Joyce Didonato Juilliard Master Class

Joyce Didonato's Juilliard Master Class was an eye -opening one to me. It was fun, nervous and exciting ( she does has a ME degree). Many extraordinary singers have taught Master Classes at Juilliard in the past. Thanks to Juilliard's online steaming, we were able to participate without being there. The pro side of online steaming is obvious; the con, however, is the acoustic quality gets compressed and whatever we hear is inevitably lesser than there really is. Alas!
I tried to transcript the class, so that I can always revisit what was said by Didonato.  I'm sure the school will post the entire video on Youtube soon, it would be great to learn the arias and watch it again, even though they are not my fach, except the first aria.
 Here are some of the quotes from Didonato, I'm NOT guaranteeing the accuracy as they are to the best of my recognition to my own hand writing:)

 

Joyce Didonato Juilliard Master Class

 

Joyce Didonato Juilliard Master Class

1. "Progress, no finish product without progress..."
2. "[The singer's] Work never, ever ends..."
3. (Gestures during performance) -- do from your gut, not with your limb."
4. "Be your character before music starts, and let the music stay inside of you..."
5. "There's no separation between the cord and the singing..."
6. "Rests are for a reason... suspension..."
6. "Going back to the score and dissect it, diagram your music..."
7. "You don't want to "indicate" or "act" to be convincing.
8. "Use the music and gesture to demonstrate the mood.."
9. "You are not singing every note for the sake of the notes..."
10. "Keep the nore clean& clear, inner track string..."
11.There are two things on the stage 1. True; 2. False"
12, "Dot rhythms, slow triplate, pressure in different speed & dynamic.
13. "When it comes to French, give 500% to "je & san"
14. "[Doubles] in Italian, the fabulous doubles!"
15. "Guess what that was, it's [legato]!
16. "Hands? finish with dramatic intent"
17. "The emotion is eternal"
18. " Find the ground of the emotion"
19. "There is NO breath police in opera..!" (si!)
20. " Make sure the notes are spinning out to nothing..." (Even at the end of the a note, the spinning DOES NOT stop)
21. "A brighter Italian [A] for "Largo al Factotum, check out Thomas Allen.." (Audio below)

22. "[eyes] do the talk, you're having a ball doing it (to Figaro), making up as you go..."
23. "The [ball] is in the eyes... (LMAO!)
24. "Great... ...?" "Damn---!!" (on acting as Figaro)
25. "Dramatic pacing..."
26. "Punctuation is NOT magic."
27. "Pay more attention to harmony."
28. " Breath and phonate.."
29. (On the [evil voice] inside every singer) ..." You've got to be great; do the best work; work harder, fully engaged in what your doing, do NOT give that voice a spot anywhere.