75% Synopsis

I did get to listen to the Gunn interview this morning. I was at work and, you know, working, so I couldn't give it my 100% attention, but here's what I remember.

Let's see... he told the plot of the opera - his character, Tarquinius, isn't really a bad guy. Some other dude says something about all women being whores (he was careful to point out that it was a quote when he said it) and Tarq is like, NO, she's not, she's GOOD and that he can prove she's chaste by seeing if she resists. If she does, she is. Um... right. Hence the word "rape" in the title.

The interviewer asked him what it was like playing a role like this, where his character does something so bad. I don't remember his reply but he did say something about being able to turn it off when you leave so you don't take the bad feelings with you, something like that. And also that he plays other characters who are better than he is, and that sort of balances it all out. They played a clip from Billy Budd as an example.

After the clip the interviewer said she always enjoys watching the guest listen to him or herself, and how does he like it? There was some joking in there (working, sorry, I missed it but heard the laughing) and he said that he tries not to pick himself apart (something about his wife disagreeing??) and no one likes hearing a recording of themselves and that he tries to hear the musicality of it. Something like that.

They talked about the baritone voice type, and that Elvis and Bing Crosby were baritones, and the types of parts baritones have in different types of operas.

He talked about how he got started singing and got all nostalgic about this car, a 1970 Plymouth Satellite, (I wrote that down) and talked about stuff I've read/heard in other interviews.

Regarding having a pretty voice - his first voice teacher told him that having a pretty voice is a gift - compared it to having pretty eyes. Out of your control.

Oh THEN she played a bit of Papageno and asked us to excuse the quality but it's a homemade recording. Ha! Damn I know that approximately 2 readers will understand my reaction to that. Too bad.

Um.. he talked about using the stomach muscles that contract when you cough, not the ... what did he call it... vanity muscles? Again... I was paying about 75% attention.

And I will leave you with this... he said it in the middle but I can't help but revise the order for effect... (I was at work and that's my job!!!) He says he tells his students to follow their bliss - to be honest and sing where and what they're comfortable with.

Oh and one more thing: The theater where RoL is taking place is so small, he said he can reach out from the stage and almost touch the conductor. Yikes. That IS small.

There was more. The radio station will probably archive the interview. Until then, here's a newspaper article about the production.