air.  At Lincoln center where we often indulge in large, spectacular productions with fire, projection and actions stunts, it was such a great experience to bypass all other visual distractions and to enjoy the music from both the singers and the orchestra, without worrying about whether the singer is about to fall off the stage (Abigale, summer, Met)...

Here is a review by Mike Silverman for Huffington Post which i am in total agreement with--

NEW YORK — One of his most popular works during the composer's lifetime, Wagner's early opera "Rienzi" still has the power to ignite strong feelings today<...to the post>