| July 13, 2011
This past Saturday, July 09, I sung in a concert with my fellow HSBC laureates from this past summer in Aix-en-Provence. This was our final concert, and was recorded by Arte liveweb. It was a wonderful concert:
Tenor Gijs Van der Linden: Beethoven "An die ferne Geliebte" and a couple Schubert Lieder
Le Quatuor Zaïde: Mendelssohn "Capriccio"
Soprano Elena Galatskaya: Rachmaninov mélodies
Andrea Hill (with Alphonse Cemin and the Quatuor Zaïde): Mahler "Rückert Lieder."
Elena Galatskaya and Andrea Hill: "Ah perdona al primo affetto," Annio/Serviglia duet from La Clemenza di Tito (Mozart)
The Rückert Lieder are about 50 minutes in, for those interested, but if you have time, I would certainly recommend listening to the entire program - it is wonderful.
This is now the second summer in a row I have sung the Rückert Lieder. Last summer I worked them with such wonderful artists as Helmuth Deutsch, Edith Wiens, Ian Burnside... and of course played them along side the wonderful Spencer Myer. This summer... it's amazing to me to experience how much they've evolved and how far they've come. How much I've evolved. I had, of course, no idea when I was working them last summer that I would get to perform them this year. It seems now almost serendipitous therefore that I got to work them so much last year, and absorb so much insight from the wonderful artists with whom I worked...
These songs have always been dear to me. For those who know me, you likely know that the fourth song, "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" is simply one of those songs that has always reached deep inside my soul (as it has with so many) and never let go. It is as near to perfection as anything I know. It is honest. What an experience it has been, to grow with these songs this past year, and get to perform them at Aix-en-Provence this summer, with an amazing young group of musicians. Sometimes, I do believe I am very spoiled. :)
I hope you enjoy.
http://liveweb.arte.tv/fr/video/Festival_d_Aix-en-Provence___Concerts_Laureats_HSBC/ | | May 24, 2011
Last day in Dijon. I will be sad to leave this town; we have had far too good a time here. :) I am leaving in a few minutes to go for my make-up call for the final show tonight... what an experience, singing Dido! I hope I have done her justice. I have tried to render her honest, to find her vulnerabilities more than her strengths... We have had very positive reception to our production - which I think is really beautiful; everyone involved really brought it to life... It will be interesting, should I get the opportunity to sing her again a few years down the road, to see if my feeling of her changes at all. If life will offer me new insights and thus allow "my version" of her to evolve as well, or if she will remain relatively constant. I don't know. I have to figure that she will change as I evolve - or at least, that I may approach certain aspects of her in a new way, but... who knows? Hopefully I will be lucky enough to find out. But she is a wonderful character and I have enjoyed playing her immensely (and will again tonight!).
But for now... out into the brilliant Dijon sun for a few more minutes of fresh air before hiding myself away in the theatre for the rest of the evening. :) | | April 23, 2011
Hello from Dijon! This is truly a charming city; I have been enjoying myself immensely since arriving almost a week ago. And we have been treated to lovely weather, which always helps when it comes to exploring a new place. I have found several wonderful restaurants, some of which are tucked away in inner courtyards that you wouldn't guess are there from the street - very French, that. Regional wines are being tasted (mmmmm), lots of olives have been digested, and there have been many afternoon coffees on sunny térrasses... And yes, of course, there has also been work (lest we forget)! :)
The production has been going very well. Everyone is a joy to work with, the singers are all very talented, as are all the other people involved. We have all been enjoying our stage director's method of working, her concept of the piece... I think it has the potential of being a very interesting production, we shall see. And did I mention that the costumes are gorgeous? That is NEVER a bad thing! :)
And with that, I'm off to rehearsal. Have a good weekend everyone!
A small note of solidarity with the students and teachers of the Catherine Ferguson Academy in Detroit. May they win the battle in which they're now engaged... | | April 14, 2011
For anyone who may be interested, the concert version of "Ariane et Barbe-Bleue" by Paul Dukas in which I am singing tomorrow night at Salle Pleyel (my debut!!) will be broadcast live on the radio and on the internet:
http://sites.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/accueil/
The concert starts at 20h (8pm) PARIS time, and will run probably about 2.5 hours. The opera is really beautiful, and quite rarely performed, so if you have the time and the desire, it is definitely worth a listen. Details:
Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France
Direction: Jean Deroyer
Ariane: Katarina Karneus
la Nourrice: Delphine Haidan
Barbe-Bleue: Nicolas Cavallier
Sélysette: Andrea Hill
Mélisande: Emmanuelle de Negri
Béllangère: Claudine Margely
Ygraine: Karen Harnay
Enjoy! | | March 26, 2011
Where to start? Spring has arrived in Paris, and it is heavenly. The trees are blooming, flower gardens are planted... if you're on the right side of a gentle breeze, the most wonderful aromas of various flowers or flowering trees drift over to you. And the sun! Somehow life is better when spring arrives.
