On stage!

Hey there everyone!

Well, it's now 16 days till we open Idomeneo and today, we got our first shot at the actual scenery on the actual stage! This is where it gets both exciting and a bit tedious at the same time. Of course exciting because everything is new and you are able to realize the actual playing space and the actual distance to the conductor from where you have to stand on the first entrance (44 meters...) and really what it is all going to look like come dress rehearsal time. Tedious, because everyone is in the same boat with everything being a new experience and new feeling. Entrances take longer because there is more ground to cover, walls that you used in the rehearsal are not usable now because leaning on them makes you invisible to half the auditorium, there is carpet on the floor which completely changes the sound from the rehearsal room and many other things. But overall, it was a very positive day. I can speak for my fellow cast members that we are very much looking forward to putting it all together with the orchestra starting next week.

I saw a bit of the video that will accompany the overture this morning and I must say it is really cool. Tal Harden has done a superb job of editing. It's shaping up to be a very visually stimulating show. The audience will certainly not be bored and of course the singing will be first class.

Tomorrow is a day off.

Pray for some sun. It's now 8 straight days of rain and wind.

Ahhhhhhhhhh!

More Tuesday or Wednesday.

I wonder how this piece ends?

Hi Everybody. Well, we're here now since 10 February and we've yet to finish the piece. I've been assured that it will be completely staged by tomorrow, so that makes me happy. I just want to get to the end so I know how it turns out!

Seriously, it is a bit frustrating to me staging in this way. We seem to be taking quite a long time to get it all put together. I'm not used to working like this. Normally, we would have been staged and ready to go with the orchestra rehearsals, but on the other hand, I rather like the opportunity to really delve into not only my character, but all the others as well. It's a real collaboration and the stage director is now trusting us more and welcoming suggestions.

I must say though, that we miss our conductor Jeremy, who is off doing something else, somewhere else. He returns next week for our orchestra rehearsals and I assume will stay with us until we open which is on the 16th of next month. One of the assistants has taken over the conducting duties in his place. Having said that, it can sometimes becomes difficult when there is a question regarding musical interpretation when the conductor is not present. No one can really make any concrete decisions so, we sort of do it our own way until he arrives and gives either his seal of approval, or doesn't and suggests his own interpretation. The frustration level can be rather high when one continues to rehearse in one way and then is asked to change an interpretation at a moments notice. Singers are creatures of habit so changing something is never an easy thing for us to do. Anyway, I know it will work out in the end...it always has and it always will.

So, here's a little preview of what to expect...

There will be quite a gruesome scene at the end of Act Two (our Act One as we do the first two acts together). In the finale, a massacre occurs and young children will appear to be shot and die in their parents' arms. This is an addition to the traditional Idomeneo, but in fact remains consistent with the concept of the Stage Director. It is an incredibly shocking scene, but trust me, it all turns out OK in the end. That part, I won't give away.

On the home front, tonight is the Gregory Kunde Chorale's repeat performance of Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem at 7:30 EST at Asbury Methodist Church on East Avenue in downtown Rochester. My assistant Malcolm Merriweather will conduct, Linda Wojciechowski (my wife) will be the soprano and Jan Opalach the baritone. Berri Garver and Gordon Porth will accompany the Chorale in Brahms' own arrangement for Piano Four-Hands.

In bocca al lupo to them.

More to come before the weekend.

More from Brussels

Nice day yesterday. More filming for the Idomeneo overture. I'm getting used to the contemporary idea. Off today, but it is raining and the wind is blowing so hard, I've not been outside at all. Tomorrow we get the chorus back in rehearsals after their week off and we'll do more filming as well.

There was a great article in the Rochester, NY newspaper (Democrat and Chronicle) featuring my wife, Linda. Here's the link:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100221/ENT01/2210316/1053/Linda-Wojciechowski--wife--mother--soprano-and-manager-of-Gregory-Kunde-Chorale.

I'm so proud of her. She is a remarkable woman. Please take a minute to read it.

That's it for now.

I'm back!

I know, I know. It's the procrastinator in me.

Brussels. I've been here now for about 10 days. Another new Mozart role for me. Idomeneo. I'm so glad I never attempted to tackle this when I was younger. This is an incredible role in every sense. Great arias, great recitatives, and just a fantastic character who runs the whole gamut of emotions.

I'm very lucky to have a wonderful cast as well. Two singers I did not know before I arrived Malena Ernman as Idamante and Ingela Bohnin as Ilia have proved to be great finds. Two Swedish singers who are both superb. Ken Tarver I've known since our Donna del Lago recording in Scotland a few years ago is the same as ever...excellent as Arbace, my chief-of-staff (more on that later) and one of my very favorite artists ever, Alexandrina Pendachanska as Elettra whose voice still continues to amaze and delight.

The conductor is Jeremy Rhomer. He is young and full of enthusiasm and I think will do very well. The stage director is Ivo van Hove, a Dutch based theatre director. In my first meeting, I found his concept a bit off-putting as is is my first Idomeneo and I arrived with some pre-conceived ideas of how I wanted to play him. I'm glad to report that I am enjoying more and more his way of working and even looking forward to the outcome of the show.

Without giving too much away just yet, let's just say that instead of taking place in ancient times, the show has been updated to take place in present day. Idomeneo is a returning soldier who re-takes his role as President of his country. And instead of dealing with Neptune the sea god, we are thinking of Neptune as more of a power-brokering terrorist who makes unreasonable demands on Idomeneo. When those demands are not met, the price he and his countrymen pay is quite high.

We've not reached the end of the piece yet in our staging rehearsals, so I'm not sure of how the ending will play out. Let's just say that the production will certainly be a spectacle in the good sense of the word. Special effects, video screens with both live action shots and "flashback" pre-recorded shots will keep the audience completely engaged. I promise to keep you updated.

