ACOUSTICS: HOW TO SING IN DIFFICULT THEATRES

As singers we are always thrown into new environments to perform. 

Some theaters are very 'live' or have a lot of echo or feedback, and some are 'dry' or even 'dead'. Singing outside can also be difficult at times.

When we sing in a very "live" space we generally have no issues, as singers always enjoy the echo. We can stay relaxed when we feel the voice 'come back to us'.   When we are in a 'dry' or 'dead' space, then we have to worry not to push our voices and stay within technique.  This is where we are challenged to stay disciplined. 

For me, my tendency in a dry or dead space is to push and use too much 'chest voice', thereby losing balance with the 'head voice'.  If this happens, I basically get too bright a sound. This is how singers tire easily.  This can also lead to the voice cracking, or even catastrophic meltdowns, depending on how technically secure the singer.  (I've never had a meltdown, thank Goodness!)

In my case, I make doubly sure that I am staying on the breath, the sound is forward, and that every single phrase is well supported and the air flow out of my lungs is constant.  I also am more aware every time I sing in or through the passaggio. and make sure my voice will co-ordinate (some people say cover) at the right time, thereby keeping balance in the registers. 

I was lucky to take part in Texas Opera Theater tours when I was younger.  We would be in 25 -30 different cities in a six week period, and each theater was different. 

I learned at a young age the necessity of adapting to the different acoustics.  This was good training for when I started singing in different theaters all over the world. 

SINGING AT THE MET

Singing at the MET: My Debut Day

My debut at the MET was the role of Rodrigo in Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi.  The debut came about because Vladimir Chernov, the Russian baritone, had fallen ill.  Before walking on stage, I had rehearsed the staging on C Level for several days, and had one ensemble rehearsal with Maestro James Levine and the "A" cast.  

The first time I sang on the stage, other than my audition, was in my debut!  It was a bit of pressure of course.  Luckily I could  refer back to my stage audition and knew that there was an echo or 'feedback' from the house. This meant if the acoustics remained the same with an audience, that I would be fine. 

The MET  is a very large opera house, but the acoustics are still very good.  When standing on the stage, one cannot see to the back of the Family Circle (the farthest upper reaches of the theater).  With the lighting coming from farther back in the house, or off the facade of the first couple balconies, visibility is next to none. So the area that we can see from the stage is actually about 2/3 of the actual space. This gives the singer a psychological lift as we are 'tricked' into thinking the theater is much smaller than it is.  It helps us to relax and sing easily. 

OPERA FAILING

Why is opera failing around the world?I think there are several reasons. 

I believe the trend began in Europe decades ago when classic productions began to be replaced with "Konzept Oper" (concept opera) and has moved into a phase of "regietheater" (stage theater).  
Theaters began permitting stage directors to explore the psychological side of the operatic characters, many times finding a completely new vision for the opera.  Unfortunately, this confused audiences and attendance has since dwindled. 

I look at an updated opera production this way:  if the director needs more than a page in the program to explain or justify his concept, then it is probably too complicated for the audience to easily enjoy. 

I don't want to sit in a theater and spend most of the show trying to figure out what the significance is of many new twists the director may have included.  

I attended several performances in the Arena in Verona, Italy last summer.  Some of the people in my group made the comment, "...it is hard to hear the singers...." 

Yes, the Arena is an outdoor venue where one must truly listen to the singers, as the Arena holds 18,000 people.  But another issue is amplification.  If we listen to music at home, even classical music, it is easy to crank up the volume and sit in the middle of the orchestra and hear every sound out of digitally mastered voice.  This is not the same sound we hear when we attend a live performance of opera in a theater.  
I believe a well tuned theater gives us the best chance at hearing a voice at its best, and hope that people can continue to take advantage of live performance as the best way to see and hear an opera performance.

OPERA COMPANIES CLOSING

It was announced just days ago that the San Diego Opera is closing its doors, effective the end of their current season. 

This follows a trend of companies closing their doors over the past six years, including venerable companies like Baltimore Opera and New York City Opera.  
However, San Diego Opera was not a company that was seemingly in financial distress; they had balanced the budget for 28 straight years even through tough economic times.  However, as they planned ahead for next season, they realised with dwindling audiences, and a donor base that was 'exhausted', the management felt it couldn't present 4 operas without running a deficit. 
A gift given ten years ago of ten million dollars from a donor had finally run out as they had tapped one million a year to balance the budget.  
This company was one of the top ten in the USA, known for its quality and stability.  
Yes, opera is arguably the most expensive art form as it combines stage, voice and orchestra.  But companies in the USA are generally privately funded these days, and during hard financial times are very susceptible to financial crisis.
 
SDOpera however, had a fifteen million dollar budget per year.  The company had 117 employees, (some seasonal), and recently spent 2.6million USD on a production of Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera. 

The General Manager, Ian Campbell, drew a paycheck of 500,000 USD per year.  For the company and board of directors to not make substantial cuts in these troubled financial times and burn through their 10 million dollar endowment is simply irresponsible.  

Cuts should have been made, beginning with the salary of the General Manager.  A regional company, however stable, should not be spending 2.6 million USD on a production.

In this case, it seems as if the company management and board killed the goose that laid the golden egg and in doing so, will effect not only the opera company and its employees, but the stage hands, orchestra members, and artists that will no longer be able to make a living.