Katia has been going very well. We have three performances left, and then we say goodbye to it - though hopefully not forever. Varvara is certainly a role I would like to do again; I so enjoy her. And the music... I will miss having a live orchestra playing this score every few evenings; it is to die for. The cast and crew are all wonderful and I feel really very lucky to have had this experience. I plan on enjoying the last three shows to the full extent possible.
I had some visitors in from Canada this week who came and saw the show Wednesday night. Afterward, we went out to the very chic café just across the street from Palais Garnier to finish the evening in style - champagne and desert all around. :) We were seated right next to the window, overlooking the main steps of Garnier. It is an amazing and strange feeling staring at that gorgeous building, in Paris, and realize that you are singing there. I can't really make sense of it. When I'm on stage, I of course know where I am. There are times even where I look out into the house - somewhat in a blur - see all the people, "recognize" the stunning décor... and in a wonderful way, you just keep going. You understand where you are, but - in my case anyways - you so love what you're doing in the moment that you don't think about it at all. But then afterward... when you leave the opera, sit for a few moments, and then look at the building and realize that that is where you just spent your evening - and that it felt great!... it is a very strange sensation that, as said, I can't quite comprehend as of yet. We'll see. Maybe it will always be like that. Hopefully I will have the good fortune to find out. | | February 27, 2011
Katia Kabanova. I am having a great time discovering this opera. The music is wonderful (tomorrow we put it with orchestra; so excited), the psychology is interesting, I very much enjoy Christoph Marthaler's concept of the piece... and frankly, having the honor to sing it for the first time along side Angela Denoke, Jane Henschel, and all of the other wonderful singers and colleagues is really amazing. As said, this week we will be with orchestra, and we will be onstage. It will be nice to add those new dynamics... And then, the premier is just over a week away! It all goes by so quickly...
More thoughts soon... | | February 08, 2011
I know, nothing for so long, and now twice in one week! :)
I just wanted to add this link. It will be up for about the next month, and is the video broadcast of the concert we gave on Friday in Nantes (that was broadcast Sunday morning on Arte). It starts with the Zwei Gesänge, and is completed with Brahms' quintet op 34. Same program as our disk. Enjoy!
CLICK HERE!! | | February 04, 2011
Alright, so it's been a few months... :)
There's really not much point, I don't think, in trying to recapitulate everything that has happened since October - or at least not in any detail; it has been a very busy season. There were some concerts, there were some rehearsals. There was the release of a disk - available in the iTunes Store (it was a very exciting moment when I found out I was in the iTunes Store...). :) There was a trip to New York, there was some travel within the French borders... And there was my onstage debut at Bastille. Oh - and of course, there was the move! What a nightmare. Homeless for three months, just to finally move into an apartment in December to find that you have no heating... stress overcomes her, anyone? :) But all is well now.
The past few months have also been a time of... learning. Too much learning, if you ask me. :) I realize that, in life, we never stop learning. Indeed, if we were to stop learning, we would stop growing... etc etc (clichés with which everyone is familiar). But why does "learning" have to so often be attached to some sort of pain? :) Well, I would like to stop learning for a while. :) Please? If I promise to spend lots of time learning all of the music I have to learn for my upcoming contracts, can I bow out of "life learning" for a few months? Yeah, well... it was worth a try. :)
I have a new website being launched. It is still under construction, but... I mention this because this site will slowly no longer exist. I think I will keep it to blog (there is no blog on the new site), because I know there are indeed people who read these entries (thank you!!), but anything professional will be at:
www.andrea-hill.com
I feel I should write more, seeing as it's been so long since I've written... But I fear I haven't much to say. I will perhaps say this: if ever you rent a car in Paris, DO NOT take a car that is not equipped with GPS! I made this mistake last night and could not figure out how to get out of the city! It was just about midnight, I had 400kms of road ahead of me, and I could not get out of Paris. I finally resorted to the mapping and GPS systems on my iPhone - imagine driving on a busy Paris road, cars speeding by you on all sides - and not necessarily in an actual lane, exits everywhere, and you're trying to follow the little dot that is you on a little iPhone screen, figure out where it's telling you to go, and then - oops! when you realize that the little dot that is you is no longer on the road on which you are supposed to be, well... detour anyone? Oh, now you're on a street from which you can see your exit but from which you can't get there? How unfortunate! Please try again next time! :) Just trust me on this: save yourself the fear that you are going to die (and then the desire to kill yourself for stupidity) and make sure to have a car with GPS. Life will just be better. :)
And now ladies and gentlemen... I'm out. | | October 01, 2010
Et me voilà, back out at the beautiful Royaumont Abbey. Tomorrow evening's concert: Janacek, Diary of one who vanished. Very much looking forward to this concert. Such a wonderful work, that is given really quite rarely... and the rest of the concert will be stunning as well. Irene Kudela will be playing piano works by Janacek in the first part of the concert. Not only are the pieces beautiful, but she plays them with so much passion and understanding that one cannot help but fall completely in love with them. I think it will be enjoyable. As for me... I love singing this piece. I feel I understand both the character and the music, and am thus free to simply express what I feel needs to be expressed and enjoy myself all the while. Very much looking forward to it; it should be a wonderful evening. | | September 12, 2010
I usually try to stay away from political topics here. Politics is simply one of those things, and this site is not for that purpose... but I have heard too much the past few days.
