Breathing Technique

Someone at Opera Philly has been busy!



Again, click through to YouTube to see the entire frame.
And remember, keep your eyes on the abs to see proper singing technique. (I'm only half joking.)

Wait let's see if I can shrink it:




Not enough... so click.

Keep Your Eyes on the Abs

It's all for vocal research - just another study of the use of the lower abs in proper singing technique.

Let's Change the Mood

Lyric Opera has been posting clips of last season, both to their website and to YouTube. Look!



This may sound strange, but I keep looking at their stomachs - especially near the end of the clip, where you can really see them - and how they use their breath to sing, low in the abdomen. During Lucretia, the only person whose stomach was really visible like that (well, beneath the sweater) was the Female Chorus, and I watched hers too. Let's face it, when it comes to studying voice and vocal technique, I'm an equal opportunity stomach-watcher.

6/17/09
Edited to add: In case that link above stops working, here it is in another format:

What day is it? It's Friday, right?

Having two weeks in a row with all these days off has totally mixed me up, day-wise. But I do believe that it's Friday. Did I say Happy New Year yet? If so, here it is again. Happy New Year! Vocally, this year I resolve to sing like no one is listening. I want to really practice on putting out that full sound that I know I can produce. I can do it sporadically but I want to do it consistently at all ranges. Is that too much to ask?

The last couple of days I've been tossing slide-show videos together in iMovie. Here are the results:



and



Of course you should click through to see the full descriptions, rate, add to favorites and comment.

And just so this comes up in people's Google searches: Nathan Gunn. YouTube. You Tube. There. That should stop people from always ending up here when they google that.

Cat pic time. I promised Viola this week, if I recall. Too bad. I have this silly one to post instead and it features Diego.

Post 401 - The Stuff I Forgot to Put in Post 400

My utter embarrassment for my friend as well as sort of for myself knocked some of the other interesting and non-embarrassing things out of my mind, so in no particular order, here we go with more things Ann told me about her day.

• The sound was much quieter than she expected, because she usually listens in the car at top volume.
• Christian's voice carried very well and he sounded Grrrreeaaat.
  
• Before the performance, there was an announcement that Nicole C. had a cold and while she was going to perform, she might not be up to par. Ann could detect no problems - said that she sounded fabulous.
• Everyone was much taller than she expected
• The supers were the best part of the show, especially the bald ones in the saffron robes. Ok she didn't say that but I had to put that in for one of the readers. As a super myself, I always look for and notice supers, but the uninitiated don't notice them. I suppose that's the point.
• This is my 401st post on the blog, in case the title didn't clue you in. Ann didn't tell me that either.
  

Turning Green

Yes, the truth is I'm incredibly jealous right now.

Ann has called with the Intermission Report from Pearl Fishers in Chicago. She says that the Gunnster has lost "at least 5 pounds" since that video was made and he was looking mighty nice. The music, she said, is glorious, but we already knew that. Eric Cutler, she reports, has an amazing AMAZING voice. Knew that from the radio broadcast. Christian Van Horn sounds great and it's a shame he's "hidden beneath all that beard/wig/robe." She is amazingly calm, probably because she skipped lunch and is actually weak with hunger.

I was doing fine with her detailed description until she said something about real live action being so much better than the photos . Then the jealousy pretty much overtook my excitement. Whaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!! She had to go get back to her seat before intermission, so I called fellow blogger Lilly for a cross-country cry. Because yes, it's true, all the bloggers know each other.

Will report again once I get the next Chicago Report.

TicketMistress, BackstageMaster

Ticket for sale! Getchur ticket here!!!

One of our party next week for Lucia at the Met had to pull out due to an illness in the family. One week to go and suddenly there's this ticket available, Grand Tier!!! Just $110!!! Any takers? Seriously... post a comment with your contact info. I won't publish it, but I will contact you.

Next...

Tomorrow is my friend Ann's whirlwind visit to Chicago to see Pearl Fishers. She has not only given me permission to use her name, she has encouraged me to, so there it is. Ann. Going tomorrow. To Chicago. Pearl Fishers. If she's lucky, the cast member who offered to put her on the backstage list might even remember to do so. She'll be reporting to me telephonically during intermission and afterwards, and I will, of course, update the blog with her adventures whenever I can. Her only problem is that she has to leave for the airport at about 6, so she's not sure she'll have enough time to meet & greet & photograph & simper & so on & so forth & etc.

