Friday, May 11, 2012

Definite Impossibilities

There I was, rehearsing to sing the Siegfried Brünnhilde.

The stage and set were mostly white, with different levels; I saw many areas of green, or greenery, which may have been windows behind which there were photographs of the natural world. (I believe the production was influenced by too much time spent perusing kitchen photos on houzz.com.) My tenor was George Gray (now teaching at Temple in Philly), and I remember thinking "Why do I not have Jay Hunter Morris to sing with?" Maybe I did, and Gray was the cover? I think I was a cover, because the rehearsal was not expected.

Our director was a famous soprano, now retired, though I don't recall who. I remember wanting some coaching on the character; somehow we wandered off into a discussion of Carmen and how that title character was similar to Brünnhilde. Or maybe to Isolde?? In any case: no she is not!

And then Barack Obama appeared on stage to wish me luck and give me a little peck on the forehead!

(I will not be singing Brünnhilde any time soon. Not only do I not have an operatic voice, I am an alto.)

4 comments:

Micaela said...

Ha. I once dreamed that Anna Netrebko was sick and I had to sing Juliette, which is ironic because I can't stand Gounod. A psychologist would probably make much of the fact that I woke up before I found out who my Romeo was.

Yours is better.

Lisa Hirsch said...

oh, dear! What a fate!

I've never seen R&J, but I consider Faust to be the most boring opera to still hold a place in the standard repertory.

Tom DePlonty said...

:-). I used to have a dream where there is an orchestra on stage, a piano in front, and a hall full of people, and for some reason I have to go out and try to play Brahms 2nd. I am a trifle apprehensive, because I don't know the piece, and it is several parsecs more difficult than my technique. I'd always woke up during the opening horn solo. In terror.

Lisa Hirsch said...

Eeeek.