Since when did we become so afraid of "them?" I suppose, mind you, looking back through history, that we've always been afraid of "them" - of those who are somehow not like "us." So perhaps the question should be phrased differently: why have we chosen to forget what history has taught us (or at least tried to teach us) so many times in the past? It's a mockery really... we put up signs, monuments, for fallen soldiers in wars for instance, that state "we will not forget," but really... we don't keep faith with that sentiment. Perhaps we don't forget those who have fallen, but we seem to forget the reasons for which they were sent to die, which I think is worse, because it dooms us to live it again through new circumstances.
It is so sad that we can come so far as a civilization, but that we time and time again fail to make any actual progress as human beings. Small steps, yes. There are people who stand out and make a difference. But for the most part, we seem to enjoy repeating our mistakes and horrors as many times as possible, maybe even without recognizing that we're doing exactly that. Disappointing. | | September 09, 2010
Still moving! :) How I will love the day I can actually get into my own apartment, unpack boxes, organize my life... :)
The concert at Royaumont went very well! It was a pleasure singing with all the other musicians involved (quartet, clarinet, soprano...), and it was truly a pleasure getting to know the people of Royaumont. The Abbey is beautiful, and they have really done some remarkable work to render it a functional space for both rehearsals and performances. Really very impressive, and really a pleasure to be invited to work there. I am already very much looking forward to returning at the end of this month. Can't wait!
And as for immediately upcoming... this week, I head out to record the Brahms Lieder with the Modiglianis. Looking forward to it! |  | September 01, 2010
How to know you made the right decision: because despite complications, you still feel good about it. :)
I am in the middle of moving, and of course, it is not going as planned. So for now, thanks to the generosity of a few friends, I am going from apartment to apartment until my own is ready for me. Hopefully this will not be too long from now... we shall see. But nonetheless, I am really excited for my new home... and really grateful for my friends. :)
The concert at Classique au Vert this past weekend went very well. Thank you to those who were there! The wind decided it wanted to play along with us, which made for some flying pages and scores - always interesting... but we made the best of it and the public was very understanding. The venue is really very beautiful - the Parc Floral of Paris. The stage is outside (but covered), overlooking a small pond, brightly colored flowers, and green lawn. Very idyllic, really. And I quite enjoyed the atmosphere as well - the people working the festival are all very professional and friendly, the public was very attentive, and then after the concert, there was a "meet the artists" session, which renders the whole thing a little more personal and really gives the artists and the public a few moments to get to know one another. All in all, it was a very nice experience (if a little chilly... :) ).
Tomorrow I head out to Royaumont for a concert of Mozart this coming Saturday. I'm looking forward to seeing the Abbey! I have heard only wonderful things, both about the location and the foundation itself, so I'm really excited to become acquainted.
And that's most of the news for now. I really am excited for this season. I think it's going to be a lot of fun, and if the start of it is any indication... it's going to be amazing. Such amazing music to sing, in some wonderful venues, with some great musicians... prima. :) |  | August 23, 2010
And I'm back in Paris.
What to say about this summer!!?? It may just rank as one of the best! It was a lot of work, but then, I always have been a geek and thus most happy when I'm working. :)
Ravinia was amazing. The amount of talent between the singers, pianists, and faculty was really incredible, and to have been counted as one of them was quite an honour. Working with Denise Massé, Malcolm Martineau, Edith Wiens, Ian Burnside, Brian Zeger, Steven King... such a wealth of information, passion, and ability... I learned a lot in my three and a half weeks there, and walked away really sad to be leaving it all behind, but really excited for everything upcoming.
