Dear Alan and Vocalisters:
I have seen Domingo conduct only on TV and I was not impressed. It
is an achievement of sorts because he is a famous singer with well
earned credits but the art of conducting requires more the mere
passion and a knowledge of a work.
However, it is not the conductors primary job to cue singers
entrances in works from the standard rep such as Samson and Delila.
Any singer who requires such is a singer who does not know his/her
trade very well. On new works or works in which the orchestra parts
are constantly played against the singer then the conductors cues are
essential. But evern in these conditions most conductors will train
singers to know how to enter in a difficult place so the conductor's
cue is not as necessary. This is insurance in case there is an
orchestral or stage difficulty that crops up in performance.
All of this brings up the biggest problem with all opera. It is
almost always under-rehearsed. It is typical for each of the
disparate parts of a production (singers, chorus, orchestra,
lighting, stage cues, etc) to be assembled rather than rehearsed. In
theatre there are always weeks of rehearsals wherein the actors are
able to learn interactions and the whole collaboration that makes
theatre so exciting and "real" In opera this kind of time frame
exists rarely and usually only in provincial houses, especially if
they are doing a work for the first time. It is one of the reasons
that I often prefer a production done by a provincial house because
it usually represents better "theatre".
--
Lloyd W. Hanson, DMA
Professor of Voice and Vocal Pedagogy Emeritus
Director of Opera-Theatre, 1987-1997
School of Performing Arts
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
|