SECCO RECITATIVES!

As I was teaching some young singers this week, we were working on Mozart recitatives. 

Anyone will tell you that the first time a young singer tackles a Mozart recit, it can be a bit comical for the seasoned listener, coach or performer. 

As I chuckled a bit during the rehearsal, the two students reacted a bit perplexed at my demeanor.  I had to explain to them that learning how to present a secco recitative takes a bit of time and skill. 

To present a secco recit correctly, the performer must have a great understanding of the text, sub-text, and feel for what the scene is trying to convey to the audience. 

For a young singer, this is simply a learning process. 

One of the students this week tried to sing everything fast, showing good memory skills (but no real feeling given to the words)  while the other used so much character that there were great pauses before each line, both of which lead to a very jagged and unintelligible recitative. 

Add upon this the fact that most young Chinese singers don't yet have a great understanding of Western languages, and one realises there is a great deal of work to do when it comes to interpreting a secco recitative.

SELF-ASSESSMENT

One of the most challenging tasks for any artist is to honestly assess themselves.  

If we are not having success in securing performing opportunities, what are the causes? Are the reasons clear or not?  

If the reasons are not clear, we need good, honest advice.  Hopefully we have someone in our lives who as a mentor can be honest and tell us what we need to improve. 

As for ourselves, we need to be fearlessly and sometimes brutally honest with ourselves about what we need to improve or change in our performance package.  

It isn't always easy, but as anything in life, if we can be totally honest with ourselves we can become better performers, and also better individuals.

DETERMINATION

I was running and hiking last week in the hills around Hong Kong.  I am neither fast nor exceptionally strong, but I would like to think I am determined.   

As I relate this to the conversation of career, I can't help but hope that young singers who seriously chose getting into the opera business, and want to perform, are just as determined.

It takes a great deal of work and discipline, and  a great deal of determination when things don't always go well.  

I was told once by Matthew Epstein, one of the super agents of the past, that if a young singer is good or very good, they may get 3 offers from every ten auditions.  

Think of that.  

If you are good, it might be 3 of 10.  

Keeping a good attitude, accessing your own abilities and changing your performance 'package' when necessary is very important.

MIRROR WORK

Why is it so hard to look oneself in the eyes?  

Why can’t we face ourselves? 

As a run-on to my insight on relaxation, using a mirror to check ones own body for proper use and tensions is very important. 

I find it cute sometimes when I ask a student to watch what happens when they sing a certain phrase, interval or vowel, and at the critical moment that they need to be looking, they glance away. Or down. Or close their eyes.  Or  tenors whose eyes roll back into their heads as they attack a high note.  

This is all very interesting to observe as a teacher.  Usually it just takes a few times reminding the students to focus before they really start to observe themselves. 

RELAXATION

March 12, 2014

I was working with a young man the other day, a singer who has only had about 5-6 lessons.  He was typically very aggressive and tense in his neck and shoulders. Trying to get him to relax was obviously going to be a bit of work, and will be an ongoing process. 

A teacher can tell a student something (and again and again, sometimes) and yet how do you truly get a point across? 

One way for relaxation is physical manipulation, where a teacher can move shoulders, head, jaw, push and pull, and keep muscles moving while the student is singing, so that they can understand how much they need to relax. 

However, working in Asia especially, many people do not like the physical touch or manipulation. What I have learned is to make good use of mirrors in the studio where I teach.  I tell the student that when they look in the mirror, they are greeting their ‘best friend’, and that this friend can teach them a great deal. 

It is amazing how students react in the beginning to facing themselves.  A mirror won’t lie, and trying to get them to keep their eyes focused on themselves is itself a learning experience!

BUILDING THE STANDARD IN CHINA

March 2, 2014

Apropos to my recent post QUALITY COACHING, I might add that if you look at the history of the Metropolitan Opera, for example, I believe you will see a certain pattern.

What I mean is, when the MET was formed, how many Native Americans were truly involved? I believe not so many. Immigrants front he UK and the European continent were the ones most heavily involved at the MET.

How many American stars were there in the early years? Hardly any. It took a couple generations to make it not only an international opera house of great stature, but also for Americans to find larger niches in the companies not only as artists, but in other capacities. 

If you look at China today, they now have a fantastic theater complex in Beijing: the NCPA.
I think sometimes the 'propaganda machine' in China makes the NCPA on the level of the MET. This is not so and will not happen for a generation.

However, if the central government wants to go forward, and at an accelerated pace, then both now and in the foreseeable future they need more Westerners involved in coaching, training, and leading artists. This may offend cultural sensitivities, but it is the only way to truly bring the NCPA and the level of performance in China up to an acceptable standard. 

Also, if Western people can go in and present quality productions, this can also be a benchmark to which local singers and producers can aspire.

Brian Montgomery on Facebook

QUALITY COACHING

February 28, 2014

I have been in China the past few days and working to bring students to the summer Master Class workshop in Verona, Italy. 

I have spoken to ex-students and others, and it is clear they are thirsty for quality coaching and further education in preparation for the chance to sing opera. There are several 'opera centers' in China, but all run by people who have very little or no Western linguistic background.

How can you teach students in diction, style, context, and syntax when you do not speak the language yourself? 

I am hopeful that more internationally oriented opera centers can help Chinese singers to accelerate their growth in what is necessary to have a career.

Brian Montgomery on Facebook