I also, finally, officially performed four of Mahler's five "Rückert Lieder." Mahler has always been a very special composer for me. I have owned scores of all of his Lieder for years, but for the most part, they have remained untouched - or at least, unsung; I did not want to learn music that I so cherished before I was really ready, or with bad habits that would then have to be unlearned. I decided many years ago, therefore, that my thirtieth birthday present to myself would be Mahler. I had no idea that I would luck out and get to present them for the first time as part of the Steans Institute of Ravinia, or with such a fabulous musician as Spencer beside me, which made the moment all the more joyous. I won't lie - I was terrified! That music is so wonderful... all you have to do is get out of its way and let it live - or rather, perhaps better said, let it exist in you so that it may live. But that's not always so easy! And the worry that I wouldn't do it justice was huge. But I think, in the end, due to my own feeling, that of Spencer, and the reaction of the audience... we did it justice. What better birthday present is there than such a moment, when you've been waiting so long and it proves more than you had ever thought it would?
So yes, this summer was amazing. Let's hope the season follows suit. First concert is this coming Saturday - for anyone in Paris: it is a free concert! You have to pay admission to come into the park, but that's not expensive, and the concert promises to be wonderful, so please come out!
Let the games begin... :) | | August 05, 2010
Welcome to the best month of the year...! :)
We all talk about moments in our lives that live forever - that are simply unforgettable. These moments exist also, of course, in our musical lives. They are moments where, despite imperfections, we ride a wave of sound and emotion... we forget about the page from which we learned the music and we simply live every second of the piece. I have not experienced many of these moments yet. The first that always comes to mind was in Graz, Austria, back in 2006, when I had the fortune to sing Octavian with full orchestra and a few very talented sopranos - three wonderful excerpts. I will never forget what it was like to stand on that stage, three women singing loud high notes, and orchestra roaring from behind... traveling with the sound out over the audience... It was an amazing moment. And now, I have another to add to it. Last night, pianist Spencer Myer and I participated in a masterclass with conductor James Conlon here at Ravinia. We were the last to play, and it was already quite late, so we actually did not end up working with Maestro Conlon much, but we did get to perform, and he did share some ideas and anecdotes with us. The piece that had been selected was Ravel's Asie, from Shéhérazade. A beast! We worked really hard this past week, and the French specialist here - Denise Massé - worked really hard with us as well, and... it was an amazing experience. It was not perfect; there is still much to do, to polish, to contemplate. But... I feel like we succeeded in letting it live. In getting beyond ourselves and really into the music. It was piano this time, not orchestra, and yet it was the same feeling of transcendence - all of these wonderful phrases and beautiful images, mounting continually towards the climax... and I can't explain it. I was there. I was grounded and present. I was concentrated. And yet... I was flying. Asie, for those who may not know it, is a very long piece. Depending on tempi taken, it can last ten minutes. We got to the last phrase and I found myself wondering how we had gotten there so quickly. It was wonderful. What a feeling, to be so totally concentrated, and yet so totally free...
Much of this, I believe, is because of Spencer (I have posted a link to his website on my "links" page, for those who may be interested). He is a wonderful pianist and a consummate artist, and I trust him implicitly behind me. I have no fear of falling. And he too launches himself into the music, inviting me to join him... and because I know he's there, I can jump. It is truly a pleasure working with him, and I hope that when Ravinia ends, our collaborations will continue.
God, what an experience!!!! | | July 24, 2010
Hello from Chicago!
The flight over was very enjoyable and comfortable... first time ever flying business class transatlantically! Brilliant, I must say. :)
It's nice to be back in the States in the summer... it's very hot and humid here... it kind of reminds me of when I lived in DC (days that I miss, I will admit... I had a good few years in DC), though it's not quite as humid as it is there. But it's always an adjustment, coming from Europe back to North America. Funny, no? Though I am of this culture, I find I have gotten really used to being in Europe... and indeed there is much of European culture that I have really come to love. Too, coming back here, I find myself slipping automatically back into "being American," talking a little differently... and I have to laugh at myself. Old habits. :) The difference is that now, I notice it. Then it just was. :) Interesting to see how the years change you and through what means these changes are brought to your attention. It should be an enjoyable three weeks.
Steans Institute starts up tomorrow. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone and getting to work. But for today... completely free. And I think I will take advantage of the basketball court they have here at the hotel and go throw a ball around. It's been too long! It's too bad I didn't bring a swim suit, or I could take advantage of the pool as well, but alas. The basketball court will have to suffice. :)
And with that... :) | | July 19, 2010
And I'm back in Paris. My welcome back was nearly getting hit by a car. Wonderful. :) I was crossing the street (and yes, I had the right of way), when I noticed that an oncoming car was coming a little too quickly, and indeed the driver was not watching at all. I managed to take a couple quick steps that almost got me out of the way, but ended up having to slam my hand down on the hood of the car and use the leverage to jump over the corner. At that point, the driver finally looked up. Unbelievable.
