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From:  Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Date:  Sun Nov 10, 2002  4:34 am
Subject:  Is it possible to overtrain?

It seems the better my technique and musicianship get, the less work I'm
able to find as a singer. I got much more work 7 years ago, after I'd been
studying voice less than 2 years, than I do now (and I know for an
absolute fact that my technique was "embryonic" at best back then). Now, I
can't seem to get picked for the "minors" anymore. The more my true voice
comes out, the huger it gets, to the point where I know exactly why I'm
not considered for musicals and operettas anymore. The minute I sing a
high note, I probably scare the pants off the auditors, who are NOT
looking for a Wagnerian to sing "Something wonderful" or even "Alone and
yet alive".

The other alternative, and the one I'm doing all this training for, is
actual opera. But the opera scene for local singers in the Greater
Washington D.C. Metro Area has eroded to the point of virtual
nonexistence. Companies that used to hire all local talent are now going
out of town for all the major roles, and casting only comprimarios
locally. Other companies have particular casting agendas - like a mandate
to use all Asian and Asian-American singers, or a mandate to hire only
under-30s, or a preference for students and graduates of the music school
with which they are affiliated. As for the rest, I'm still waiting for
them to program operas in which a dramatic mezzo-contralto voice would be
welcome. Mozart, Rossini, and Puccini just don't offer that many
opportunities for a voice that is scaled for Azucena, Dalila, and
Erda.

As for oratorio - which I'd love to do more of - I'm going to have to wait
around - and compete for - the very rare Verdi Requiems and Beethoven's
Ninths (not to mention the virtually never done Dream of Gerontiuses).
There is an (erroneous) belief in this town that ALL oratorios
that call for (contr)altos can be sung just as effectively by lyric
mezzos. There is a real TASTE for lyric mezzos singing Handel's contralto
arias, Bach's alto arias, Mendelssohn's contralto arias, Pergolesi's alto
arias.... Music directors in this town have gone so long without hearing a
true alto, they now think a true alto sounds "wrong" in parts that were
written for true altos to sing!

I'm wondering whether I should just give up on opera, operettas,
AND musicals, and instead start working up a one-woman tribute to Anna
Russell. At least then I'd finally get to sing some Wagner!

Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
________________________________
I want to know God's thoughts...
the rest are details.
- Albert Einstein





  Replies Name/Email Yahoo! ID Date  
20799 Re: Is it possible to overtrain?Greypins@a... greypins Sun  11/10/2002  
20800 Re: Is it possible to overtrain?buzzcen@a... buzzcen2000 Sun  11/10/2002  
20802 Re: Working as a singer - was: Is it possible to overtrain?John Messmer, M.D. singdoc_1 Sun  11/10/2002  
20816 Re: Working as a singer - was: Is it possible to overtrain?Karen Mercedes   Mon  11/11/2002  
20818 One act Operas?Morgan Godfrey   Mon  11/11/2002  
20819 Re: One act Operas?Jean Marie Henderson jeaniebean77 Mon  11/11/2002  
20820 Re: One act Operas?Amanda Kelley mandasings Mon  11/11/2002  
20822 Re: One act Operas?Karen Mercedes   Tue  11/12/2002  
20832 Re: One act Operas?Margaret Harrison peggyliebman Tue  11/12/2002  

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