Posts Tagged: arias

Aria Frequency List: Bass & Bass-baritone

The following list was compiled from the arias listed on audition applications of singers who were heard during this fall’s WTOC audition tour. The number in bold refers to the number of singers in this voice type who listed each aria. (This does not refer to the arias actually heard in auditions; that list will

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Midwest Musings

This part of the tour is always too much of a whirlwind. Too many good singers, and too few hours in the day. It was a quick 8-hour turnaround from Wednesday night’s arrival in Cincinnati to our morning departure from the hotel. And Thursday was dense, with only a half-hour for lunch, and a dash

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Could We Hear the [Insert Name of Aria Here], Please?

Coming up this week in our Fall 2009 Audition Mini-Course: Monday – The Second Aria Tuesday – Musical Preparation Wednesday – Physicalization Thursday – Props Expert Friday – Chicago-based colleagues weigh in Do You Have Any Mozart? Much of the time, you’ll get to choose your first audition aria. Sometimes it’ll be your only aria,

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Cutting Corners

There are some really tremendous (and useful!) potential audition arias that share one huge disadvantage: They’re too long to be really functional in the typical audition situation. We schedule our appointments in 1o-minute intervals, and I know some companies who are forced to schedule shorter blocks. If you want any hope of singing a second

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Something Old, Something New

I often refer to the “standard” audition repertoire as having a useful analogy in gymnastics compulsories. There’s a checklist of things that the panel needs to know that you can nail, and the most efficient way to do that is to attack the warhorses. Yes, I know everyone sings them. And because of that, you

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Just How Versatile Can You Be?

Getting down to some brass tacks this week. The outline: Monday – Depth vs. breadth Tuesday – Standards vs. fresh fare Wednesday – Cuts and alternate versions Thursday – Stretching Expert Friday – Don Marrazzo, Glimmerglass Opera; & Joshua Winograde, LA Opera So… Jack of all Trades? Master of One? Depending on when you ask

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