My last week in Aix was a little better than my first couple of hours back in Paris. :) I was honored to receive two awards from the festival: I was chosen as the sole recipient of an award from the "friends of the festival," and then I was chosen to be the mezzo laureate of the HSBC award, which will send four singers, one pianist, and one chamber group, who participated in the academy, on a concert tour over the next season, ending back at the festival next summer. As said, it was an honor to be chosen for both of these awards, and I am looking forward to singing the concerts with my colleagues.
I enjoyed Aix-en-Provence. It was insanely hot the entire time, but it is a really nice town, and the surrounding region is gorgeous. I didn't have time to go to the sea unfortunately, but perhaps next summer, as I know I will go back to sing the final concert of this "concert tour" award. We will have to see. Too, the people were truly wonderful. All of the administrative team were extremely supportive, and the musicians were really wonderful - both in terms of their ability as musicians and in terms of their character as people. It was an enjoyable couple of weeks.
Now... back in Paris to relax a little bit, do some laundry, re-pack the suitcase, and then head to Ravinia. I do believe this is going to be a great summer. :) | | July 12, 2010
http://www.arte.tv/fr/recherche/3317486.html
This is a link to the broadcast of last night's concert - at least, as of today, this link works. They may change the location eventually, but if you find this link does not work for you, go to www.arte.tv and do a website search on "Hommage a Robert Schumann" and it should come up. I sing at minutes (approximately) 42:30 and 63:00. But feel free to listen to the whole thing if you have time; it was a very nice concert! | | July 08, 2010
Just a quick update before I make myself something to eat... :) Today, I became a very lucky person. I got to sing in a public masterclass with Helmut Deutsch. He was both giving the masterclass and playing the piano. We chose to work Mahler's masterpiece "Ich bin der Welt abhanden gekommen" - one of my most loved pieces of all of the repertoire. And I got to sing it with Helmut Deutsch! More thrilling than he probably knows... :) It is not everyday that we "young professionals" get to make music with the masters of our time...
The masterclass went well; I learned some very valuable details, some of which apply specifically to this Lied, others of which can be applied rather generally to Lieder. The masterclass was on an "open-air" stage in a small courtyard here in Aix; it is actually a really nice atmosphere - I gave a concert there last night, and will be singing another tonight. My favorite part about it all last night were the swallows flying over head, catching bugs, singing... kind of accompanying us with their own "melodies." It was not at all distracting - at least, I did not think so. On the contrary, I found it very beautiful. The birds were not there this afternoon, of course, but I expect they will be back tonight... :) Tonight, I will sing the first three Lieder from the same Mahler set - Rückert Lieder. It is the first time I'm really singing them publicly, so... we shall see how it goes.
And now, off to make some food! :) | | July 04, 2010
Happy Independence Day, USA! May you have wonderful festivities!
And I am here in Aix. The academy started this morning. We launched into a rehearsal for one of the contemporary ensembles in which we are all participating, and then in the afternoon, I had my first session with Helmut Deutsch. It was really interesting. Singing Schumann... I think I have gotten so used to having an "opera" mentality, that I forgot (or maybe I never knew) just how differently Lieder can be presented. We sang through some of Schumann's Myrten today, and it took me a good few minutes to adjust stylistically. Not that I haven't sung any Lieder in the last while - I have! And I love singing Lieder! But... Let's just say that when I got to the point of feeling like I was only using about ten percent of my voice, he was happy. And it's not that I wasn't singing anymore, or that I was undersinging, it simply does not require the drama that opera requires - and I, frankly, didn't realize that I was singing it too largely! I was just singing in the manner to which I've become accustomed, and I thought fairly simply at that. I don't really know how to express what I'm trying to say... Either way, I think it is going to be a really enriching experience to work through Lieder with him, and I'm looking forward to continuing.
And now, I have to get some sleep. :) | | July 01, 2010
Today is a VERY important day. There are two very important birthdays! And so...
Happy Birthday, Canada! I think we are in something of difficult ideological times right now in my country, and the decisions that will be made in the years to come will affect what Canada is, how the people think, and how the world views it for many generations to come. And thus, Canada, for this, your 143rd birthday, I wish you wisdom beyond your years. May we learn from the past and aspire to be more than we already are.
And then, to my beloved HE - Happy Birthday! You already know what I wish you.
I, like everyone else in the world, I imagine, have been watching the coverage of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Terrifying. Disgusting. What ever happened to human integrity and responsibility? What ever happened to general respect? How was this allowed to happen? It shames us all.