When I went to see Barbiere there I too had this feeling of, "I sure hope he (John Osborn) remembers to put me on the list..." and of course he did. Actually it was pretty funny because we exchanged these semi-formal emails about it, and then we went out drinking and all hell broke loose. Ok not hell, not even heck, but it sure as hades wasn't formal. What am I trying to say? It was just normal. Hmm a rhyme. Normal, not formal. Ah I could go on and on with this a la Dr. Seuss, but ... I won't.

So where was I? Right... let's hope she's on the list, because if she's not, I'm the one who'll have to listen to her cry.

Video Video of Pearl Fishers Scenes

Excuse me for the typos - I'm on my 2nd gin and tonic of the evening... but had to share this:

The Friend, The Person and The Postcard

The friend mentioned here received a postcard from the person mentioned in the same post. The friend has given me permission to show the postcard, so here it is.


This is most likely a photocopy as the other postcards are in full living vivid bright Technicolor-color. The handwritten message is, of course, private. However, I do wonder if the adjective to describe the word "opera" was thought out or not. I'm thinking yes, knowing what I know that he knows.

Remember, Dear Readers, that this friend will have already seen Pearl Fishers and will be on her way to the airport exactly one week from when I'm typing this. Let's hope she can hold herself together.

Of course that will also mean that my note to a certain person reminding said person about something I mentioned briefly near the end of a previous post will also, hopefully, have been delivered and maybe even read. Well, delivered at least. The content of the note will be a reminder to this person, as I know for a fact that this person has already agreed with the terms, so to speak, of the content. Now it's just a matter of time, and we all know how short we all are on that. (And for those of you who know me in real life, stop snickering. I'm fully aware of how tall I am. Or am not.)

"Have You Seen My...?"

I wasn't going to do it, but then I said, Oh, what the hay. Pictures lifted from the Lyric's web site and cropped for my nefarious blogging purposes.

1.


Have you seen the drawstring to my pants? I think I'm about to lose them.

2.

Have you seen my Wonder Woman arm cuffs? I need them for protection.

3.

Have you seen my...

Sorry, Dear Readers, but I can't bring myself to type it.
But notice that he does have the Wonder Woman arm cuffs on, so at least he's protected.

Pearl Fishers Photos Found Under a Rug!

Thanks, Parsi, for finding these pictures under your living room carpet.

Tuesday Post # 1 - Pearl Fishers Broadcast WOW WOW WOW!

Pearl Fishers. I had no idea how beautiful it was. I had a real, "Where have you been all my life?" sort of feeling, because I don't think my mother ever had that one on in the background when I was growing up. I wish I could have seen the action, but the radio announcers did a great job giving a detailed synopsis of what was about to happen before each act. The famous duet is right near the beginning, and then that same melody returns in bits and pieces throughout the rest of the opera, in such a way that it just makes your heart ache.

It's like this - Zurga, (the Gunnster), is sort of the top dude in this fishing village, like a judge and lawmaker type dude. One day his old buddy Nadir shows up and the two of them reminisce about how much they had been through together way back when, and they sing that oh-so-famous duet about how they were at this temple and saw this priestess and they both fell in love with her. They decided not to let that ruin their friendship, and then at that point for some reason I didn't catch, they parted ways. Zurga went off and found the village. Nadir, the sneak, stalked the priestess. She knew he was stalking her and thought it was kind of cool. Ok. so, back we are in the present. Every year (I think) this priest (deep-saffron clad CVH) brings a beautiful priestess, Leila, to bless/pray for/bring luck to the village. She wears a veil, has a vow of purity, yadda yadda yadda. So soon after Nadir arrives, up floats the boat with the beautiful priestess. Zurga is like, "Hey, are you ready to do your thing?" and when she replies, Nadir recognizes her voice, then she somehow sees him and does a double take, causing Zurga to be like, "Um, are you sure?" and she's sworn in or whatever the ceremony is. Later as everyone is out working but that sneak Nadir, he goes to sing to the priestess. She can't resist him (if he sang to me like that I'd have been his too) and replies that she digs him too. So of course they can't help themselves and there goes her vow. Now I wasn't totally paying attention so this part of the story is a bit fuzzy, but I think they either get caught, or, more likely, Zurga realizes who she is and goes to talk to her because, of course, he still lusts after her after all these years. She admits to him that she and Nadir are already "together," and he freaks out, abuses his position of power and in a fit of jealousy condemns them both to death. Harsh.
So to prepare for being dead, she gives her necklace to a soldier and asks him to give it to her mother, it was given to her by a man whose life she once saved. Well of course jealous Zurga overhears and recognizes the necklace because, wouldn't you know, he's the man.
So everyone's ready for this execution - it's like a big party because this is an Event. Zurga is like, dang, I can't put them to death, not only do I still love her (and him, in that brotherly way), she saved my life! So instead of just telling everyone, which would have been the right thing to do, he sneaks off and lights the village on fire. Then he comes running back, yelling, "Fire! Everyone run back and save the children!" When the villagers are gone, he tells Nadir and Leila to run while they can - he's saving their lives! He knows that when the villagers realize what has happened they'll put HIM to death. So it's all heartbreaking and stuff and even the happy couple floats off in a cloud of guilt.

