Lea Ann:
Just a note of caution from a teacher and singer. If I'm remembering
the details from your previous posts correctly, you are preparing for a
recital in a relatively short amount of time, are learning several pieces of
new music within that short time, and were originally going to sing "Nel
cor..." from the 24 or 26 Italian songs and arias. I also remember that you
haven't been with the new teacher for very long, and am suspecting this is
the reason why you need to learn things so quickly, as you haven't built up
a repertoire with her yet. Learning this amount of new music for
performance will indeed be an undertaking and should be approached with
thoughtfulness and care.
I would actually ask my teacher for suggestions of several
possibilities, since she best knows your level of expertise and technical
ability. You might then make a choice from these suggestions, so that you
have artistic input, but so that you make sure not to take on more than is
appropriate for your ability level. Those of us on the list can give you
marvelous
suggestions, but we've never heard you sing! There's a big difference
between "Nel cor..." and jumping into the operatic mezzo repertoire
(although the Cherubino arias would be a good first choice if you want to go
there). Using "Nel cor" as a
guideline, since that's what you were originally planning, the arias in the
basic anthologies are time-tested as being very accessible to the less
experienced singer. "Danza danza" or "Gia il sole dal Gange" from the basic
books would be challenging and instructive. From other sources, "Chi vuol la
Zingarella" (already mentioned) is a safe bet without being too difficult,
or you might want to look at something by Stefano Donaudy (songs done in the
style of the aria antiche), perhaps "Spirate pur, spirate" which is full of
lovely runs (but needs good breath management abilities).
Best of luck!
Sharon Szymanski
The Szymanski Studio -"encouraging excellence in the vocal arts"
|
|  |