I don't have much new to report in terms of my life in Paris at the moment; it is going forth like normal. Though, having said that, I'm having very full and enjoyable days, which is not always normal. :) I'm getting ready for the festival in Aix-en-Provence, and very much looking forward to heading down there. I think it is going to prove a really interesting experience. I'm feeling vocally great, and I've set a few goals for myself that I'm really looking forward to exploring. I am, of course, looking forward to working with Helmut Deutsch, and I am intrigued to meet many of the composers whose contemporary works we will be working and performing. I am looking forward to the music I will be working; fascinating and profound texts, beautifully composed... I am, simply, looking forward to it all. :) Plus, two weeks in the south of France is never a bad thing - at least, not in my opinion! :) But I think it is going to be a VERY full two weeks... Let the folly begin...! :)
And finally, one last thing:
Deutschland! Deutschland! Deutschland!!!!!!! :) | | June 25, 2010
I love summer! It is beautiful in Paris, and I am happy. Yesterday morning, I went to the market and came home with many of the wonderful fruits that you can buy when the weather is nice: figues, raspberries, cherries... I love it. I even found myself enjoying pigeons for a moment today. I was sitting down by the water and maybe thirty pigeons flew overhead. Normally, this is something of a scary experience :), but somehow today, the sound of them flying over was something to be enjoyed. I think it's the sun playing with my head. :)
I'm currently working Schumann's Dichterliebe. I was listening today (again) to Fritz Wunderlich's recording... Truly masterful. For whatever reason, the song that really struck me today was "Ich hab im Traum geweinet." Close to perfection. So many details, so many colors, so much vulnerability... And it all seems so effortless. Brilliant.
And now, the birds in the garden are calling me to join them on the balcony. One must obey birds - very important life lesson. :) |  | June 21, 2010
Happy Solstice, everyone! Unfortunately, Paris is completely covered by clouds tonight (as it has been all day), so I did not get to see the sun. Very unfair, in my opinion. So, as a tribute, I'm posting here a picture of the sunset, as taken from Sea Cloud II, en route to Russia. :) Beautiful, no? I will post a couple other pictures from the cruise on the scrapbook page, should anyone be curious.
The cruise was quite an experience. We started in Germany, stopped in Poland, Latvia, Sweden, Estonia, and finally Russia... Of course, being that it was a cruise, I don't really feel like I experienced any of those places; just got a small taste of what they might be like were one to spend more time there. I really do want to explore the east...
The ship, however, we got to know quite well. :) It is certainly beautiful, and the crew was wonderful. Our masterclasses with Leontina Vaduva were really interesting and instructive, and I very much enjoyed getting to know her, both as a singer and as a person. She is a truly wonderful soul. The concerts on board... it's interesting singing while on the water! :) Actually, in all honesty, I quite enjoyed it. I found that it forced you to really plant yourself and use your body - something that one can forget or neglect to do when on solid ground. And, of course, I quite enjoy singing with the three colleagues who were also on the ship, and thus it was really quite a pleasure.
In Russia, I saw what I think was probably the most amazing concert I've ever seen. The Mariinsky Orchestra, in the Mariinsky Theatre Concert Hall, conducted by Valery Gergiev, and joined on the piano by Denis Matsuev. Prokofiev and Tchaikovsky. Amazing. Honestly, it was the closest thing to perfection I have ever witnessed in the musical sphere. Definitely an evening to be remembered. The concert ended around midnight, and we came outside to a bright sky... the joys of the north in the summer. That night, I stayed up all night, and I can thus reaffirm that the sun never completely disappears from the sky above St. Petersburg in the summer... :)
I kind of miss the water... | | June 05, 2010
It's 3 in the morning, and I am exhausted. Got home tonight from the concert at Fontainebleau at around 1am, and am now trying to finish packing etc to leave in a matter of a few hours to go on the Baltic Sea cruise! We take off for Germany tomorrow morning, stay there overnight (Hamburg), and then head to the ship on Monday. Very excited, but exhausted am I. Thus, I'm not going to write right now, I just wanted to wish everyone well until I write again. I am hoping to return to Paris much more tanned than I am now, with many new stories to tell.
And thus... if I knew a cute nautical catch phrase, I would insert it here, but... I'm too tired. :) I can't think. So instead: good night all... | | May 25, 2010
Two days of sunshine is a very good thing. My soul and my slowly-becoming-tanned body are very happy. :)
One more day until the recital at the American Cathedral; I am looking forward to it. I also had a rehearsal this morning for the concert in which I will be singing at the end of August. Such wonderful music - Brahms and Berlioz. One of the wonders of living in Paris: there are so many really good quality musicians here. I am amazed every time I start a new project... I have the fortune of making music with really talented individuals which, of course, renders the experience all the richer. Our rehearsal this morning was mostly just a read-through of the pieces, but already I feel that we communicate fairly well and seem to feel the music in similar ways. I think it will be a really enjoyable and rich project.