Next time, I'll talk about what you missed in the last 3-4 months...lots!

Good to be back.

Armida in Amsterdam, days 2 and 3

Well, after a rough start, day two was much, much better.  Everyone was really in top form.  The orchestra seems to really like the music which now days is quite rare and they are a really great band.  All singers at the top of their games.  Haydn would be very happy.  Only a couple of concerns about tempos. They were not quite comfortable yet. Mostly with Armida (Meagan Miller) and me.  Let's hope they resolve themselves.  

So, for the novice at this opera thing, or about any singing with orchestra let me explain what I mean by concerns with tempos.  The tempo is the speed at which the piece you are singing goes.  It can change sometimes during the piece but usually, there is a collaboration between the conductor and singer(s) in the first few rehearsals to establish what the speed(s) will be.  This is one of the most important things that happen in the initial rehearsals.  Once the tempos are established, the singers can get the piece into their bodies and can finally get comfortable singing it.  If perhaps the singer (or even and instrumentalist) feels the piece is too fast or too slow, it effects the way they perform the piece. For example, if the tempo is too fast, the singer may not be able to get enough breath in the places they would normally take breaths, and if it is too slow, they will have the opposite problem, not having enough breath to sustain the needed sound and perhaps will need to take too many breaths.  In either case, it can create a psychological barrier and prevent the performer from doing his or her best. When the tempo is right, it is evident immediately and one will sense a sort of freeness in the performer's persona.  But, when wrong, you'll be able to see the performer becoming uncomfortable right before your very eyes.

So, back to day 2, no complaints really except the day ended up being quite long.  We rehearsed with the orchestra from 9:45- 2:15 and then had a break till 7:30 when we had a "recitative" rehearsal with the continuo players.  Another informative factoid: recitatives are the parts between the "arias" and "ensembles" (where the orchestra plays) which are usually accompanied by a "continuo" group that normally consists of a harpsichord and cello.  It is imperative to have rehearsals with this group separate from the orchestra rehearsals in order to work out the timing and intentions of what is being said.  Think theatre dialogue rehearsal but with a melody, rhythms and a harpsichord and cellist to accompany you.  Anyway, it was a long day.

Now, to today's rehearsal...day 3:

We had the other two singers arrive for today's rehearsal; a baritone and soprano who both arrived from Salzburg where they were both involved in a staged production of Armida...convenient, no?  Consequently, a lot of time was spent with them leaving the principals (Armida and I) a bit short-changed today.  We had it in mind to do another "recit" rehearsal this evening, but cancelled it instead due to fatigue on everyone's part. 

So, that leaves us the rest of the day to relax a bit and then pack the bags for our transfer to Amsterdam City Center tomorrow after yet another early morning rehearsal with the orchestra!

I'll be in touch.

All the best,

Greg

Armida in Amsterdam, day 1

It's a strange life we lead.  Yesterday, on the plane from Newark to Amsterdam, I was told to be on the lookout for my Armida as the administration here said she would be on the same flight.  I thought I spotted her before take-off, but I wasn't about to go asking.  What if it wasn't her?  Then I'd have only about 230 other people to choose from.  Anyway, I spotted her again in baggage claim.  It was a good guess.  After introductions and a reassurance I wasn't a stalker, we ( she, her fiancee and I) shared a car to our hotel.  This is rather normal in this life.  Meeting new people everywhere you go and working together as if you've known each other for years.  In some cases, you have known each other for years and the more I do this, the more times you see the same colleagues, which is really a blessing.  

So, to day 1...rehearsal day 1, that is.

This is always a somewhat tense day.  Especially if you don't know the people you are singing with.  Luckily today, everyone turned out to be quite good.  The only disappointment today was my performance.  It must have been jet-lag or something.  I just wasn't able to concentrate.  Even after three weeks at home of preparation, I felt like I was seeing the music for the first time.  I was embarrassed to say the least.  It's just not like me.  I'm always well prepared.  It's what I do...but not today.

Oh well, onward and upward.

Tomorrow, we begin rehearsals with the orchestra.  And at 9:45, no less.  I am not a morning singer.  

More tomorrow.  Time for bed.

All the best,

Greg

Welcome to "...of Arias and Cabalettas"

Hi everyone.  I'm Gregory Kunde and welcome to my blog "...of arias and Cabalettas".  I've been an opera singer (tenor) for the past 32 years and I've been fortunate to have sung in most of the major cities and theatres in the world.  For those of you not familiar with "arias and cabalettas", those words pretty much describe what I've been doing with my life since I began singing the "bel canto" operas back around 1989.  So, what's that, 20 years ago? Wow, hard to believe it's been that long.  Anyway, arias are the "solo songs" I sing in the operas I do and in most bel canto operas the aria is followed by a cabaletta or a more brisk passage with lots of opportunities to show off your high and fast notes that usually ends in a really long high note.  I thought I'd use the title since when I'm on the road, they're what occupy most of my time.  

I've thought about doing this for a while, so bear with me as I learn how.  Mostly, I'll be talking about everyday stuff, things that we singers do while we are on the road, like rehearse, learn new music, rehearse, call our agents, rehearse, talk to our spouses and kids on Skype, rehearse, eat too much, rehearse, drink too much coffee, and...rehearse some more.  Oh, and then we have our performances, too.  When we get closer to that time, I'll explain more.  It's not a very glamorous life, but it's what we do.  And as I said to one of my colleagues this evening, we are privileged to be able to do it.

Hope you enjoy and I look forward to your comments.

All the best,

Greg Kunde