First installment of rare* arias offered during the fall 2015 audition tour. Here we go:
(*Rare is relative. Aria fads come and go.)
Baritones
- “And this will be my epitaph” from Barber’s A Hand of Bridge
Nice English aria option. Shows more dramatic range than Bob or Horace Tabor. Not quite as thorny as something like Doctor Atomic. About 3 minutes. Used to be sung a lot; has relatively disappeared in the last 10 years. - “Tirannia gli diedi il regno” from Handel’s Rodelinda
Short (2.5 minutes), fast, shows that the voice moves without getting extreme about it. Range is fairly limited. - Gryaznoy’s Aria from Rimsky-Korakov’s Tsar’s Bride
A heart-felt solid lyric Russian sing for you gentlemen who are looking for an option other than Onegin or Yeletsky. About 5 min. - “A quoi bon l’économie” from Massenet’s Manon
I’m a huge fan of Lescaut’s aria. Not as iconic as Valentin, or as broad as Hamlet. 3.5 minutes, encompassing both lyricism and allegro.
Sopranos
- “Che fiero momento” from Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice
About 3.5 minutes. Light lyric/soubrette territory. Encompasses accompanied recit, long lines and allegro. Packs a lot into a small format. - “O toi qui prolongeas mes jours” from Gluck’s Iphigénie en Tauride
More Gluck. This is for a more substantial lyric instrument. Very long lines, expansive, luxurious. ~3.5 minutes. - Die Wiener Herrn (Fiakermilli’s very short aria) from Strauss’s Arabella
In a situation where you get to sing more than one aria, this is a good non-Zerbinetta option for you high-flying coloraturas. Used to be really in fashion, but has disappeared. I’m a fan of bringing it back.
hmmm, I see a theme of French opera here. can I hope you’re getting ideas for the summer?