But first, recital Thursday with pianist extraordinaire Arnaud. Any extra energy in the direction of Paris is always welcome! :) | | May 22, 2010
Spring has returned! Actually, in all honesty, we've kind of skipped right into summer. No complaining from me! :)
I had a very good practice session tonight, and am thus in fairly high spirits. I think both the upcoming recitals are in pretty good shape and, in the case of the second, I am really looking forward to finally seeing the quartet and working through the pieces (they have been very busy of late - actually, I think they're always busy - and we have thus not yet been able to see each other). I am not at all worried about putting it together; they are very fine musicians, but I am really excited to finally do it!
The repertoire for both of these recitals is really outstanding. This coming Thursday, my original idea for the recital was "women's stories." Thus, Debussy's "Chansons de Bilitis" and Wolf's "Mignon Lieder." To round out the program, and add a little bit of color and light, are Grieg's "Sechs Lieder," a collection of six songs (of course about love), but most of which are light-hearted and fun. And beautiful. The second recital takes a more serious angle: Greif's "Quatuor No 2 - Shakespeare" is a collection of songs, alternatively for voice and quartet, and quartet alone. The texts are all sonnets from Shakespeare, and the sonnets Greif chose all centre around Death and Dying. Then, of course, is his powerful composition that I first performed back in the autumn of this year "Les Lettres de Westerbork," based on texts written by a woman detained in German concentration camps, as well as texts from the Old Testament Bible. The third piece is a narrative by Respighi, based on a Shelley poem: the sunset, translated into Italian - Il Tramonto. This is a wonderfully lyric and emotive piece, also tragic in its story, and beautiful - both textually and musically. I studied the poem quite a bit as I was preparing this piece, looking to truly understand what it means... it really is a wonderful and insightful text. But then, it is Shelley. :) I am intrigued to really start exploring the instrumental side of this music, to see if Respighi envisioned some of the same colors as Shelley seemed to.... If I do my job, both recitals should be really enjoyable. And they are both extremely affordable! :) So again, if you are in the Paris area: please consider coming out! And if you're not in the Paris area... I can recommend some "cheap last minute train ticket" websites... :)
Finally, I went for a long walk last night, to go enjoy a sunset of my own, and as I wound my way through some of the older, narrow streets of Paris, I found myself occasionally totally alone. No noise, just the sound of my sneakers on the pavement. When in Paris can you ever hear your sneakers on the pavement?! These moments never lasted more than a minute or so, but... such an interesting experience. In a city the size of Paris, on a beautiful Friday evening, when it seems like all of the city is out enjoying it... to suddenly be alone... It reminded me of the night myself and some friends explored Rome in the wee hours of the morning, and experienced some of the popular Piazzas completely deserted, streets empty... Very "La Dolce Vita." It really is something of a unique experience. Sneakers on pavement. | | May 11, 2010
Buonasera a tutti! My Italian classes have started. Very fun! And very exhausting... :) Not the classes themselves, but I have to get up so early to go to them! Actually, I'm not complaining; I really enjoy getting up early, but my body has not completely adjusted yet... :) But yes, I have decided it is time to improve my Italian, so I have enrolled in classes here in Paris. The class is taught by a native Italian, and is kept to a minimum of people - our class, for instance, has three people, myself included. It's great! And I'm actually pleasantly surprising myself with how much I can understand and speak... years of singing in Italian take the credit for that, of course, but it was nonetheless a nice surprise. Don't get me wrong - my Italian is VERY basic, but better than I expected. So... I am enjoying myself. I always did like school... :)
This weekend, due to the rather important anniversary that occurred, my thoughts turned to the World Wars, most specifically of course the second. I cannot even imagine what that time must have been like. A WORLD war. So many people lost - so many young people, gone. Who were they? What might they have become, had they been able to live out a full life? Could one of them have found, say, a cure for cancer, or AIDS? Could one of them have been an inspirational leader in a major cause, or perhaps an artist who would shift our cultural colours? Or just a person... a friendly neighbor...? What did we lose? But then, what would we have lost had the war not been fought? Either side is terrifying to contemplate. And yet so many years later, we seem to have still not learned the lessons that were paid for in blood. That might be the most terrifying thought of all.