So I know my description is a bit lighthearted, but the music was anything but. I was all weepy and sniffly for most of it. I was so moved, I sent messages to both CVH and Eric Cutler to let them know, mid-show, (yes I know they weren't checking their email during the show) how wonderful it was.

In between acts they broadcast bits of an interview that was done with the Gunnster, Eric Cutler and some others. Eric explained a technique called "mixed voice" for hitting the higher notes in certain arias. He sounded amazing. Seriously - another one of those, "If you sing it to me, I'll do whatever you ask" kind of voices. Dang.

Now I want to hear the opera over and over (and I can because I have a copy of the broadcast already) and read as much as I can about it. It's nice to add a new opera to the mix in my brain.

Listening to Pearl Fishers LIVE RIGHT NOW!

So if anyone happens to check the blog within the next two hours ... WFMT is broadcasting Pearl Fishers live from Chicago tonight, like, in 30 seconds. Listening to the director give a little analysis, always helpful.

It's about to start so off I go.

If Only I were RICH RICH RICH

Yes, we've all done it. We've all fantasized about what we would do if we won the lottery, the Publisher's Clearinghouse or some other multi-million dollar prize that would set us up for life. They say money can't buy happiness, but I'd be willing to test that theory.

For example, if money were no object, I'd already have booked a flight to and a hotel in Chicago and would have tickets to see Pearl Fishers once or twice. But money is an object, an object that I don't have enough of to go gallivanting off all over the country to follow opera singers and maybe offer to do their laundry.

So, until I strike it rich, I'll have to live vicariously through friends who do get to go, and I'll also live internally, in my head, because anything can happen there, and, like Vegas, what happens in my mind, stays in my mind.


While we wait for all that, put this into your mind.

And as always, go, rate, comment, enjoy.

*******

Update:

My friend received the infamous postcard from the person. I thought I had gotten mine the other day... but it was a card from the vet reminding me to bring Diego in for his shots. Meow.

Exclusive Photo, blah blah blah

My request has been granted. I have permission to post the EXCLUSIVE photo from a recent Pearl Fishers rehearsal at the Lyric. I feel like Opera Chic!!

Ok, so it's kind of blurry and sort of... orange... but, hey, it's an EXCLUSIVE photo.



See if you can figure out who's who.

In spite of its orangeness, you can see just how gorgeoso the Lyric is.

Thanks, person who gave me permission!!! And no, I'm not a worshiper, just a... (running to thesaurus ... ok got it) I'm simply an ardent admirer. Of the music. <-- yes grammar nerds I know it's a fragment, get over it. In fact, I'm not into those bare-chested photos, believe it or not. I used them in the video because they're from the production, but honestly I find them a bit ridiculous.
.

"Real" Video Would be Better, But...

...the slide show is ok too.

How beautiful is this??!!! The music I mean...the MUSIC!!

Where I'm Not

It's 7:35 Eastern Time. I'm home. I'm not sitting in Row DD, Orchestra Rear, listening to the orchestra tune up. That's happening right now. At this moment. As I type. I am here and they are all there. It's weird, but it's ok.

Still planning on La Sonnambula next season. Mentioned it to my voice teacher and she'd like to go too. So I might not be going alone!

Listened to an interview with JDF and Natalie Dessay. He mentioned that he'll be doing Pearl Fishers in the future. Hmm another potential pairing with the Gunnster as he often does the bari part. I wonder where... (checking my frequent flyer miles...)