But in watching the news this weekend, I was struck by a story of Canadian veterans in the Netherlands. We so often hear about the Americans, or generally the Allied Forces (not that I'm suggesting we shouldn't), but not so often the Canadians specifically - which, I suppose is normal; there were so many countries involved, and we were a small contingent. But - it was the Canadians who liberated the Dutch people. And the Dutch people have not forgotten. I watched a story that followed three veterans specifically back to the Netherlands - for one, it was his first time back since fighting in the war when he was in his young twenties. There were Canadian flags everywhere; people - who would not have even been born when the war was happening - lining the streets and holding up signs saying "Thank you, Boys," or "We will never forget." It was very touching. But then, Europe has never forgotten. In France, all you have to do is take a trip up to Omaha Beach and you see the flags of the all of the Allied Forces countries flying in the wind. The cemeteries, the monuments... The camps in Germany and Poland... I loved visiting the war monuments in DC when I lived there, but as powerful as they are, they do not hold the same power as I find they do here. Because this is where it happened. This was the crux. The stories live here. The story about the Netherlands was touching for so many reasons. One, a population of people so far away from Canada who still to this day honors the lives won and lost all those years ago. Two, to see grown men - who at one time didn't know if they would ever become "old" - return to a place that is only how it is because of what they did... to see them stand before a grave of a friend and become completely vulnerable, as if no time had passed at all... So many stories, so many memories, most of which we will never know and they will never escape.
I hope it is true, that we never forget, but sometimes I fear we are indeed forgetting. Not the men and women who served and fell - that never. But the reasons behind all that blood... Anyways, that was my contemplation; judge it as you will. | | May 08, 2010
So... this week has been pretty exciting, actually... but most of it cannot be shared on my website. :( Professional secrecy... :) But seriously, I can say that it was a very busy and exciting week. I had been having something of a confidence crisis a couple weeks ago. This all stemmed from doing the understudy in Hoffmann. You see, as the cover, you sit in rehearsals and watch and listen for the most part. I am not complaining - it has been a great experience - but after listening to someone as successful as Ekaterina Gubenova for three weeks (who also has a very different voice from mine), you start to feel a little inferior when you open your own mouth. Anyways, I managed to overcome that this week finally, which was very liberating. It's very easy to doubt ourselves... to question whether what we do is sufficient... And then it's wonderful when we realize - or have it proven to us - that asking if we are sufficient is indeed the wrong question.
Along the same lines, Hoffmann went up this week. The General rehearsal was on Wednesday, and the premiere on Friday. And it was awesome. I watched the entire General rehearsal and, despite having sat in rehearsals for the past three weeks, and thus knowing the production quite well, I still found myself laughing and really having a good time. Such a great production. I really hope to sing it one day.
I also started rehearsing this week with Arnaud, the pianist extraordinaire who will be playing the recital at the end of May with me. Rehearsals are going well. I really enjoy working with Arnaud; he is a great musician who brings such a simple intelligence to the music he plays... I think it will be a really nice recital.
And I guess that's about it for this Saturday evening. Have a good weekend, everyone! |  | May 02, 2010
I know, I just wrote, but... I wanted to share my flowers! :) Have I mentioned that I love Spring...? :) Today in Paris, we had spring showers throughout the day; the garden outside my window smells wonderfully fresh and clean. And the birds seemed to love the rain - they sang without pause. And I finally got my own little garden going. I figured it's time to make my balcony beautiful - I have the good fortune of having a balcony in central Paris; I might as well make good use of it! And so behold, one of my planters. This is the first time I've ever planted outdoor plants at a place of my own, so I'm rather excited about it, as simple as that might be. Oh, to have a garden... not sure when that will become a possibility, but for now, balcony planters will suffice; I find myself quite content, enjoying their company. :) And that's my story for tonight; it's all about the flowers... :) | | May 01, 2010
Hello everyone! Happy May Day - or, if you're in certain parts of Germany, Fröhliche Männerstag! Such a strange holiday... :) So, as I'm sure you have noticed, I decided my website needed an overhaul. Most of the changes are format-based, but I hope to have rendered my site a little more professional looking, and... well, I just needed a change! :)
I love the spring! Flowers blooming everywhere, the trees full again with leaves, birds singing all day long (indeed, I've been listening to one in the garden for hours now), warm sunshine from dawn until dusk... Rehearsals for Hoffmann are almost at a close. The premiere is this coming Friday (May 07), so we're into the last week. It's a really great production (Robert Carson), with really great singers. For those who may not be familiar with any of Robert Carson's productions, they are wonderful. Honestly, if ever you hear that a company is doing a Carson production of something, or if ever you see a DVD of one, do everything you can to watch it. Not only are the productions beautiful, but they make sense. They are powerful because they make the story come alive in what seems like such a simple way. Truly, he is a brilliant director, so it's been quite interesting watching it all come together.
Aside from that, it's life in Paris as usual - enjoying Lemon Sugar crepes, watching and listening to various street performers, reading in the shade on my balcony, trying to not be mowed down by tourists and cyclists alike... And it is Spring. It would be wrong to complain too much... :) | | | | | | | | |
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